For Sue.

This isn't very well thought out but I had a conversation tonight that included the topic of Fairtrade and I feel like sharing.

Basically, here are two reasons to support Fairtrade from Sian, our night church minister's wife:

1. Eating lots and lots of cheap chocolate is bad for you.
2. Stewardship! I really like this. Sian says that we are a society that just consumes and consumes and we rarely, if ever, consider where our products come from or the circumstances in which they were made. Supporting Fairtrade encourages us to think deeper about where our products come from and the effect that the production process has on the environment. It may only be a small step, but it's a start.

Also, there are some Fairtrade companies that really are passionate about giving farmers/producers a fair price such as Tribes and Nations, headed up by the Murrays, or the lovely South African lady at the Open Hand cafe in India who stocks naught but Fairtrade goods. I would rather buy products from them any day.

And also, the trickle down effect is rubbish. I remember vaguely case studies from Development Studies that examined the idea that all levels of society would benefit if the economy was given over to an entirely free market. Doesn't work. Economics takes no notice of people but simply operates on the principle of supply/demand. If you're poor, you're screwed and even more so in a free market because there are absolutely no guarantees that you will get a thing. So regulation might upset the market and throw things off balance, as you were explaining Sue, but I believe it's necessary. Because unfortunately, greedy and sinful human beings screwed up first and there needs to be intervention to provide for those who haven't a hope of providing for themselves.

So yeah, there's my rant based on minimal reading and discussion. Still supporting Fairtrade, but welcome to opposing views, as always.