Unravelling Africa’s unfair Fair Trade mystery

Fair trade is a fairy tale that belongs in a children’s fiction book. Just think—a fair playing ground is what every mom and pop shop has been crying for, for years. Yet every waking day, their tears fall on deaf ears, they seem to constantly draw the short end of the stick while the competition always gets the better deal. To unravel this unfair ‘fair trade’ mystery, you have to first understand who or what the competition is. What makes the playing ground so uneven and how do you tip things in favour of small business? Did you catch that? To even the field, you have to favour one side. Let us bring things into perspective here. Small businesses are being boxed out of businesses by multi-national corporations. These monstrosities of strategized mergers feed on one thing: takeovers. Either they buy you out or you will, sooner than later, close shop, period.  And mark you, this is true across all industries. From your once-favorite mama’s restaurant where the food tastes just like home vs. fast food chains that you now crave even though you have no idea what is really on the plate you so much savour, to uncle Joe’s