No-nonsense Guide to Fair Trade

No-Nonsense Guides

by David Ransom

From coffee farming in Peru and cocoa production in Ghana, to jeans manufacturing in China and the Banana War of Guatemala and the Caribbean, this revised No-Nonsense Guide tells the human story behind the products we consume. Ransom also delves into the question of what kind of trade we should be practicing, and what kind of fair trade is actually being practiced.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

142 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Wendy]

This was the resource I was looking for to truly understand what the fair trade movement is about. The introduction explains how supposed free trade is making people in many global south countries poorer; and clearly illuminates the results of NAFTA on the people of Mexico including farmers and factory workers. The subsequent chapters are in-depth examinations of the trade economics of products including bananas, coffee, cocoa and blue jeans. A must-read for anyone interested in trade justice.

[Kris]

Good, short intro to fair trade.

[Naing Tan]

A rather involved book to read. Talks about the fair trade situations in different countries across different commodities. Major learnings included the vast gap between what the firsthand producers earn versus what the consumers pay (as low as 5-10%) and the shocking ~30% tariffs . Huge encouragements to look for fair trade labels when you buy at supermarkets from now on.

[Vivekan Jeyagaran]

Concise and targeted.
Covers a lot of ground for the uninitiated.
Manages to link theoretical/conceptual ideas to real lived experiences; ie the abstract world of commodity markets with the realities of grassroots and smallholder cocoa farming among others (I.e. coffee, banana, cotton, etc.)

[Katie]

"No-nonsense" is the perfect way to describe this book. It's dense with facts and information about fair trade. For the most part, I felt the information was unbiased. I really enjoyed reading the personal stories behind many material things we often take for granted. Fair trade is a topic close to my heart and this book offers a compelling argument in its favor.

[Cristiane Bonezzi]

I was curious to learn more about the concept of "fair trade" and this book was very informative. It shows several examples of fair trade initiatives and compares the notion of "free trade" and "fair trade", besides questioning what sort of fair trade we should try to enhance in our society.

[Rosie]

I've only read the coffee part of this little book, but it was very thorough, informative and unbiased.

[Victoria]

Trade can provide sustainable livelihoods to communities in the Majority World. This book is full of facts and information about fair trade and the benefits it can bring.

[Ubalstecha]

Another densely written volume aimed at high schoolers doing research. Really meant for Grade 10 an above. A little dated, given the publishing date of 2001.

[Carinna Tarvin]

Felt like I was being lectured to by a completely biased, long-winded old white guy who was very proud of himself for traveling.