Is Fair Trade sustainable?

Is Fair Trade sustainable?

Sam Bills (Manager) gives expert video advice on: What are the main goals of the Fair Trade movement?; What is the difference between 'free trade' and 'Fair Trade'?; How can Fair Trade affect the global 'coffee' market? and more...

Sustainability is a key characteristic of fair trade. As Fair Trade moves out of being just a niche market, Fair Trade organizations are proving that they are competitive and that they have a great product that they can offer at a great price in addition to helping producers in developing countries. In the end, Fair Trade, because it is sustainable, will enjoy continued growth as it moves away from being understood as a charity or something that people should buy only to help people in other countries, but moving toward becoming something that is competitive in the marketplace and that people want to buy because it's the best product available. That is a sense in which Fair Trade offers a lot of hope for helping producers in these developing countries to move toward independence and self sustainability, since the products that they make are great and are competitive in the marketplace. Essentially, that is a sustainable solution for helping alleviate poverty.