Fairtrade was going to save the world: now consumers fight to keep it going

Supermarkets now largely set their own ‘ethical’ production standards, and only a few big employers follow Fairtrade principles. So consumers must vote with their purses

When, in 2017, Sainsbury’s announced that it was planning to develop its own “fairly traded” mark, more than 100,000 people signed a petition condemning the move. Today, on the eve of Fairtrade Fortnight, the fact that most supermarkets have moved away from the standards developed by the Fairtrade Foundation is worrying.

While some grocery chains have sought the foundation’s stamp of approval, many have gone their own way. This means most consumers have little sense of which organisation is doing what to protect the wages and rights of developing world workers. Over the next two weeks, the foundation plans to focus its publicity efforts on cocoa farmers in west Africa and the way the Fairtrade mark can improve their lives.

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from Mergers and acquisitions | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2E5FkAM