Fair Trade from the Ground Up - New Markets for Social Justice

Fair Trade promises to raise living standards in developing countries through:

- worldwide minimum prices for commodities

- support for democratically governed cooperatives

- requirement of minimum wages and safety standards for workers

- training to help producers improved quality and develop business skills

- encouragement of eco-friendly practices

- third-party certification

In contrast to the free trade status quo, Fair Trade relies on informed consumers to choose more direct supply chains that minimize the role of middlemen, offering economic justice and social change as a viable and sustainable alternative to charity. But does it work?

Fair Trade from the Ground Up documents achievements at both the producer and the consumer ends of commodity chains and assesses prospects for future growth. From Guatemalan coffee farmers to student activists on U.S. college campuses, the stories of individuals inform April Linton''s analys