Meeting the people who grow our bananas and cocoa and make our clothes, this No-Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade tells the human story behind what we consume.

Examin-ing the global contest between “free” and “fair” trade, David Ransom argues that the key question is not whether trade should be regulated or deregulated, but whether it is to be the master or servant of the people.

And as fair trade products are being turned into brands by large corporations, a new contest opens—it is no longer just a question of fair versus free, but what kind of fair trade.