Fair Trade promises to raise living standards in developing
countries through:
- worldwide minimum prices for commodities
- support for democratically governed cooperatives
- requirement of minimum wages and safety standards for
workers
- training to help producers improved quality and develop
business skills
- encouragement of eco-friendly practices
- third-party certification
In contrast to the free trade status quo, Fair Trade relies on
informed consumers to choose more direct supply chains that
minimize the role of middlemen, offering economic justice and
social change as a viable and sustainable alternative to charity.
But does it work?
"Fair Trade from the Ground Up" documents achievements at both
the producer and the consumer ends of commodity chains and assesses
prospects for future growth. From Guatemalan coffee farmers to
student activists on U.S. college campuses, the stories of
individuals inform April Linton's analysis. Drawing on studies by
social scientists and economists, as well as on new case studies,
she provides balanced answers to hard questions: How can large
institutions be persuaded to commit to using Fair Trade suppliers?
Does ethical consumerism work? Are the "social premiums" that are
built into Fair Trade prices really being used for community
projects? Will Fair Trade market growth reach the scale of organics
or green products? This book meets a long-felt need among
economic-justice activists, consumer groups, and academics for a
reliable qualitative and quantitative overview of achievements of
the Fair Trade movement.
"A great strength of this book is the breadth of the original
surveys of everyone from producers to business owners to activists
and institutional players. I don't know of any other work with such
a broad assemblage of empirical pieces." -Matt Warning, University
of Puget Sound
April Linton taught sociology at the University of California
San Diego and now works for the Fair Labor Association in
Washington, DC. She is coeditor of "The Global Governance of
Food."
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