The Fairtrade Social Movement as a Mechanism to Reduce Global Inequalities Free Essay Example, 2500 words

Fairtrade is now going mainstream. The charity Oxfam is taking on the might of Starbucks with a new chain of coffee shops under the name Progreso, stocked entirely with fair-trade lattes, cappuccinos, teas, and cakes. Tesco launched an own-label range of fair-trade products, including coffee, chocolate, and fresh fruit. Even Starbucks, long a target for anti-globalization protesters, now does a flourishing line in fair-trade coffees. Cafedirect, which pioneered fair-trade coffee in the UK, is now Britain's sixth-largest coffee brand, and recently launched a sizeable share issue on the open market. However, in financial terms, fair trade remains a niche market, concentrated on an overwhelmingly middle-class consumer base. It seems unlikely that it can break out into a wider market, which is characterized by cost-cutting supermarkets, ruthless competition, and cheap processed food. Moreover, fair trade remains concentrated on a relatively small number of items -- the day when an ethic al shopper can buy a whole week's groceries stamped with the Fairtrade label seems a long way off. In addition, fair-trade coffee is still struggling to throw off an image problem that for many years hinted that consumers would lose in taste what they gained in conscience. However, Harriet Lamb, director of the Fairtrade Foundation, believes these concerns are short shrift. We will write a custom essay sample on The Fairtrade Social Movement as a Mechanism to Reduce Global Inequalities or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page