Summary Of Fair's Fair For Farmers By Caitlin Fitzsimmons

In her opinion piece “Fair’s Fair For Farmers,” Caitlin Fitzsimmons contends in an urgent yet didactic fashion that many companies are misusing Fair Trade; only supportive for their personal gain. She begins with ‘there’s a good reason to buy Fair Trade,’ arguing that purchases would deter those producers from slavery and exploitation. She argues that the buyer should understand how to find legitimate products as well as the importance of economics within the Fairtrade company.
Fitzsimmons pleadingly begins her piece with the argument reasoning to buy Fairtrade products. She juxtaposes emotive language with rhetorical repetition through, “How do you feel about slavery and exploitation?” “How do you feel about being ripped off?” this technique
elicits a guilty emotional reaction in readers with a social conscience and positions them to be receptive to a method to avoid endorsing slavery. Fitzsimmons utilizes personal anecdotes to endorse her stance as even she is ‘willing to pay a little more,’ by doing so, she resonates with the audience through an appeal to justice; showcasing that everyone should be treated equally. She then outlines the key aspects of what Fairtrade advocates juxtaposing this definition with a personal anecdote highlighting that by visiting Uganda she sees ‘the difference it makes.’ Fitzsimmons then showcases the other hand of purchasing a Fairtrade product, that it may not be certified. She overcomes this issue by stating “the beauty of Fairtrade is that the supply chain is transparent,” issuing that “it’s worth being a skeptical consumer.” This technique not only is an appeal to self-worth but also emotionally guilts the audience to reminisce of their lack of action.
Fitzsimmons iterates her worry about the validity of the corporations selling so-called Fairtrade products and didactically requests the audience to look out for signs for illegitimacy. Her forewarning within the first statements of the piece reinforce her personal stance towards the issue, “exploit my generosity to boost their own profits.” Her understanding tone develops as she states that “constant market shifts are a challenge,” when expanding the market for Fairtrade, adding an example to support her view. This positions the reader to feel empathy towards those affected by the consequences and thereby painting the corporations as villainous. By including inclusive language juxtaposed with a situational example, Fitzsimmons methodically explains how to “check to see if it’s actually certified.” This use of logic, questioning statements and a way to combat the issue adds validity in her statement displaying her to be trustworthy.