ARCHIE
Argument
Fairtrade is not fair.
This is so because its requirements are set so high that small-scale farmers cannot afford to
register under Fairtrade.
According to Sustainable Wave (2023), Fairtrade certification is often very expensive for
small-scale farmers and their demanding standards can be hard to follow and may cause
farmers to lose certification.
Counter-argument
On the other hand, some state that Fairtrade is actually quite fair to farmers.
This is because it places high standards for its partners to ensure the production of
nutritious, healthy products. Even though these processes weed out farmers who are
unqualified, they also help Fairtrade maintain its nutritious product selling.
For example, as stated by Agri Guide (2025),”Farmers are encouraged to use eco-friendly
methods for pest control. As a result, harmful chemicals are minimized, benefiting both the
environment and public health.”
Evaluation
The source by Sustainable Wave (2023) was mainly concerned about the topic given and is
a recent source which are both strengths and can be said for the source by Agri Guide
(2025). However the source by the latter shows bias by mainly focusing on the benefits of
Fairtrade while the source by Sustainable Wave (2025) shows bias by highlighting the
negatives of Fairtrade more than its positives.
References
Sustainable Wave. (2023). Is Fairtrade really fair?7j [Link].
[Link]
Agri Guide. (2025). Navigating fair trade farm standards for ethical and sustainable produce.
The Farming Insider. [Link]
MARIE
reasons
Fairtrade offers only a few farmers a higher, fixed price for their goods. These higher prices
come at the expense of the great majority of farmers, who – unable to qualify for Fairtrade
certification – are even worse off.
reference: O'Sullivan L. (2022), Fair Trade vs. Fairtrade: Why It’s Not the Same Thing,
UTOPIA, [Link]
FairTrade standards require fairpay which helps producers get a fair shake in global
markets. Fairtrade(2025), Is FairTrade really fair?,
[Link]
the first source, by O'Sullivan L, talked about mostly the negative parts of Fairtrade and how
it is not helping farmers, and the second source by FairTrade showed bias to their company
and only talked about the positive impacts of FairTrade
Persis
Fairtrade benefits producers more than labourers. Fairtrade systems are designed to
benefits
producers and not directly the workers. Fairtrade isn't bringing the poor(labourers)
out of poverty but simply giving the rich(producers) more money. According to Sage journals
fairtrade pays all benefits to the producer and the producer controls the amount of money
the laborer receives. (Sagejournals,2022)
However many argue that fairtrade improves the working conditions of the labourers and
push
producers to give their workers fair wages that cover their cost of living and aids them in
supporting their [Link] article, What are the Advantages of Fairtrade? states that
Fairtrade
ensure fair wages for workers and that workers are provided safe working
conditions.(BaseHandicrafts,2023)
The article, Fairtrade is an unfair market is recent as it was published in 2022, however is
bias
because it only talks about the negative impact of fairtrade. The second source,
What are the Advantages of Fairtrade? is also recent as it was published in 2023 and relates
to the
The topic shows it's also bias and only considers the positive impact of fairtrade.
Ruiz Z.(2022). Fair Trade in an unfair market: economic competitiveness and workers’ rights
in Costa Rica’s banana industry.
[Link]
BaSE Handicrafts.(2023).What are the Advantages of
Fairtrade?.[Link]
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JOHN
Evaluation:
The source by The Guardian (2008) mainly talks about how Fairtrade is branded “unfair,”
which relates to the topic given.
References:
The Guardian (2008). Fair trade branded unfair.
[Link]
Claim:
“Fairtrade is unfair.”
Argument (Reason for this claim):
It is hard to find proof that Fairtrade makes farmers’ lives better. This is because there is not
much information that shows how farmers were doing before they joined Fairtrade. It is
possible that Fairtrade only chooses people who are already educated and live a good life.
Evidence to support this claim:
According to the ASI (Adam Smith Institute), Fairtrade is “unfair” because it offers only a very
small number of farmers a higher fixed price for their goods. This shows Fairtrade only helps
a small number of farmers, not most of them. This means it benefits a few but leaves out
most farmers, which isn’t fair.
Counter-argument:
According to an IGD report, nearly a quarter of shoppers claim to have recently bought
Fairtrade products, up from 11% in 2003. This shows that Fairtrade products are being
bought more, which increases demand for the production of goods by Fairtrade farmers.
NHYIRA
“Nonetheless, income generated via their Fair Trade activities is not enough to cover losses
or repair damaged ecosystems.”
“The Fair Trade Movement’s different schemes work with more than 2 million farmers,
hundreds of thousands of artisans as well as visionary small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) – through tested and approved models that improve their economic independence
while increasing their capacity to cope with climate-related stressors.”
“In 2020 the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) reported that less than 2
percent of climate finance goes to smallholders.”
“Nearly 86 percent of the small farmers are facing barriers to obtaining credits or loans.”
Fairtrade International (2023)Global boiling is here and it's unfair:The Fair Trade Movement
calls for
immediate action
[Link]
[Link]
Evaluation
the first source, by O'Sullivan L, talked about mostly the negative parts of Fairtrade and how
it is not helping farmers, and the second source by FairTrade showed bias to their company
and only talked about the positive impacts of FairTrade