The perils of fake Fairtrade products

It's just so difficult to be a properly concerned middle class social justice warrior these days, isn't it?

Well-meaning shoppers may be wasting money on groceries bearing fake Fairtrade or organic logos, after police in Europe identified counterfeit food labels as one of the fastest growing frauds.

Fairtrade or organic bananas, vegetables, tea and other items are bought by millions of people concerned about the provenance of the food on their plates.

But the certification logos on packaging can be “easily replicated and affixed” by experienced counterfeiters, the Europol law enforcement agency said.

Its experts warn that organised crime groups have “joined forces” to run counterfeiting operations inside the EU.

They are forging quality labels on “everyday products” that can then be sold at a premium, as opposed to the traditional fake handbags and medicines.

As it happens we don't think this is a particular problem. Fairtrade makes virtually no difference at all to those poor, third world, producers. It has a marginal value as a form of indoor relief for the dimmer scions of the upper middle class. But the real value gained from it is the near holy righteousness that a certain type of shopper feels as they proudly display their status by showing off the correct, socially approved, labels of "organic", "Fairtrade" and so on. Given that this, the main effect of the system, still applies to fake labels it seems to be a most efficient way of achieving that main effect.