‘The Gift that Keeps on Giving’: Unveiling the Paradoxes of Fair Trade Shea Butter

Abstract

AbstractFair trade has garnered the interest of western consumers seeking ‘ethical’ products. Inherent to the movement's success are narratives that foster an attachment between reflexive consumers and the distantly situated producers of their goods. These narratives entice consumers to purchase higher priced, quality fair trade products. Drawing on empirical evidence from a case‐study of fair trade shea butter produced by women in Burkina Faso and consumed by European and North American women, this article considers the extent to which these narratives reflect producer experiences. Fair trade shea butter is depicted as an exotic, traditional, authentic, and ethical product that promotes global female solidarity. Yet, the international commodity differs significantly from the traditional and authentic product that is locally produced and traded. Moreover, the low returns butter producers earn for their product cast doubts on the ‘fairness’ and solidarity aspects of the movement. Hence, we argue that rather than unveiling the conditions of commodity production, fair trade discourses repackage these to appeal to ethically minded consumers likely to purchase fair trade goods.