What is fair trade, and what are the basic principles underlying it$?$ Had you ever heard of fair trade before reading this case? Have you ever purchased a fair$-$trade product?

$2.$ Should fair$-$trade brands limit their purchases to goods from producer cooperatives such as Equal Exchange and FLO advocate, or should a wider range of producers be eligible for certification as fair$-$trade producers, as advocated by Fair Trade USA? Why?

$3.$ Do you think that there is a meaningful difference between a company $($a$)$ meeting external fair$-$trade certification standards, or $($b$)$ internally developing its own standards and having its claims externally verified by a third party, as Starbucks has done? If you believe there is a meaningful difference, which approach do you prefer and why?

$4.$ What are the central points of disagreement within the fair$-$trade movement, as illustrated by Fair Trade USA and Nicco Roozen on one side, and Fairtrade International and Frans van der Hoff on the other side? Which side do you agree with, and why? How does Equal Exchange differ from both these perspectives?

$5.$ What are the four general areas of criticisms about fair trade? Do you agree or disagree with all or some of them? Which of the criticisms do you feel are most important, and why? If you were Crystal Kepple of the Macomb Food Co$-$op$,$ what action would you take regarding selling fair$-$trade products given these criticisms and counterarguments?