| TIM TERMAN always looks for the black and white certified Fair Trade logo when he buys bags of coffee from the Mountain People's Co-op in Morgantown, W. Va. He pays nearly twice as much — up to $10 a pound — as he would for conventional coffee, hoping the extra dollars go to struggling farmers. That's not always the case. Despite good intentions, most consumers who shop according to their social convictions don't know how much of their money makes it to the people they hope to help. Critics say too many fair trade dollars wind up in the pockets of retailers and middlemen, including nonprofit organizations. But organizations involved in fair trade say the benefits do trickle down. click here to read the full article |
