Fair Trade Truth

Quoting Economist:
http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/515&fsrc=nwl

"When it comes to ethical trade the big guns of the free trade movement are firing at all the wrong targets. Ethical trade brands that give a better deal to small farmers growing tea or coffee? A brazen attempt to distort markets and—even worse—mislead consumers. Shunning toys or garments produced by child labourers? Just another case of thinly veiled protectionism.

This is the sort of thing that gets free trade a bad name. Whether we like it or not, trade is a human connection. It ties consumers in rich countries to some of the world's poorest people. Consumers should care about how their purchasing power affects the lives of others and they should be demanding information and making informed choices. The market for ethically traded goods is growing not because most consumers do not listen to eminent free trade economists. It is growing because people care about social justice."