Every year,
the U.S. dumps millions of dollars worth of products on foreign markets.
Because the government subsidizes these products for farmers and artisans, they
are able to sell them at prices that are impossible to compete with. This means
that farmers and artisans in the countries we are selling to are either unable
to sell their products or have to sell them at prices that are so low they are
barely able to survive. Fair trade
laws and rules are already in place, but we don’t abide by them. NAFTA, the government, and corporations
can ignore these fair standards (including environmental laws) because of their
power in commerce. The fair trade
movement tries to create awareness to restore those laws. Fair trade is not
charity or aid, it is compensating the laborers for the work they already
do. This happens by cutting out
all of the “middle-men” who take most of the money for their profit, and
instead purchasing directly from the laborers, allowing their fair wage to
sustain them. Every fair trade
product that you buy means a farmer or artisan will be able to actually live,
and not just survive.