Development

Aaronson, S. A., & Zimmerman, J. M. (2006). Fair trade?: How oxfam presented a systemic approach to poverty, development, human rights, and trade. Human Rights Quarterly, 28(4), 998-1030.

This article discusses how Oxfam tried to change global trade policies to better reflect the rights-based approach delineated in its strategic plan. Ox- fam has been extremely successful at helping policymakers and the public understand the relationship between poverty, development, human rights, and trade. (We do not examine the ‘make poverty history’ campaign). To understand Oxfam's perspective and approach, we begin the article with a discussion of how the WTO system addresses questions of human rights, poverty, and development. We then examine Oxfam's strategy and how it changed over time-moving from a systemic emphasis on poverty, development, human rights, and trade to a more limited, but visible, focus on ‘making trade fair.’ Finally, we examine Oxfam's contribution to the trade debate. (Aaronson & Simmerman, 2006)

Auld, G. (2009). Confronting the coffee crisis: Fair trade, sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems in mexico and central america – edited by christopher M. bacon, V. ernesto mendez, stephen R. gliessman, david goodman and jonathan A. fox. Review of Policy Research, 26(3), 350-352.

The article reviews the book "Confronting the Coffee Crisis: Fair Trade, Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystems in Mexico and Central America," edited by Christopher M. Bacon, V. Ernesto Mendez, Stephen R. Gliessman, David Goodman and Jonathan A. Fox.

Bacon, C. (2005). Confronting the coffee crisis: Can fair trade, organic, and specialty coffees reduce small-scale farmer vulnerability in northern nicaragua? World Development, 33(3), 497-511.

This paper links changing global coffee markets to opportunities and vulnerabilities for sustaining small-scale farmer livelihoods in northern Nicaragua. Changing governance structures, corporate concentration, oversupply, interchangeable commodity grade beans, and low farm gate prices characterize the crisis in conventional coffee markets. In contrast, certified Fair Trade and organic are two alternative forms of specialty coffee trade and production that may offer opportunities for small-scale producers. A research team surveyed 228 farmers to measure the impact of sales on organic and Fair Trade markets. The results suggest that participation in organic and Fair Trade networks reduces farmers' livelihood vulnerability. (Bacon, 2005)

Bacon, C. M., Ernesto Mendez, V., Gomez, M. E. F., Stuart, D., & Flores, S. R. D. (2008). Are sustainable coffee certifications enough to secure farmer livelihoods? the millenium development goals and nicaragua's fair trade cooperatives. Globalizations, 5(2), 259-274.

In December 2001, green coffee commodity prices hit a 30-year low. This deepened the livelihood crisis for millions of coffee farmers and rural communities. The specialty coffee industry responded by scaling up several sustainable coffee certification programs, including Fair Trade. This study uses household- and community-level research conducted in Nicaragua from 2000 to 2006 to assess the response to the post-1999 coffee crisis. A participatory action research team surveyed 177 households selling into conventional and Fair Trade markets in 2006. In an effort to dialogue with specialty coffee industry and mainstream development agencies, results are framed within the context of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Findings suggest that households connected to Fair Trade cooperatives experienced several positive impacts in education, infrastructure investment, and monetary savings. However, several important livelihoods insecurities, including low incomes, high emigration, and food insecurity, persisted among all small-scale producers. (Bacon and all., 2008)

Booth, P., & Whetstone, L. (2007). Enterprise solutions to poverty in africa. Economic Affairs, 27(2), 29.

The fair trade movement claims that the products it provides are sourced 'justly' and that purchasing fair trade products brings economic benefits for the poor. Whilst it is clear that fair trade might bring some benefits to particular groups, whether it brings significant net benefits to the poor in general is questionable. Moreover, the claim that fair trade transactions are more 'just' cannot be substantiated. Customers also might be surprised to learn that the majority of the Fairtrade Foundation's net income is spent on promoting its own brand. (Booth & Whetstone, 2007)

Dolan, C. S. (2007). Market affections: Moral encounters with kenyan fairtrade flowers. Ethnos: Journal of Anthropology, 72(2), 239-261.

This paper explores commodity exchange as a morally inflected practice, one that mediates competing tensions of greed and generosity, the sacred and profane, and affection and estrangement through the fairtrade flower. Using the UK-Kenya fairtrade flower commodity chain to examine the cultural economy of fairtrade, I suggest that like the charity business and the international development industry, fairtrade complicates the distinction between the sacred and secular and the gift and commodity as Northern consumers and NGOs weave webs of obligation through the medium of the market. Further, I argue that while fairtrade is predicated on values of partnership and interdependence, it also operates within commodity chains that advance liberal ethics as a mode of 'governmentality' over African producers, translating consumers' sympathy-based humanism into new technologies of regulation and surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goodman, M. K. (2004). Reading fair trade: Political ecological imaginary and the moral economy of fair trade foods. Political Geography, 23(7), 891-915.

This paper begins to explore the changing political geographies of alternative development as practiced and envisioned in the global South. Looking specifically at the growing movement and market for fair trade foods, this form of alternative development has become the moral business of latte drinkers and other reflexive consumers in Europe and the US. [...] The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the continuing dilemmas critical for fair trade and suggestions for further empirical study of fair trade provisioning and alternative development networks. (Synopsis)

Kelsey, J. (2006). Fair trade for all: How trade can promote development. International History Review, 28(4), 934-936.

The article reviews the book "Fair Trade for All: How Trade Can Promote Development," by Joseph E. Stiglitz and Andrew Charlton.

Northcott, M. (2006). Fair trade for all: How trade can promote development. Studies in World Christianity, 12(3), 282-284.

The article reviews the book "Fair Trade for All: How Trade can Promote Development," by Joseph E. Stiglitz and Andrew Charlton.

Paul, E. (2005). Evaluating fair trade as a development project: Methodological considerations. Development in Practice, 15(2), 134-150.

This article identifies the need for an appropriate methodology for evaluating Fair Trade, given that most evaluations to date have been in-house or commissioned reviews and hence have not followed a consistent approach. Focusing on the development aspects of Fair Trade, the article reviews a range of impact evaluation methods and presents a detailed methodology for analysing Fair Trade. This methodology incorporates standard project evaluation criteria and is based on a wide range of proven methods for collecting and analysing data, principally qualitative but also quantitative. This framework is a modular package from which practitioners may select according to their needs and means, while still retaining an overarching logic. The article illustrates its use by reference to evaluations undertaken in Costa Rica, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Tanzania. The approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of Fair Trade programmes and enables these to be compared with conventional development projects. (Paul, E., 2005)