For a long time I have been reading about the power of the Internet to bring people together - how with clicks, blogs and newsfeeders we can transcend boundaries, unite our interests, forge bonds, exchange goods and, in some cases, affect change. The power of the individual is a pervasive theme set against a landfill of corporatism and censorship. Fuelling this power is the breathing organism known as our "network" - our social, political and work related web that links us together as people and ties us into a voluntary experiment of new circumferences in human interactions. The implications are staggering, and the opportunity to expand the notion of Fair Trade has never been more pregnant with potential.
In one respect, Fair Trade is pure
meme, though not a new idea - the bush-fire effect of language in the e-age can convert topic-centric concepts into slogans for social groups and fodder for propagandists, or in some cases, act as effective vehicles for social change. I was blown away by recent comments from
George Bush Jr. calling for China to engage in "Fair Trade" practices. It seemed inconceivable that a beneficiary of the global hunger-sphere would be co-opting the language of social enterprises and the trade justice movement, unwittingly I'm sure, but the effect is dizzying.
Since that moment, I have noticed equations between "free" and "fair" trade. Economist and analysts struggle with philosophical notions interweaved with the core of our exchange patterns. Even amongst "hard-core" fair traders, there is a prevalent Freudian slip between the words "free" and "fair", with free trade winning out four to one. I only wish that the odds were that good in the actual global economy. Statistically, the prevalence of "fairness' i.e. trade controls that protect local economies vs. "freeness" i.e. laissez-fair capitalism run amok with indigenous resource and cultures can be compared at a magnitude of what, I'm guessing, must be in the order of one to a billion. In other words, the world is consuming itself liberally and freely. What are we thinking? What the hell are we doing? Whatever our conceit, the time for
"paradigm shift" has never been more crucial.
I recently came across
a speech by P. Brabeck-Letmathe, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Nestlé S.A. on Nestlé's website. It offers a clue as to what fair traders are up against. He says amongst his thesis:
"My third point is about Fair Trade: these days, you see the label on international brands. The implicit message is that normal trade is not fair. Apparently, this implicit message is not a matter of concern for those from mainstream business who use the label to appease some critics. FREE TRADE IS FAIR TRADE."
Directly within and between the lines of his speech is a capital-centred philosophy that self-justifies economic dominance and the need for CEOs to have greater control of the direction of their corporations. Hidden inside soft language is an old-school industrialist notion of Darwinian capitalism decorated with vanity and insensitivity to the economically disenfranchised, it signifies to me that world players cannot remove themselves from win/lose paradigms even while paradoxically embracing the language. The net result is an undemocratic global coterie of power and influence, removed from the reality of exploited poor. These self-claimed 'great innovators' of modern corporatism can only imagine, it seems, a world of ever increasing market-share and world-without-end profits, this is their glory, this is their heaven, and apparently, our collective salvation.
There was once a time in our history when leaders and thinkers gave credence to the so-called
"power of the individual". This is a predecessor to the accelerated particle known as the "meme". Supposedly we have this power on our desktops, but does this effectively segue into a shared coherence that can be directed into a positive human project for creating a sustainable planet? This, for me, is the most important question. We, as a species, need to decide what is most crucial for our long-term survival, what projects will land us on fertile soil and what projects leave our
'ball of wax' barren and filled with despair.
The tragedy of the commons states that individuals will always act in their own self-interest regardless of the long-term negative effects to themselves or everyone else. Can we reverse this hidden conundrum? Can we shift our paradigms toward health of our common humanity and human spirit? It seems to me that this is the only challenge that matters anymore. Once we embrace the complexity of this idea and share in the realization of this goal, only then can we re-claim the notions of shared peace, personal empowerment and fairness for all. In other words, we need to reverse the tragedy and ignite the dignity of our shared commons.
One step in the right direction is the active building of networks. I recently came across the CFTN
(Canadian Fair Trade Network) website. Ian Hussey, one of the founders of a group that dedicates itself to the increase of market share of Fair Trade Products and the evolution of a coherent Fair Trade Network in Canada, sent me some information about his organization and their Newsletter: "Fair Trade Synergy". Right now the CFTN are helping promote a campaign initiated by Global Exchange to raise awareness of the current state of impoverishment and unfair trade practices in the cocoa industry. They are using the launch of the movie:
Warner Bros. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to draw attention to the fact that one of the main beneficiaries of this promotional vehicle is the sponsor Nestle, a dominant player in the world's chocolate market and a willing participant in the cycle of exploitation effecting farm workers in the Cote D'Ivoire. Follow the Global Exchange links to
an email campaign directed at the CEO of Nestlé, compelling him to alter the exploitative practices and policies of their company.
Though direct influence of CEOs rarely seems to work, the collective pressure of raised awareness helps sensitize the population to the differences between fair an unfair practices. The difficulty lies in the competition of messages. Nestlé is an outrageously "successful" company that markets very popular treats to a global market of consumers. Even against direct criticism of clearly exploitative policies, the majority of consumers will retain an association of positive feelings with the Nestlé brand as they chomp a strawberry cheesecake drumstick or the melodious sounding "Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight" As their
press release about their movie-promotion deal chortles:
"Quite simply it doesn't get any bigger. We know that this partnership is really going to capture shoppers' imaginations and stimulate the confectionery category. Great news for retailers sales and profits as well!" said an excited Walker.
All told, the power of multi-million dollar marketing campaigns contrasted against the drop-in-the-sea message of the Fair Traders is onerous. The hope lies in the capacity of the population to see past these glossy messages. Fair Traders are using a networked message that is passed person-to-person, human-to-human. This message is not bought or manufactured and this message aims for balance not profit. Fine components, but is this enough?
Clearly, the work of Fair Trade is complex. Our new paradigms require thought and action that innovate and surprise and shift the old ways of thinking back to the inherent balance that humans deeply crave. It is time to put our imaginations to work and dissolve the appeal of profit-by-exploitation without relying on hackneyed approaches and monolithic patterns of isms and dogma. We need to embrace the power of our networks and "synergize' - that is, communicate our core beliefs and ideals, share them amongst our friends and families and breath life into the great experiment known as the human race...
Let's continue to demand for fairness in global trade.
