Integrity in Agricultural Supply Chains through Fair Trade and Ethical Sourcing

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDContemporary The agricultural supply chain is a complex and interconnected system that encompasses all stages of production, storage, and delivery of agricultural goods, from farming to consumer distribution. It plays a crucial role in ensuring international food security (Denis et al., 2020). Fairtrade in sustainable agriculture examines various aspects, such as ethical commerce, standardisation of the value chain, fair pricing, market access, and providing technical help to all participants in the supply chain (Alluvione et al., 2011;Talukder et al., 2019). Significantly, more than 1.2 million farmers worldwide have adopted the fairtrade framework and integrated fair trade practices into their operations (Mark et al., 2018). As a result, customers have demonstrated a favourable opinion of products labelled as fairtrade (Alluvione et al., 2011).The fair-trade movement functions as a volunteer organisation known by the initials 'FINE'. Initially, it emerged as a fusion of four organisations: Fair Trade labelling (F), International Fair Trade Organisation (I), Network of European World Shops (NEWS!), and European Fair Trade Association (E) (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2008; International Trade Centre (ITC), 2011). The movement expanded its reach to include a diverse range of agricultural products, such as cotton, textiles, handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, fruits, vegetables, and flowers (Bonisoli et al., 2019;Hilson et al., 2018). The products are distinguished by precise and genuine labelling, which guarantees the capacity to track and understand their origins and movements at every stage of the supply chain (Luna et al., 2021;. Bacon (2005) and Bartley (2007) discuss how fair trade encompasses various dimensions, including child labour, wages, human trafficking, exploitation of vulnerable individuals, and consumer attitudes. Jaffee (2012) and Shorette (2014) argue that fair trade encompasses ecological considerations such as the use of fertilisers, pesticides, organic farming practices, trade disparity, and ethical concerns.