Fair Trade Concept Research Articles

Implementasi Fair Trade dalam Perdagangan Komoditas Kacang Mete dari Bali Timur

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic fair trade is thought to be a trading plan that can aid economic recovery. Companies that conduct fair trade schemes, on the other hand, face hurdles as a result of the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic. The East Bali Cashews (EBC) company, which offers fair trade for cashew nuts as a major commodity in Ban village, Karangasem, is highlighted in this study. This study seeks to explain the role of corporation as non-state actor in international trade by adopting a pluralist approach and the concept of fair trade. The study compares the implementation of fair trade by EBC during the COVID-19 pandemic with before the pandemic using a comparative qualitative method with primary data obtained through in-depth interviews. This study is significant in examining the critical role of corporation as primary actor in fair trade schemes that directly affect cashew farmers as small producers. In order to advance the welfare of farmers and cashew as a promising commodity for Ban Village's development.

From the fair trade concept to a symbiotic sustainability business model: the case of Unilever and the LiptonRainforest Alliance partnership

From the fair trade concept to a symbiotic sustainability business model: the case of Unilever and the LiptonRainforest Alliance partnership

From the fair trade concept to a symbiotic sustainability business model: the case of Unilever and the Lipton-Rainforest Alliance partnership

From the fair trade concept to a symbiotic sustainability business model: the case of Unilever and the Lipton-Rainforest Alliance partnership

The Ethically Conscious Flower Consumer: Understanding Fair Trade Cut Flower Purchase Behavior in Germany

Fair trade flowers are an important niche product relevant to ethically conscious consumers. The study proposes a model that investigates key factors affecting the behavior of these cut flower consumers in Germany. The study serves to complement the existing studies dedicated to preferences for flower attributes and products, as well as consumers’ willingness to pay. It builds on an online survey with a representative sample of 772 German cut-flower consumers. Partial least squares structural equation modelling shows that concern for the treatment of workers from countries with poor environmental and labor reputations, the breadth of fair trade cut flower information sources, and familiarity with the fair trade concept and its influence on flower production issues positively impact the relative importance that consumers dedicate to fair trade certification as a cut flower attribute. The same factors also positively impact fair trade cut flower buying behavior. Socio-demographic factors did not show any impact. The study concludes with best practice recommendations for retailers and horticultural marketers on how to address the needs and wants of ethically conscious consumers.

Consumer willingness to pay for fair-trade attributes of goat meat in Kenya: A choice experiment analysis

Fair trade is an important ethical concern in the food value chains of developed countries. However, there is a dearth of empirical insights into consumer preferences for this critical aspect in the domestic markets of developing countries. The current study analysed consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for fair-trade attributes in the goat meat value chain in Nairobi, Kenya. Choice experiment data from 270 randomly sampled consumers was analysed using the random parameter logit (RPL) model. The results show that 56% of the consumers were aware of the fair-trade concept and 64% of them were willing to pay for fair-trade-compliant practices. Specifically, consumers were willing to pay a premium of 62% to prevent child labour, 45% to support provision of medical insurance for workers in the meat value chain, 40% for direct purchase from producers, 39% for fair-trade labelling and 30% to support disabled people as part of corporate social responsibility

General concept and components of fair trade: theory and international practice

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that since 2017, official documents and statements of the US administration, among other things, place the main emphasis on the so-called fair trade. One of the promises of the future president during his election campaign was the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the revision of the NAFTA Agreement (North American Free Trade Agreement - North American Free Trade Agreement) and support for new trade agreements that are extremely beneficial for the United States. The course of US trade policy today is highly controversial and controversial. In light of this new course, one of the main problems has become the understanding of what is meant by the term fair trade. The subject of research of the article is the process of development of the world trading system within the WTO, which is based on the principle of non-discrimination, market liberalization, free trade, etc. The goal is an analysis of the definition of fair trade from a literal, terminological, historical and conceptual point of view. The objective is to research the concept of fair trade in general and each of its elements (unfair trade practice, fair competition and level playing field) in theoretical interpretation and in practical use. General scientific methods are used, such as system analysis - to define the general concept of fair trade and its components in theoretical and practical aspects, as well as factor analysis - to formalize the cause-and-effect relationships of the investigated factors of the development of the world trade system in the direction of its liberalization. The following results were obtained: based on the analysis carried out, it can be concluded that fair trade should be understood as such trade that will exclude any manifestations of unfair trading practices, ensure fair competition, as well as a truly level playing field for trade. In practice, this is exactly what the world community is striving for in the development of the world trading system. Conclusions: the lack of a unified approach to understanding fair trade in general and each of its elements (fair trading practices, fair competition and equal conditions) allows these concepts to be manipulated and used in a way convenient for the one who uses them.

