Fair Trade factory farms: a false solution to a real problem

Abstract

The dairy industry is in crisis in countries throughout the world. Rising industrialization in the sector coupled with corporate consolidation is harming small-scale farmers. Indeed, low milk prices and control over regional processing benefits processors and brands, who gain profits even as farmers and farmworkers suffer. Around the globe, various initiatives have endeavoured to address the issues facing dairy production through a Fair Trade lens. This article briefly surveys these initiatives and then examines in depth a new ‘Fair Trade dairy’ label recently released by Fair Trade USA that has been developed and piloted with Chobani and Dairy Farmers of America. This article examines the particulars of that standard as well as posing the question whether the values and principles of Fair Trade are even applicable to industrial animal agriculture.