Tečaj

Zemlja smo u kojoj je slobodna trgovina najjača privredna grana. Međutim, je li i poštena i u čemu bi se to njezino poštene trebalo očitovati?

There seems to be nothing wrong with the idea of free trade. On the contrary, removing trade barriers, such as quotas which limit the volume of imports into a country, facilitates the free exchange of goods, binds the world together, and makes it possible to have produce from all over the world on our tables. However, on their long journey from far off places, these goods change hands many times over which increases their price, thus becoming more expensive for the end user. At the same time, producers of these goods at the other end of the long chain end up with very little income. Croatia is one of the many countries faced with absurdities caused by such state of affairs – it is enough to recall recent poignant reports of frustrated farmers throwing away their produce, because it is cheaper to import the same goods from distant regions. To give their farmers a better chance in a world of fierce competition, many EU countries provide them with more than generous subsidies, to the chagrin of others who see this as an unfair advantage. Such subsidies give farmers in the developed world a definite advantage, but on the other hand, result in driving down prices in other world markets. In a practice known as ‘dumping’, produce is exported to other countries at an unfairly low price, which makes farmers’ labour in poor countries even less profitable.

This is where the concept of fair trade enters the scene. While sipping their morning coffee, many well-off Westerners want to feel that they are doing something good for the world at the same time. This feeling is the strongest weapon in the hands of the fair trade advocates. By buying products labelled as ‘Fair Trade’, these very same Westerners can relieve their guilty conscience, knowing that a portion of the higher price they readily paid will be used to finance projects improving the standard of living in the poor areas their coffee comes from, as well as ensure that small-time producers keep their businesses running.

The Fair Trade certified label, which gives farmers from developing countries a competitive advantage over cheaper and heavily subsidised products, is a guarantee to the prospective buyers that farmers and workers obtained a fair price for their goods. This means that farmers can feed their families and their children can go to school instead of working in the fields.

Getting fair prices for their produce also means that Fair Trade producers can not only avoid cost-cutting practices which affect quality, but also retain their traditional farming methods. Traditional organic farms provide shelter for migratory birds, help maintain biodiversity and reduce global warming. Harmful agro-chemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favour of environmentally sustainable farming practices, which preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

These are just a few arguments that policy-makers in our agriculture should take into consideration when positioning our farmers in the world market. By adopting the fair trade practices, they could turn what seems to be a disadvantage into a serious advantage. And we as buyers will be more than happy to pay a higher price in support of such a worthy cause.