Contemporary research exploring the Fair Trade movement does not provide a clear

answer whether the overall impact of Fair Trade is positive or negative and what are the

real motives of Fair Trade consumers. In the paper we investigate whether the assump

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tions of selected heterodox schools (feminist, ecological and humanist) fit better to the

reality of the Fair Trade movement than those of the neoclassical theory. Although ‘bet

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ter fitness’ does not necessarily mean ‘better explanation’, the mismatch with reality may

constitute an obstacle in identifying a crucial aspect of the researched phenomenon (i.e.

Fair Trade), harming explanation of its existence and development.