Fair trade as a social enterprise: Oversold, misunderstood or unethical?

AbstractAlthough the concept of Fair Trade blends with the concept of “social enterprises,” but a critical examination of the theory and practice of Fair Trade shows that considering Fair Trade as an obvious example of “social enterprise” would mean a dilution of the social context of “social enterprises.”

The Meaning of Fair Trade Law in the Hisbah System

There is no doubt that the proper functioning of a competition regime has become important in our modern society, and the noteworthy increase in the number of competition regimes around the world as competition law provides fair and free competition. This improves the overall rule of law and democratic process in economic activities. It often seems that the modern competition regimes are based on the system from the Western world, which misleads us to assume the competition law framework, including objectives of the law, originated from the US or the EU. However, the notion of free competition has been ubiquitous, particularly in the Islamic region. Most of all, the Ḥisbah system highlights the competition culture in this area for its goal of improving fairness in the market. This article aims at explaining the development of the concept of fair trade and free competition by deliberating its parallel evolution of competition regime to those in the Western countries.

Awareness regarding fair trade concept and the factors influencing the fair trade apparel buying behaviour of consumers in Cochin City

This paper examines the level of awareness, attitude and buying behaviour of the consumers’ towards fair trade certified garments. It also aims to determine the factors that will motivate a consumer of ready-made garments to make a purchase when it comes to fair trade certified apparel. The primary data for the study have been collected from 163 respondents across various ready-made shops within the city through online survey method and scheduling using a structured questionnaire. Secondary data were collected from various magazine articles, journals, and websites. The analysis showed that most of the respondents were not aware of the fair trade concept and clothes. Nearly half of the respondents showed an interest in learning more about the fair trade concept. The paper which also reveals the characteristics of the general consumer towards fair trade apparels, suggests that price, quality, and comfort are given precedence over trend, aesthetics, uniqueness, fair trade status, advertisements, brand popularity, and sales promotions. This paper is helpful in revealing the characteristics of the general consumer towards fair trade apparels and in providing a direction towards implementing ethical consumerism.

Концепция fair trade

The concept of fair trade is a very controversial topic that has been relevant since the end of the World War II. The emergence of Donald Trump as a new political figure on the world stage has given new reasons for the discussion of this concept. This article aims to give the most accurate definition of the concept. To achieve this goal will be carried out literal, terminological, historical and conceptual analysis of the concept. In addition, the translation of the term fair trade will be justified.

Influences of Sustainability Labels on Fashion Buying Behaviour – A Study on the Example of Fair Trade in Germany

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find out the influences of sustainability labels on fashion buying behaviour. Despite key information about Fair Trade is provided in all stores of the sample company, customers seem not to be aware of the Fair Trade concept. Therefore this paper aims to give recommendations for a fashion retailer in terms of elucidation about Fair Trade by answering the following research questions: Which influences do sustainability labels wield on customer’s buying behaviour? Are consumers of textile products aware of the function and backgrounds of the Fair Trade label?Design/methodology/approach – A paper-based questionnaire was administered to 128 customers of a German fashion retailer “Adler Modemarkte AG” in four city stores from which 127 were correctly completed. Additionally an adjusted self-completion questionnaire administered to 50.000 customers online from which a total of 1.712 were correctly completed. Descriptive analysis and cross-tabulations were applied to abstract the main research findings and evaluate the hypotheses. Findings – Key findings suggest that Adler should either enhance their communication strategy regarding Fair Trade or remove Fair Trade products from the assortment, as the majority of respondents are not aware of Adlers` Fair Trade products. The Fair Trade label could neither be identified as consumer-barrier nor sales support. Further findings revealed participants have more knowledge about Fair Trade than initially assumed. Research limitations/implications – Majorly women aged between 56 and 75 participated in the survey. Findings are limited to geography, the target group of the fashion retailer Adler, gender, age group and the research method questionnaire.

