FTF 2005 Notes: Pauline Tiffen Keynote Address
Keynote Address (10/1 at 9am): Pauline Tiffen, Fair Trade Federation
?If you?re not outraged, you?re not paying attention.?
- The lie we?re being told is that the market is neutral (?free trade?) because no one controls it and therefore it is a force for good.
- Free trade doesn?t really exist because when one person wins, another person has to lose (zero sum).
- We need to focus on cultivating the relationships represented in the marketplace
- The market changes all the time--why? Economic reasons, trends, fashions, regulations/prohibitions, dumping, etc.
- The variety of products we have access to is a myth because they are controlled by so few companies (ex. the ?big 3? in chocolate of Hershey, Nestle and Cadbury)
- Even a representative from Nestle, when confronted by Tiffen, said his company was too small to make a difference.
- A business can respond to changed in the market without compromising values and mission.
- The success of fair trade in having a positive impact proves our interconnectedness and the far-reaching effects (positive or negative) or our everyday actions.
- If we are going to overcome ?the dark side of the force? (big sci-fi fan) we need to be more urgent, set goals, realize ourselves as both consumers and producers, and provide real alternatives for every product.
Tiffen was both hopeful and realistic. Unfortunately, her thoughts on the bias of the market would be perceived as mere rhetoric by those who believe the market is neutral. But I believe she?s right--the market needs guidance. The market does not exempt us from our individual responsibility.