Fairtrade movement and moral permissibility.

What is it about?

Recently, philosophers working on global justice have started to consider what makes trade fair (James 2009; Kurjanska and Risse 2008; Hassoun 2008a). The potential definitions of fair trade are as broad as the potential definitions of fairness – from free-market libertarian accounts to Rawlsian maximin proposals. Most of those considering the issue at least agree, however, that for trade to be fair it must promote social justice by improving the terms of trade for the poor and promoting investment in ways that benefit the poor in present and future generations. This, in any case, is one of the core ideas underlying the Fair Trade movement (International Fair Trade Association 2008). So, after considering the definitional issues, this article discusses the Fair Trade movement and whether or not purchasing Fair Trade Certified goods is morally permissible or required. Traditionally, those interested in promoting fair trade have focused on improving the lives of poor producers or workers...

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