Global trade has boosted the world economy and brought enormous increases in overall wealth. At the same time, however, the distribution of the world's wealth has become increasingly unequal, and the gap between rich and poor nations has widened. The fair trade movement seeks to improve the livelihoods of impoverished Third-World farmers and workers by making global trade more equitable. Fair trade programs aim to provide a fairer price for goods produced in the developing world and to promote better working conditions and higher environmental standards. This book explores the history and goals of the fair trade movement in the context of recent trends in global poverty and inequality. It compares fair trade to free trade, discusses relevant criticisms of both systems, and provides case studies of specific fair trade products to evaluate the impact of fair trade on developing nations and the global marketplace.
