Public Good

En nypublicerad Tysk studie har följt ett stort antal odlare i Nicaragua där vissa är fair trade-certifierade, andra ekologiska och andra konventionella jordbruk. Resultaten är inte särskilt uppiggande för den som till äventyrs förespråkar Rättvisemärkt som en lösning på fattigdomsproblemet.

“The results show that although farm-gate prices of certified coffees are higher than of conventional coffees, the profitability of certified coffee production and its subsequent effect on poverty levels is not clear-cut… Over a period of ten years, our analysis shows that organic and organic-fairtrade farmers have become poorer relative to conventional producers.”

Lawrence Solomon skriver en relevant artikel i National Post. Han driver ett liknande välgörenhetskoncept som har valt att stå utanför fair trade. Han beskriver bland annat en situation där han blivit kontaktad av en kyrka som undrar om han kan förse dem med fair trade-kaffe:

“Along the way, the church officer mentioned that the parishioners wanted to do what they could to help poor farmers in the Third World. I replied that I’d be happy to supply the church, but I also advised him that fair-trade coffee would not help the poorest of farmers -these smallholders are actually hurt when Western consumers forsake them for coffee produced by better-off farmers who can afford the certification fees.

I also mentioned that various coffees produced by small farmers in some of the neediest parts of Africa would taste superb while costing the church less, allowing it to spend the difference on some other worthwhile cause.

After a long pause, the church official replied something like: ‘I still think the parishioners would feel better knowing that they were drinking fair-trade coffee.’”

Känsla och förnuft alltså. Tyvärr i nämnd ordning.

Läs tidigare: Anledningar att vara kritisk mot fair trade.