Does Buying Fair Trade Goods Help Poor Workers?
Religion & Liberty Online

Does Buying Fair Trade Goods Help Poor Workers?

Over the past decade, fair trade products, such as coffee, chocolate, and fruit, have become an increasingly popular option for helping the global poor. But while the intentions are noble, does buying fair trade have the intended effect? Does it actually help the poorest workers?

Economist Donald Boudreaux explains why it usually doesn’t, and why there are better ways to improve living standards in developing countries.

Joe Carter

Joe Carter is a senior writer for The Gospel Coalition, author of The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents, the editor of the NIV Lifehacks Bible, and coauthor of How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History’s Greatest Communicator. He also serves as an associate pastor at McLean Bible Church in Arlington, Va.