Placing the distant other on the shelf: An analysis and comparison of (fair trade) coffee packages in relation to commodity fetishism

Fair trade has been praised for ‘de-fetishizing’ commodities by providing consumers with information on the production of the commodity. Various empirical studies of fair trade marketing materials have generated critique of this vision. However, these focused on materials produced by engaged fair trade organizations. As the fair trade concept has entered the mainstream, fair trade products have found their way into supermarkets. In this setting, these products are confronted with competition, both internal (with other fair trade products) and external (with non-fair trade products). In this article, we argue for a broader focus when studying the relationship between fair trade and defetishization. Our argument is based on a study of whether and how defetishization is advanced on packages of ground coffee within the retail landscape of Flanders, Belgium. Several categories of packages can be distinguished, based on brand (e.g., fair trade advocate, regular brand, retailer house brand) and label (e.g. fair trade label; other social label; no label, but origin is emphasized in the product name). We demonstrate the difficulty of distinguishing these packages based on the visual and textual information they carry (beyond the label), which complicates the identification of any clearly distinct ‘fair trade message’ on these packages. Instead of serving a clear ‘defetishizing’ function, these messages are mixed, interchanged, and adapted. We argue that this could be a direct consequence of perceived or actual changes in the consumer publics inherent to the mainstreaming of fair trade.

Towards a Fair Agro-food Regime? A Regulationist Reading of the Fairtrade System

The hypothesis of an emerging corporate-environmental food regime postulates that accumulation in the sector is based on the organization of quality audited supply chains governed by corporations. However, this reorganization of the food regime is being done on the basis of the appropriation of demands for a more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable agri-food system. This article proposes to examine the certification-based Fairtrade initiative as an entry point to the discussion of the potentiality of a corporate-environmental food regime. To do so, a regulationist conceptual framework is put forward in order to analyze the case of Fairtrade wine produced in Argentina and consumed in the United Kingdom. The analysis is done in two parts: first, by describing the concrete ways in which the Fairtrade mode of regulation institutionalizes socioeconomic relations; second, by reconstructing the Fairtrade concept of control in order to account for the political dynamics and ideological elements that underlie this system. The analysis concludes that the Fairtrade mode of regulation offers a very limited scope for transformation due to the inherent limitations imposed by the central role that capital fractions are given in the system.

Attitudes towards Fairtrade Principles and Environmental Views among the Inhabitants of a Rural Swedish Town

This paper evaluates associations between values and preference for the Fairtrade concept and compares the ecocentric and anthroprocentric views of Nature. The intention of Fairtrade product labelling is to increase consumers’ awareness of products that have a presumably more positive influence on workers’ lives in developing countries. The ecocentric view assumes that Nature has an intrinsic value and should be preserved regardless of economic implications. The anthropocentric view, on the other hand, assumes Nature has value only because of the material, physical, or other benefits Nature provides humans. All respondents in the study were residents of Gestad, a small town in a sparsely populated area of Sweden. Among the main results of the study was that self-transcendence values (e.g., universalism and benevolence) were positively correlated with a preference for Fairtrade and ecocentrism, and negatively correlated with anthropocentrism. Conservation values (e.g., tradition and conformity) were positively correlated with anthropocentrism, and negatively correlated with a preference for Fairtrade. Another result was that women were more positive than men towards Fairtrade and ecocentrism.

Sustentabilidade por meio do comércio justo: o caso de uma cooperativa que produz artesanato em seda

The goal of this article is to describe sustainability through the fair trade concept employed by Cooperativa Artisans Brasil, considering that the business strategies adopted by the cooperative were articulated with silk producers and partner companies from Projeto Seda Justa, who contributed to the cooperative formation and to the emergence of fair trade opportunities in France. The authors developed a qualitative descriptive research through thirteen semi-structured interviews conducted using the snowball technique. Then, data was analyzed using the content analysis technique. Results show that the iniciative of organizing artisans around the goal of exporting silk scarves to France, through the French network Artisans Du Monde, a practitioner of the fair trade philosophy proved to be a viable proposal. In fair trade practices, there are concerns about the compensation of producers for a fair price, bearing in mind the cultural and symbolic value of marketed products. It also intends to create consumer awareness that the acquisition of these products contributes to better living conditions in remote communities, to ensure that the goods purchased from artisans are not a product of degrading ways of work, and to safeguard the sustainability of the cooperative.

