Subsidies and the Fair Trade movement are two topics central to reflection on fairness in trade. A common view is that support for Fair Trade is called for, whereas agricultural subsidies are unjustifiable. Yet there are curious similarities between these scenarios. On the face of it, both...

Concerns about fairness leave champions of free trade puzzled. First, to some, talk about fairness in trade is conceptually muddled. Ideas of fairness seem tied to the image of leveling the playing field and thus concerned with equalizing background conditions, whereas trade thrives on...