FAIR TRADE OR NOT SO FAIR?

After long being confined to charity sales and bobo boutiques, in the past few years fair trade products have made their way into mainstream outlets. They are now sold by major supermarket chains, all of whom have jumped on the bandwagon and reaped unexpected rewards: 40% increase in annual sales. After coffee and chocolate, the range has diversified and spread to all departments, from cosmetics to flowers and bananas to jeans. Socially aware consumers should be able to congratulate themselves on this militant breakthrough into the world of business: logically speaking, the more wealthy shoppers buy fair trade, the more poor farmers are finally paid decent rates and can attain development. Sadly, things are not that straightforward. Growth in fair trade market share certainly enables small cooperatives to increase and develop production, but at what cost?