Fair Trade Awareness and Engagement: A Coffee Farmer's Perspective

AbstractAs one of the world's most traded commodities, coffee has been criticized for its contribution to environmental degradation, social injustice, and economic disparities between the producing regions of the Global South and consuming countries of the Global North. However, the Fair Trade concept is promising to change this through the establishment of a trading system where producers, importers, and processors form a more direct network characterized by an established set of ethical principles and practices deemed as “fair.” While the transformational benefits of Fair Trade at the producer level have been examined in several impact studies, the farmers' low awareness and understanding of Fair Trade concepts, principles, markets, and customers represent an issue of concern. Among the many benefits associated with increased Fair Trade awareness is greater participation in Fair Trade governance bodies and the long‐term viability of the market itself.This research looks at Fair Trade from the perspective of farmers and their cooperative and uses the case of Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Pangoa, Peru, to examine how Fair Trade awareness (defined as knowledge of different areas of Fair Trade) is understood at the producer level. We then develop a three‐level Fair Trade awareness Model that illustrates both the existing and desired levels of understanding with regard to Fair Trade awareness.

Product information and Chinese consumers’ willingness-to-pay for fair trade coffee

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate Chinese consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for fair trade coffee given different amount of product information. Although coffee is becoming more popular in China, the concept of fair trade is often found unfamiliar to most Chinese consumers. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 564 consumers were interviewed in Hubei, China. The key survey question asked consumers’ willingness to purchase a cup of fair trade coffee compared to a traditional cup of coffee. A modified payment card approach was used to elicit WTP. Before answering the purchase question, respondents were randomly assigned to one of three different information scenarios: basic definition, impact on sustainability and the environment, and information including both environmental and social implications. Findings – Results indicated that consumers were generally willing to pay additional amount for fair trade coffee. Information played an important role in determining what types of consumers were responsive to fair trade coffee. Furthermore, the amount of information provided and consumer WTP did not follow a linear relationship. Practical implications – Results obtained in this study are useful for coffee marketers to better target their promotion strategies. Originality/value – In contrast to China's fast growing coffee market, little is known about consumer preferences and far less on fair trade coffee. This study is the first of its kind to understand Chinese consumers’ preferences for coffee in general and for fair trade coffee in specific.

Sąžiningos prekybos plėtros galimybės Lietuvoje

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama Sąžiningos prekybos (angl. Fairtrade), kaip socialinės atsakomybės reiškinio ir ekonominės veiklos fenomeno, koncepcija, raida, šio tipo produktų gamybos, realizavimo ir sertifikavimo ypatumai. Ypatingas dėmesys skiriamas Sąžiningos prekybos produktų atpažįstamumui ir jų realizavimo augimo Lietuvoje trikdžiams identifikuoti bei šios socialiai atsakingos veiklos platesnio taikymo galimybių paieškai. Remiantis mokslinės literatūros sistemine analize ir šio straipsnio autorių atlikta vartotojų bei prekybos organizacijų vadovų ir vadybininkų apklausa, pristatomas Sąžiningos prekybos produktų realizavimo plėtros mūsų šalyje modelis ir jo įgyvendinimo algoritmas.

Enabling Environments: Let's explore… Chocolate

Easter offers a range of opportunities for teaching about chocolate, from cacao trees to the concept of fair trade, explains Marianne Sargent

Design of Experiments for Analysis Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour

Fairtrade and organic consumption are examples of ethical consumption. Contrary to organic food products. Fairtrade concept is relatively recent in the Czech Republic. Current methodological appliance of DOE is represented by the set of scientific methods for identifying the significant and/or critical parameters associated with a process and thereby determining the optimal settings for those process variables which are able to enhance performance and capability of the response (e.g. selected character of a product quality).This paper utilizes the powerful technique of “Design of Experiments” (DOE) to study the effect of several motivation factors on the response or characteristics of shopping behaviour of the Fairtrade products.