Fairtrade

[UncleEbenezer]

Kind-of a DAK, but discussion might range more widely than the mods approve of on that board ...

Heard an Alistair Hanton obit on t'wireless. Sounds like a banker who was also a good man.

One of many things he is credited with having a hand in is the creation of the concept and practice of Fairtrade. Now I've long been sceptical about Fairtrade: it may be about treating producers in poor countries well, but aren't the beneficiaries in fact rich people in poor countries? The actual poor would be those who don't run farms or plantations, who don't have the land. Including the laborers doing the hard work of producing the Fairtrade goods.

DAK what, if anything, Fairtrade does to try and ensure the fairness it offers producers is extended to their workforce and community? Even if it's in the T&Cs, how would anyone enforce such fairness on businessmen whose ethics doubtless cover a wide spectrum and include many whose concern is self-enrichment?

In other words, how is it different from foreign aid that ends up enriching not poor people but corrupt politicians and officials?

[88V8]

Likewise sceptical and I don't particularly support it or not but I suppose that unlike Aid, it reaches a little further down the chain to the small producers who would otherwise have little market access. One has to hope that this enables them to employ more locals perhaps at better terms, but whether it's an actual benefit to the lower strata or just pious hogwash would at some point depend on the morals of the beneficiaries, I do agree.

V8

edit... I see that by some miracle of science I am posting this reply some two hours before you wrote the original post.
Quantum, or what?

[BobbyD]

Kind-of a DAK, but discussion might range more widely than the mods approve of on that board ...

Heard an Alistair Hanton obit on t'wireless. Sounds like a banker who was also a good man.

One of many things he is credited with having a hand in is the creation of the concept and practice of Fairtrade. Now I've long been sceptical about Fairtrade: it may be about treating producers in poor countries well, but aren't the beneficiaries in fact rich people in poor countries? The actual poor would be those who don't run farms or plantations, who don't have the land. Including the laborers doing the hard work of producing the Fairtrade goods.

DAK what, if anything, Fairtrade does to try and ensure the fairness it offers producers is extended to their workforce and community? Even if it's in the T&Cs, how would anyone enforce such fairness on businessmen whose ethics doubtless cover a wide spectrum and include many whose concern is self-enrichment?

In other words, how is it different from foreign aid that ends up enriching not poor people but corrupt politicians and officials?

As I recall the major beneficiaries are western manufacturers and retailers who get to charge a far higher premium for being ethical than they are required to pass on to the producers.

[servodude]

Kind-of a DAK, but discussion might range more widely than the mods approve of on that board ...

Heard an Alistair Hanton obit on t'wireless. Sounds like a banker who was also a good man.

One of many things he is credited with having a hand in is the creation of the concept and practice of Fairtrade. Now I've long been sceptical about Fairtrade: it may be about treating producers in poor countries well, but aren't the beneficiaries in fact rich people in poor countries? The actual poor would be those who don't run farms or plantations, who don't have the land. Including the laborers doing the hard work of producing the Fairtrade goods.

DAK what, if anything, Fairtrade does to try and ensure the fairness it offers producers is extended to their workforce and community? Even if it's in the T&Cs, how would anyone enforce such fairness on businessmen whose ethics doubtless cover a wide spectrum and include many whose concern is self-enrichment?

In other words, how is it different from foreign aid that ends up enriching not poor people but corrupt politicians and officials?

As I recall the major beneficiaries are western manufacturers and retailers who get to charge a far higher premium for being ethical than they are required to pass on to the producers.

Certainly it has mostly seemed driven by the market appeal rather than the production conditions to me
- Cadbury buying Green & Blacks kind of sealed that for me a long time ago

-sd

[gryffron]

They usually have large buying centres that are supposed to negotiate a fair price from local farmers. Though whether the actual farmers benefit, or just middlemen with delivery trucks, I do not know.

AIUI They also plough some of the profits back into local charities providing schools/Medicare etc to the local communities. At least this bit should benefit everyone in the area.

I’d say yes, it helps, a bit. Though no doubt is subject to abuse and corruption like nearly everything else in these countries. But probably less so than govt provided schemes.

Gryff