Fair Trade--Wal-Mart Style?
Wal-Mart, the undisputed king of crappy labor practices, introduced three new Fair Trade Certified house-brand coffees yesterday. Let me just repeat that in case you're stuck in a stupor of shock--Wal-Mart introduced three new Fair Trade Certified house-brand coffees yesterday. Wasn't any easier to swallow the second time around, was it? Yeah, didn't think so.
In the wake of this highly suspect announcement, the fingers are a pointin' and the charges of hypocrisy are a flyin'. US labor groups are shining a light on what seems to be a pretty obvious PR ploy on the part of Wal-Mart, stating that the retail giant shouldn't be able to reap the positive consumer perception benefits of sustainability while denying their own employees living wages and decent health benefits. And global labor watchdogs are none too pleased either as they've found evidence of sweatshop produced items sold in Wal-Mart stores.
But not everyone is exclaiming j'accuse! TransFair USA is super happy about the new Wal-Mart fair trade house-brand coffees, and Greenpeace USA is all a twitter over the corp's broad environmental goals.
But the real question is, what do you think?
Link (via Coffee Talk)
Post originally published by Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee.
In the wake of this highly suspect announcement, the fingers are a pointin' and the charges of hypocrisy are a flyin'. US labor groups are shining a light on what seems to be a pretty obvious PR ploy on the part of Wal-Mart, stating that the retail giant shouldn't be able to reap the positive consumer perception benefits of sustainability while denying their own employees living wages and decent health benefits. And global labor watchdogs are none too pleased either as they've found evidence of sweatshop produced items sold in Wal-Mart stores.
But not everyone is exclaiming j'accuse! TransFair USA is super happy about the new Wal-Mart fair trade house-brand coffees, and Greenpeace USA is all a twitter over the corp's broad environmental goals.
But the real question is, what do you think?
Link (via Coffee Talk)
Post originally published by Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee.
Comment
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Comment by Mary Dally-Muenzmaier on April 3, 2008 at 6:19am
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Hey Jason,
I haven't been able to find out who's roasting the coffee. I found another article on Reuters, but they don't say, and I went on the Wal-Mart web site and they don't have any info about it.
Only time will tell how it all pans out, I guess.
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Comment by Jason Duncan on April 3, 2008 at 5:50am
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Hey Mary - who is roasting the coffee for them? I think this is always an area that is tough to figure out, mainly because it is hard to really see the reason they did it.
Yes, it is great that another company is selling a Fair Trade Certified product but it feels fishy because the company doing it is one that is known for rock bottom prices - for the consumers and for the manufacturers.
I am interested in to read more about it.
How are they going to guide people to that product over others? How are they going to explain to people that they really do care about paying a top dollar price for a coffee when they pay rock bottom prices for everything else?
Lots of questions but I guess it is all for a good thing.
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