It sounds like you followed a link recently and just stumbled on things here (so welcome!). Thus, your response to “the volume of contradictory evidence” is not at all surprising.

The reference is shorthand for regular readers to the many posts on the subject of FT here over the last couple of years — without rehashing the same posts/subjects over-and-over again each time the subject comes up. (No use flogging a dead horse.)

There’s a whole category of them on the site here:

http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/category/fair-trade/

Some clearly in support of its intentions and merits. But more recently, the focus has been on concern over the unilateral and selective representation of FT in the popular media and among many ‘armchair’ ethicists.

As for anything ’snarky’ per se, I’ve spent some time on small farms in Central America and Hawaii. And I have close friends who practically spend half their lives on them. But to be honest, I don’t see tree-level views being a particularly accurate representation of forestry here — not to mention the real problem of balanced issue education and discussion in the general public.

I like a good debate but its a little too late to really dive into it all. In the meantime I have some questions, and some suggestions.

First, I agree that the media coverage of Fair Trade is often frustratingly simplified. But again, that’s how everything is treated, so that’s not a surprise.

Second, could you please share with everyone “the volume of contradictory evidence against the panacea-for-poverty status currently enjoyed by Fair Trade”? Even just 3 or 4 examples would be a helpful start.

Third, in the same spirit, here are three academic sources that I’d to share in defense of Fair Trade (be forewarned, the 1st two are long, wonkish, acadamic and arguably booring books if you’re not really interested in economic development in rural areas in developing countries)

- the book “Fair Trade – The challenges of transforming globalization” (Routledge press)

- the book “”Brewing Justice – Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability, and Survival (by Daniel Jaffee)

- the lengthy studies &/or interviews with Fair Trade coffee co-operative leaders posted on the left side of this web site: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Sociology/FairTradeResearchGroup/

And, lastly, not to be snarky, really, how much time have you spent in coffee growing areas, especially with small-scale coffee farmers?

Respectfuly,

Rodney North, http://www.equalexchange.coop

But I am afraid I cannot share the same level of optimism that you have about “a step toward a more equitable trade system”. Even if you set aside all those Fair Trade detractors who claim (with good reason) that FT carves out artificial and unsustainable market imbalances. Also set aside those who argue that FT will help keep people trapped in agrarian economies that are based on manual labor, removing incentives for them to break the poverty cycle.

All of this is much, much bigger than FT — it concerns global marketplaces and labor forces. Coffee farmers don’t have a monopoly on working poverty. Garment workers in Haiti, toy manufacturers in China, child laborers making running shoes in Malaysia…the list of those struggling to make a living wage is broad and far reaching.

And while Wal-Mart may be the biggest seller of Fair Trade decaffeinated coffee, they are also the biggest seller of $29 DVD players — to the very same customers. Working poverty is going to remain with us as long as consumers place their demand behind cheaper prices — and as long as someone else in the world is willing to do the same work for less.

However, the savvy marketers of today — as noted in the New York Times article cited above — are more widely recognizing and responding to customers’ personal psychological needs. These needs are independent of the actual product or service and are instead more reflective of the actual purchasing decision. That is, many customers today have a psychological need to feel that their consumption and purchasing decisions are not harming others and the planet.

Wise marketers have quickly picked up on this with things like green marketing and Fair Trade. These marketers are involved in the direct selling of what is essentially “guilt relief” — of which many consumers today are gladly purchasing as an optional accessory to any product or service.

It is therefore in the marketer’s best interests to keep up the facade that you can save the world by simply buying more of the right things. Any sales funnel comes crashing down the minute customers start to ask, “Hey — is this Fair Trade coffee really helping people the way I was lead to believe?”

The easy answer (in this case coffee that does good as well as waking you up) is always an exceptionally powerful marketing tool. And what is Fair Trade if not a marketing org?