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We all know about fair trade and the many reasons to support it whenever we can
But despite the growth of fair trade products on the world market (even if they are still a tiny fraction of world trade), it looks like the poorest countries have yet to benefit.
IPS quotes Christophe Eberhart of a fair trade cooperative Ethiquable that imports foods from Africa's least developed countries, "It is obvious that fair trade does not focus enough on least developed countries."
IPS continues:
Fair trade statistics do not disaggregate production figures by region, or by countries
Fair trade has been growing steadily for the last several years, but the most success stories come from South America and Asia
Not impossible to find
This doesn't mean there are no fairly traded products coming out of the poorest countries, it just means it might take a little more effort than it should to be sure your fair trade dollars are supporting the people who need it most.
We've already featured a few here at Planet Green
Plenty of groups (many of them focused on women) tell you where their products are sourced.
If you do some searching on your own, you'll find groups like Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa, Ananse Village, and the African Fair Trade Society for bodycare products. And if you speak French, check out the cooperative Ethiquable mentioned above, run by people who are focused on this very imbalance.
