Rink Dickinson, co-founder and Equal Exchange president, reflects on Fair Trade 40 years after Equal Exchange was founded by himself, Jonathan Rosenthal and Michael Rozyne. Interviewer Phyllis Robinson https:\/\/www.info.equalexchange.coop\/articles\/the-fair-trade-experiment<\/a>, Citizen-Consumer Member and former Equal Exchange Education and Campaigns Coordinator (2002-2018), reports from discussion how Fair Trade is no longer the banner under which Equal Exchange carries out its mission, that the organization continues to have impact but buying and selling products, even under \u201cmore fair\u201d terms, was never the vision nor the end-game. Rather, the founders\u2019 compass pointed always toward systemic change.<\/p>\n

After much consideration Equal Exchange came out with the provocative announcement, around 2010: \u201cFair Trade is dead.\u201d The interview spotlights how activists began to successfully pressure conventional supermarkets, coffee companies, and other food and beverage distributors to adopt this model of doing business. Ironically, as the \u201cmovement\u201d grew and fair trade entered the mainstream, the original principles and values became watered down and distorted to become more \u201cacceptable\u201d to the corporations. Many of the certification agencies began to control, rather than serve, the fair trade movement and its values and ideals.<\/p>\n

A paradox emerged: on the one hand, fair trade was gaining attention and sales of small farmer products were increasing. On the other hand, certification standards were being lowered and manipulated to accommodate the interests of the \u201cbig players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Equal Exchange invited consumers to carefully examine what and who is behind the products, producers, manufacturers, distributors; even grocery outlets; to learn who benefits at each stage of the supply chain. We encouraged curiosity and scrutiny: who ultimately controls the food we eat, how it\u2019s grown, and who profits. <\/p>\n

Equal Exchange, and others, fought against this for many years. Finally, after helping to create, as well as benefit from, the wave of excitement, passion, and conviction that fair trade was generating in the U.S., Equal Exchange decided to pull out of the certification system.
\nSince then, Equal Exchange has continued its work, reconnecting with our original vision and core identity while looking for solidarity in new places following the disappointment and corporatization of fair trade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rink Dickinson, co-founder and Equal Exchange president, reflects on Fair Trade 40 years after Equal Exchange was founded by himself, Jonathan Rosenthal and Michael Rozyne. Interviewer Phyllis Robinson https:\/\/www.info.equalexchange.coop\/articles\/the-fair-trade-experiment, Citizen-Consumer Member and former Equal Exchange Education and Campaigns Coordinator (2002-2018), reports from discussion how Fair Trade is no longer the … <\/p>\n