Is the ongoing prevalence of Fairtrade going to mean the end of dubious trade practices? Unlikely but I propose it is beginning to make a difference.
We all know the high street brands and how most of their products are manufactured. This does not just refer to the cheaper labels such as Matalan, the main supermarkets and Primark. Many of the expensive retailers care little for the actual means of production of their products. Profits entirely dominate the sourcing process and they constantly strive to drive the prices they pay to their suppliers down.
Even those retailers which sell a proportion of Fairtrade products make no mention of just what the supply of their remaining products entails.
The theory is that the consumer is the winner in this practice but surely the real winners are the retailers. The only loser is the little man at the bottom of the chain - the supplier, oppressed by an overwhelming giant which can almost freely dictate prices. Suppliers are given a take it or leave it price for their products. These prices can change at will and there is no guarantee of future sustainability. Lower prices mean that salaries for workers are driven down. In consequence, it is as often as not children who do the work.
Fairtrade is not only a viable solution, the actual increase in cost to end consumer should be negligible. The Fairtrade premium is only paid to producers, the rest of the supply chain need be no different so the mark-up on a like for like item need be no more than a penny in the pound or so. There are two other factors which make Fairtrade products so much more expensive. The first is understandable, economies of scale. Fairtrade is still pretty niche and as such, quantities are lower and prices will be a little higher. The second however is, in my opinion unacceptable and that is that retailers take an increased margin on Fairtrade products because they know that consumers expect them to them to be more expensive. The solution to this? I don't know but perhaps some sort of regulatory body should exist to prevent this activity which amounts to extortion.
The Fairtrade label's origins date back to 1988 in Holland. Max Havelaar (a brand, not a person) devised the principles of Fairtrade. More first world countries are adopting Fairtrade products and the product ranges are constantly increasing. Producers in third world and developing countries receive a viable amount for their products to give them and their families a dignified existence. A premium also ensures that the wider community benefits by the building of facilities and utilities.
Some of the products now on offer are:
- Tea and decaffeinated tea
- Filter coffee
- Instant coffee
- Chocolate/cocoa
- Cotton bed linen
- Cotton towels
- Children's bed linen
- Fruit
- Flowers
- Wine
- Beer
..and more are being added all the time! FLO is the labelling organisation which draws up standards for new products.
There is no sound reason why, in time, the majority of goods sourced from the developing world cannot be sourced this way. The economies of scale can be applied to Fairtrade products and prices will normalise to slightly more than they would be if produced the unethical way
Go on - choose Fairtrade and give the producers the dignity and security they deserve.
About this Author
Oxton cotton are a UK based company which only sell beautiful cotton linens made from 100% Fairtrade certified cotton. All of their Fairtrade cotton is grown by small co-operatives of farmers in West Africa and make fabulous ethical and Fairtrade gifts.
Choose Fairtrade and make a difference to trade practices world-wide.
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