If anyone is left wondering why this article was posted, it's because it flows like so many poorly informed critiques of Fair Trade that sometimes filter into the mainstream (except for the bit on government... that's a new one, and also wrong). It's often handy to have an example like this nearby.
The main issue for me is the article appears to be based on absolutely no empirical evidence, and seems to rely on a pretty shallow reading of economics.
There's certainly room to critique Fair Trade and Fair Trade Certification (indeed, criticism is an important ingredient for continual improvement). But well-grounded criticism, this isn't.
Common Argument
If anyone is left wondering why this article was posted, it's because it flows like so many poorly informed critiques of Fair Trade that sometimes filter into the mainstream (except for the bit on government... that's a new one, and also wrong). It's often handy to have an example like this nearby.
The main issue for me is the article appears to be based on absolutely no empirical evidence, and seems to rely on a pretty shallow reading of economics.
There's certainly room to critique Fair Trade and Fair Trade Certification (indeed, criticism is an important ingredient for continual improvement). But well-grounded criticism, this isn't.