Ethical minerals: Fairer trade for whom?

Hilson, Gavin; Hilson, Abigail; McQuilken, James

doi:10.1016/j.resourpol.2016.05.002

Cited by 47 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Competitive pressure on cost reduction is then less prevalent, as firms have incentives to find new ways of attracting consumers. For consumers, however, as soon as fair trade product differentiation increases, fairness will be difficult to understand (Walton 2010, McArdle and Thomas 2012, Hilson et al 2016. At the same time, more fair trade producers can be reached, benefiting from qualitatively improved wealth transfers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two different perspectives feed ongoing discussions about, among other things, fair trade's efficacy and fairness in providing wealth transfers to fair trade's main beneficiaries: the local producers (Raynolds 2009, Wilson 2010, McArdle and Thomas 2012, Doherty et al 2013, Bassett 2014, Jaffee 2014, Hilson et al 2016. Key issues in the debate regard provision of a fair share of product prices and whether Western organizations rightfully address smallholder needs, criticizing fair trade as a system (Raynolds 2009, Jaffee and Howard 2010, Bezençon 2011, Doherty et al 2015.…”

Section: Historical Background Of Fair Trade Mainstreamingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Market competition and ethical standards: the case of fair trade mainstreaming

Gelder

Vaal

Driessen

et al. 2019

Review of Social Economy

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This paper analyzes whether ideology-driven firms doing business based on ethical principles such as those envisioned by fair trade can survive in the market when competition increases. By formally evaluating the development of fair trade over time, we show that such firms cannot continue to exist with full compliance with ethical standards about fairness. We conceptualize fairness as wealth transfers to small local producers in developing countries and apply a Hotelling-model of horizontal competition in fairness. Results show that increasing the scale and scope of fair trade products in the market implies that concessions on fairness are needed to survive intensified competition. Ideology-driven fair trade firms will survive only if they differentiate. In the end, paradoxically, wealth transfers by ideology-driven firms can be upheld only by focusing on other attributes than fairness to attract consumers. Only then can ideology-driven firms maintain ethical standards in a market environment, while alleviating pressure on total wealth transfers to local producers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Historical Background Of Fair Trade Mainstreamingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Market competition and ethical standards: the case of fair trade mainstreaming

Gelder

Vaal

Driessen

et al. 2019

Review of Social Economy

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“…Furthermore, selected donors, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and governments of developing economies were taking a fresh interest in the sector. International groups comprised of Oro Verde, Fairtrade International, and the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) contributed to ethical supply chains for minerals, establishing the Fairtrade and Fair Mined Gold Standard, and stressing the area's capacity to spearhead innovation and modification (Hilson et al ., ). In 2001, the World Bank's Communities and Small‐Scale Mining initiative (CASM) launched a better understanding of the sector, envisaging a sustainable livelihoods perspective for artisanal miners in response to the requirement for cross‐disciplinary answers to enhance coordination between the key players (Hilson and McQuilken, ).…”

Section: International Dialogue On Artisanal Miningmentioning

confidence: 97%

Precarious work or sustainable livelihoods? Aligning Prestea's Programme with the development dialogue on artisanal and small‐scale mining

Adonteng‐Kissi

Adonteng-Kissi

2018

Natural Resources Forum

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Alternative livelihoods programmes (ALPs) are extensively executed in mining communities, often as models of development dialogue on artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM). This paper assesses whether Prestea's ALP aligns with the development dialogue on artisanal mining. The conceptual design of ALP in Ghana's Prestea is based on the notions of substitution, homogenous community, and impact scalability. This paper argues that the Prestea ALP is not aligned with the development dialogue on artisanal mining, and therefore it is difficult to understand the role and function of environmentally‐damaging behaviours within livelihood strategies. The paper contends that it would be appropriate to concentrate on improving the existing artisanal miners’ operation of those most susceptible to resource access restrictions. Further, it may be more prudent to utilize livelihood‐centered interventions that create strong connections with sustainable development as a way of creating regular community engagements. Additionally, this paper argues that the term for the intervention programme on artisanal mining should be replaced with the broader term ‘livelihood‐centered intervention’. The replacement of the term ‘ALP’ avoids the tacit belief that ALP can adequately replace artisanal mining operations. Livelihood‐centered intervention should not necessarily utilize alternative livelihoods as direct behavioural change instruments.

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“…Built on strategies developed in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1996, governments have been challenged with remaining transparent, providing stable institutional arrangements, investment certainty, and fiscal responsibility whilst mining companies have been charged with increasing consultation with affected people and mitigating negative social, economic and environmental impacts [7]. Drawing on guidance from these initiatives [4,5,22] and relevant literature [6,[23][24][25][26][27][28] a code to modern day mining practices can be organized around 10 main themes including: Legal frameworks, economic and fiscal policies, institutional reforms, CSR and participation of affected peoples, access to mining activities, ongoing obligations, regulatory aspects, ancillary licenses and permits, investment contracts, and environmental and social matters ( Table 1). These criteria establish the foundation for what can be considered a MMc and provide a lens through which Vietnam's current mining context was examined.…”

Section: Towards a Modern Mining Codementioning

confidence: 99%

The Regulatory Framework and Minerals Development in Vietnam: An Assessment of Challenges and Reform

2019

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This paper aims to identify the key components of a modern mining regulatory framework and examines the extent to which the Vietnamese context reflects these characteristics. Through detailed observation of two research locations in Vietnam—Phuoc Son and Bong Mieu—the paper investigates how national policy operates at a local level. Findings show that, over the past decade, the Vietnamese Government has initiated substantial reforms to the regulatory frameworks governing mining, with the central objective to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). However, it has become apparent that these reforms have numerous deficiencies and loopholes that have led to a range of unintended economic, social and environmental consequences. To cope with challenges such as rent-seeking, limited capacities and capabilities of government staff, failure of institutions and neglect of local communities, policy makers will need to think differently and strategically about the mining industry and how regulations are implemented. Only by addressing these weaknesses will the path be paved for the sustainable growth of Vietnam’s mining industry into the future.

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Ethical minerals: Fairer trade for whom?

Cited by 47 publications

References 31 publications

Market competition and ethical standards: the case of fair trade mainstreaming

Market competition and ethical standards: the case of fair trade mainstreaming

Precarious work or sustainable livelihoods? Aligning Prestea's Programme with the development dialogue on artisanal and small‐scale mining

The Regulatory Framework and Minerals Development in Vietnam: An Assessment of Challenges and Reform

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