Why doesn the fair trade community support free trade agreements like NAFTA and FTAA?
Fair traders are often accused of being “anti-trade” because we don’t typically support these multi-lateral trade agreements. If you think about it, this is actually a rather silly accusation. We love trade our mission is to promote trade it’s what we do! But we support trade with guidelines ensuring that the producers or workers were not exploited. All participants in the fair trade model should benefit from the transaction and all are held accountable for their actions through transparency agreements and long-term partnership. Historically, people or communities traded because one produced a product that the other desired. In today’s global culture, the trade equation can look very different. Companies often close a manufacturing facility located in the consuming market and re-open the facility in a developing country in order to use weak environmental laws and cheap labor to produce a less expensive product. Then they “trade” this product with the consuming country. Trade agreements
Related Questions
- Canada has negotiated environmental side agreements to its other free trade agreements in the Hemisphere. Does it support the negotiation of a similar agreement in the context of the FTAA?
- Why doesn the fair trade community support free trade agreements like NAFTA and FTAA?
- Is Free Trade good for workers?
