The paper explains how Suan Nguen Mee Ma Co., Ltd. (Suan Company) emerged from the NGO movement guided by Sulak Sivaraksa in Thailand. Suan Company is one example of the growing number of experiments in 'alternative business'. In addition to 'fair trade' efforts to bring rural producers and...

This report will outline a new framework for improved yields and increased sustainability in Sub-Saharan African smallholder agriculture. Given the failures of agricultural development aid and policy in the past, cross-sector collaboration among local farmer networks, national governments, and...

Although fair trade is a step in the right direction, this thesis argues that some of its claims and approaches may be problematic with respect to development goals.  As one of the world’s most highly traded commodities and an income source for tens of millions of people worldwide, coffee has...

In the last 15 years, the trend of NGOs working in cooperation with business has developed considerably. The global community – including leaders of international governmental institutions and of the non-profit sector as well as some business leaders – has recognized the importance of...

When a farmer delivers his cotton to the Société des Fibres Textiles (SOFITEX), a quasi-monopsony in Burkina Faso, a cut of two kilograms, is taken off of the final buying price, accounting for “transportation losses”. Often the farmers spend the night filling the containers of the SOFITEX...

Data from a longitudinal study into the key management success factors in the fair trade industry provide insights into the essential nature of inter-organizational alliances and networks in creating the profitable and growing fair trade market in the UK. Drawing on three case studies and...

Purpose: This paper investigates the increased mass-marketing in the fair trade industry to provide a robust analysis of the industry, participants and growth for use as both a starting point for researchers in this field and as a case study for readers with an interest in any ethical trading...

Master of Arts

The educators introduce students to basic concepts and practices of sustainable development by exploring fair trade in the world today. They guide students in researching, creating, and implementing fair trade projects in different disciplinary contexts and help students understand fair trade...

Many products consumed on college campuses such as coffee and chocolate come from developing countries where producers are often paid insufficiently and exploited. Fair Trade certification of products guarantees producers a fair price and other social benefits. The objective of my CE/T project...