More and more people are looking for a new trade model that can replace the current deregulated free marked system praised by the Word Trade Organization (WTO).
Fairtrade alternatives address to the ethical consumer market and the actual producers who should get what they have worked for whereas the aggressive free trade model is a system of unfairness, exploitation and dominance according to some critical minds.
A lot of the recent criticism that the WTO has to deal with, are due to the current economic crisis where it has showed its insufficiency. Lots of big brands (like Nestlé with KitKat) therefore want to catch a ride on the Fairtrade train by presenting themselves as a fairtrade organization.
Bit-by-bit practical alternatives are rising to the surface, hoping to get people to think more ethically. However, I'm concerned about the possibility that if the fairtrade model becomes a generally acknowledged and applied model, competition could start taking the upper hand again. The price is and will stay one of the principal indicators in consumer behavior. So to change the model, you ought better first change the general state of mind. (The Guardian)
A lot of the recent criticism that the WTO has to deal with, are due to the current economic crisis where it has showed its insufficiency. Lots of big brands (like Nestlé with KitKat) therefore want to catch a ride on the Fairtrade train by presenting themselves as a fairtrade organization.
Bit-by-bit practical alternatives are rising to the surface, hoping to get people to think more ethically. However, I'm concerned about the possibility that if the fairtrade model becomes a generally acknowledged and applied model, competition could start taking the upper hand again. The price is and will stay one of the principal indicators in consumer behavior. So to change the model, you ought better first change the general state of mind. (The Guardian)
Jules Branswyck - Group 5
The fair trade model would indeed be a better alternative to the existing free trade model. But unfortunately, I don’t think this is a realistic proposal. Fair trade organisations try to improve the situation of local farmers from the bottom up via individual projects. But we live in a globalised world. Every organisation is connected to another. If we ever want to introduce a fair trade model, every country has to agree to this new model. But I doubt the current free trade model will ever be replaced. Too many multinationals influence the market and benefit from the free market model. Competition on the global market is ruthless. Loss-making businesses come to grief. But competition also provides the lowest prices. And we can’t deny this is one of the decisive criteria when consumers purchase products.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenJustine Bleuze – Group 5