This Fashion Revolution Week, Fashion Revolution highlights the following solutions to some of the problems facing the fashion industry: New Models, Information, Collectiveness and Empowerment. In this blog, Louise Davies writes about Fair Trade as a new model, an economic alternative to business as usual. 

Fair Trade: A Radical Act in an Age of Crisis

As the world grapples with economic turmoil, political upheaval, and environmental collapse, the question arises: Is Scotland still a Fair Trade Nation? The latest report assessing Scotland’s status says yes—but warns that global solidarity is under threat.

The cost-of-living crisis, Brexit-induced trade realignments, and the escalating climate emergency have created a perfect storm of challenges. Ethical purchasing is often framed as a luxury, something that must be sacrificed in hard times. But the reality is far more urgent: buying Fair Trade is not just a matter of consumer choice—it is a political act, a radical statement against an unjust economic system.

Fair Trade vs. Business as Usual

For decades, Fair Trade has been dismissed by critics as a niche movement, a do-gooder’s indulgence. But this report makes it clear: Fair Trade is a serious economic alternative, a challenge to a global trade system built on exploitation.

In many ways, buying Fair Trade products is akin to a boycott. Just as consumers reject brands that profit from environmental destruction or human rights abuses, choosing Fair Trade is an active rejection of trade models that drive inequality. The stakes are high: while the Global North reels from inflation and economic downturn, farmers and workers in the Global South are bearing the brunt of the crisis. Climate change devastates crops. Supply chains buckle under pressure. And all the while, big corporations extract profit while refusing to share the burden.

The latest assessment shows that despite economic hardships, Scotland’s commitment to Fair Trade remains strong. Awareness levels remain high—97% of the population have heard of Fair Trade, and 85% claim to buy Fair Trade products at least once a year. Yet beneath these statistics lies a harder truth: many consumers remain unaware that their everyday purchases uphold an exploitative system.

The Politics of Ethical Consumption

Fair Trade is more than a label; it’s an economic vision that places people and planet before profit. Unlike the dominant trade structures that reward those who exploit, Fair Trade seeks to create an economy that sustains livelihoods, not just bank balances.

The assessment of Scotland’s Fair Trade status highlights that political engagement with Fair Trade is growing but remains fragile. While 69% of Scotland’s local authorities engage with Fair Trade, the report warns that public procurement policies remain inconsistent. Some councils have clear commitments to Fair Trade, but others lag behind, failing to prioritise ethical supply chains in their purchasing decisions.

If Scotland wants to be a true leader in ethical trade, Fair Trade must be woven into public policy, not just left to consumer goodwill. The report argues that procurement laws should go further in ensuring that taxpayer money is not spent on exploitative supply chains. Without this, Scotland’s Fair Trade status risks becoming a hollow title.

A System Built on Solidarity

At its core, Fair Trade is about global solidarity. It is about ensuring that when we drink our morning coffee, wear our clothes, or eat our chocolate, we do so knowing that no one was exploited in the process. But solidarity is being tested. The cost-of-living crisis has pushed ethical concerns down the priority list for many, and the closure of key Fair Trade businesses like Traidcraft in 2023 was a stark reminder that ethical trade models cannot survive without structural support.

The report’s findings make one thing clear: we cannot afford to be complacent. Scotland’s Fair Trade status is not just about ticking boxes; it is about committing to a different way of doing business—one that recognises trade as a tool for justice, not just profit.

Fair Trade: A Call to Action

If buying Fair Trade is a political act, then it is time for consumers, businesses, and governments to step up. This is not about charity—it is about economic justice. The idea that ethical consumption is a privilege for good economic times is a myth designed to keep the status quo intact. The reality is that ethical consumption is most critical when times are hard.

Fair Trade is not a brand. It is not just a label on a packet of coffee. It is a movement that demands a better way of doing business. And in a world where crises seem never-ending, including the crisis caused by the global fashion industry, choosing Fair Trade is an act of defiance against an economy that treats workers as expendable and the planet as a resource to be drained.

The question is not whether Scotland is still a Fair Trade Nation. The question is: Will Scotland lead the way in proving that Fair Trade is not just viable, but necessary?

Why not share this blog with your MSPs and MPs and call for change.

Louise Davies, 22 April 2025