FAITH & ECONOMICS
NUMBER 59, Spring 2012
The Emergence of Fair Trade as a Development Channel
Robert I. Mochrie
Heriot-Watt University
Abstract: Since the late 1980’s, fair trade has emerged as a mechanism for supporting development initiatives in many countries. After reviewing economic arguments supporting fair trade, we draw upon arguments from Scholastic theology to argue that it should be understood as an economic mechanism for promoting the practice of justice rather than charity.
Key Words: fair trade; just price; economic development