The Processes And Practices Of Fair Trade

This book is a scholarly analysis of the pros and cons of Fairtrade, a certification scheme that aims to improve the welfare of small-scale farmers in developing countries. The book is divided into six chapters, each written by a different author. While the authors share a general belief in the benefits of Fairtrade, they do not necessarily share the same views on the scheme itself.

This book analyzes the factors behind the recent expansion of Fairtrade and questions whether the trust given to the scheme by ethical shoppers is warranted. It goes about this assessment by analyzing the claim of ethical shopping and by scrutinizing the specific contribution of the Fairtrade Certification Mark to producer's welfare. This assessment is based on information gathered in a mixture of desk-based research and fieldwork carried out in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Tanzania and South Africa. This book comprises separate chapters written by academics of various backgrounds, who have worked together on Fairtrade, it should however be noted that the authors do not necessarily hold a common set of views in respect to Fairtrade.