Where now for fair trade?

Bob Doherty*, Iain A. Davies, Sophi Tranchell

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

93 Citations (Scopus)
38 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper critically examines the discourse surrounding fair trade mainstreaming, and discusses the potential avenues for the future of the social movement. The authors have a unique insight into the fair trade market having a combined experience of over 30 years in practice and 15 as fair trade scholars. The paper highlights a number of benefits of mainstreaming, not least the continued growth of the global fair trade market (tipped to top $7bn in 2012). However, the paper also highlights the negative consequences of mainstreaming on the long-term viability of fair trade as a credible ethical standard.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)161-189
Number of pages29
JournalBusiness History
Volume55
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2013

Keywords

  • co-optation
  • dilution
  • fair trade
  • fair trade organisations
  • fair-washing
  • mainstreaming
  • multinational corporations
  • supermarket retailers

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