The labour behind the (Fair Trade) label

Abstract

Purpose -This paper critically examines the marketing of fair trade, arguing that the use of the term producer conflates a number of categories of actors, not all of whom benefit equally. The authors contend that the two existing archetypes -the noble peasant farmer and the independent artisanand the emerging archetype of the "empowered decision maker" serve to obscure and mask complex labour relationships. Design/methodology/approach -This conceptual paper draws on a wide range of literature and original fieldwork conducted by the authors to illustrate the three marketing archetypes in the fair trade value chain. Findings -Hidden behind the three dominant archetypes used to promote fair trade is a relationship between fair trade "producers" (small farmer, craft enterprise and plantations) and permanent and temporary/casual labourers. The trickle-down of fair trade benefits to these workers is uneven at best and falls far short of the expectation of empowerment of all "producers" that fair trade promises.Research limitations/implications -The fair trade project must look beyond the simple archetypes to engage more deeply with labour issues in the fair trade value chain, and to re-engage with fair trade as a development strategy through which broader and more complex forms of empowerment can be realised. Practical implications -Fair trade standards are not a substitute for organised labour's activities. Interactions between trade unions and fair trade bodies could ensure that existing labour standards are met, and improvements in the lives of all workers can occur. Originality/value -This paper conceptualises three fair trade mainstream marketing archetypes and suggests why and how the fair trade movement must move beyond these to ensure empowerment amongst its least well-off stakeholders.

From trust to compliance: accountability in the fair trade movement

“…The consumer trusted the retailer's claims that the products being sold were being bought directly from disadvantaged producers and that a larger share of the value chain was being passed to the producer than would have been the case in conventional trade. Elements of these trust relationships between producers, FTOs and consumers persist in the model of “direct fair trade” being practiced by a range of small FTOs (Jaffee, 2010; Davenport and Low, 2012).…”

“…In the context of fair trade, this includes fair trade as part of the “ethical” consumer movement (e.g. Connolly and Shaw, 2006), and its impact on labour rights (Dolan, 2008; Davenport and Low, 2012) and development theory and practice (Paul, 2005). What little discussion there is about accountability within the movement2 tends to summarize the characteristics of the certification system for fair trade products overseen by Fair Trade Labelling Organization International (FLO) within the context of frameworks for global governance of trade such as value chain analysis (Barrientos and Smith, 2005) or voluntary regulatory regimes (Courville, 2003; Bartley, 2003; Raynolds et al , 2004).…”

“…In the context of fair trade, this includes fair trade as part of the “ethical” consumer movement (e.g. Connolly and Shaw, 2006), and its impact on labour rights (Dolan, 2008; Davenport and Low, 2012) and development theory and practice (Paul, 2005).…”

The Ultimate Recycling? Positing the Effect of Past Life Belief on Fair Trade Consumption: A Preliminary Study

“…Due to their unique manufacturing processes, Fair Trade products are advertised to highlight their positive societal and environmental impacts (Davenport & Low, 2012). Fair Trade ads typically include photos of the worker who manufactured the product and a summary of their background (Musa & Gopalakrisha, 2022).…”

Towards Sustainable Pro-Poor Development? A Critical Assessment of Fair Trade Gold

“…This is already being observed with food giants such as Nestle (Pemberton, 2011;Jaffee, 2014) and Cadbury (Da Silva Lopes, 2016), which are forging -rather unlikely -partnerships with Fair Trade organizations. The analysis of Fair Trade found in the management literature is mostly positive and case study-focused, drawing on the experiences of selected manufacturers and distributors of certified products, such as Max Havelaar coffee (Davenport and Low, 2012), CafeDirect (Golding and Peattie, 2005) and Planet Bean (Fridell, 2009).…”