Fairtrade chocolate

Jan 25, 2006 10:28

Me and some of my classmates are asked to look at a case-study about Fairtrade choholate. This is for the brand strategy course ( Read more... )

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flitljm January 25 2006, 04:41:47 UTC
Um, A: Fair trade products don't necessarily particularly taste better (e.g. there's a huge variety of good coffee out there), but I'd rather buy them unless they were of poor quality.

B: Feeling positive about the purchase is a benefit, but unless we're going to be very philosophical about the causes of altruism, my feeling isn't the reason for the purchase. Choosing something that benefits rather than disadvantages the poor producer is a very easy choice, and one I made even when my own food budget was small. I do understand that eventually you can be so poorly off that you can't afford the ethical product, but might still be able to afford the crap one.

C. It depends on what I know about the company. There's a process of elimination as well as positive selection - I might buy no product at all if all the choices are bad. My primary reason for avoiding non-fair trade chocolates is that I know (through BBC documentaries) that some cocoa producers in Africa literally use slave labour, kidnapping young job-seekers, keeping them captive and not paying them.

D. I do trust the fair trade logo as its development was associated with development charities like Oxfam, who I trust to be doing approximately the right thing.

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