Open AccessFair Trade phenomenon – limits of neoclassical and chances of heterodox economics
Author(s) -
Anna Horodecka,
Magdalena Śliwińska
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
studia z polityki publicznej
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2719-7131
pISSN - 2391-6389
DOI - 10.33119/kszpp.2019.3.1
Subject(s) - phenomenon , fair trade , economics , obstacle , neoclassical economics , positive economics , humanism , epistemology , law , international trade , political science , philosophy
Contemporary research exploring the Fair Trade movement does not provide a clear answer whether the overall impact of Fair Trade is positive or negative and what are the real motives of Fair Trade consumers. In the paper we investigate whether the assumptions of selected heterodox schools (feminist, ecological and humanist) fit better to the reality of the Fair Trade movement than those of the neoclassical theory. Although ‘better fitness’ does not necessarily mean ‘better explanation’, the mismatch with reality may constitute an obstacle in identifying a crucial aspect of the researched phenomenon (i.e. Fair Trade), harming explanation of its existence and development.