is it fair trade?

I am constantly fighting with myself over how I, as a consumer, can be socially responsible. The idea of giving money to a corporation which abuses and exploits their workers makes me feel sick. However, it feels at times that all products offered at affordable prices have this down-side. And I know that I am not alone in feeling this consumer's guilt. It is all around me.

In response to the increased awareness of their exploitation, corporations have responded with a solution! Fair trade options allow consumers to feel less guilty for just a little extra money. At least the farmers growing fair trade produce are making better that bare-minimum wages, right? And it is easy to pay extra when your money is going to a good cause. But in reality, a lot of that extra money can end up going right to the corporation. In this respect, "fair trade" is just another marketing scheme. Side note- Some good-hearted companies don't charge more for fair trade. Woo!

Additionally, fair trade takes away the autonomy of the farmers. Corporations and fair trade regulations control what crops a fair trade farmer grows. This gives even more power in the markets to business owners in the US. Fair trade thus encourages a relationship between farmers and shop-owners based on power and control. While it may be working now, this unequal power is what caused the problems fair trade is designed to fix.

Fair trade has good intentions. Major corporations do not. Because fair trade is being used as a tool by major corporations to avoid being accused of exploitation, it will continue to benefit these companies more than the farmers. I think that the only way to truly change things comes from breaking apart the larger corporations. The process through which products go through should be much more visible to consumers. But the responsibility is hardly the consumers, and major corporations and government officials need to recognize their role in unfair working conditions in order for any real change to take place.