While cynics say that its only achievement is to make consumers feel better about their purchases – rather like buying indulgences in the old Catholic Church – this is to sell fair trade short. In fact, the movement represents a spark of protest against mindless consumerism, grass-roots resistance against an impersonal logic, and an expression of communal activism.
但虽然在经济上站不住脚，公平贸易运动也不应遭到鄙视。即便批评者们说该运动的唯一成就就是让消费者们对自己感觉良好——就像从前在天主教堂购买赎罪券那样，但这其实是低估了公平贸易。事实上，这场运动代表了对愚蠢消费主义的某种抗议，对某些冷漠逻辑的草根反抗以及一种公共行动主义的表达方式。