I received a comment from a representative at Fairtrade Australia from my post regarding Fairtrade. The email suggested that the Dateline segment was not the full story and that it was produced using footage from an Austrian documentary originally screened in that country in January this year.
Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand is disappointed the editing of both the original documentary and the segment aired by Dateline only serve to mislead consumers about the real and positive difference their choice to buy Fairtrade Certified products makes to the lives of the almost 1.2 million farmers and workers they work with in developing countries around the world.
So what is the real story? I know I have a responsibility to understand this from all perspectives so I appreciate the email from Fairtrade Australia.
I suggest perusing this very interesting response from Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand after the broadcast of Dateline.
From what I’ve read, it seems to me that like everything else, interpretation and an ‘interesting angle’ can get in the way. Whilst Fairtrade may not be perfect, it is an approach where evidence suggests it is making a real difference. And it gives us all more choice. I believe in the power of meaningful business and what all stakeholder can do to make a difference in this world. I’m not giving up.
