Trade fairs

Tamm (2000) As a constant supply of the European markets is a prerequisite for the extension of the organic market share, trade may represent a suitable approach to overcome shortcomings of supply - however, efficient and fair trade structures that help farmers to keep prices as well as market supply constant on a multi-region scale are yet to be developed. ... 

Meier, T. (2000) Organic production and fair trade products bringing together social and ecological issues. Proceedings of the 13th International IFOAM Scientific Conference, Basel, Switzerland, pp 563. 

UK Own health (no chemicals, purity) Local farming and fair trade Environmental protection Product related (price, appearance, availability, quality, variety, taste) information about the product (confusion, habit, trust, information)... 

Fair trade a basis for adequate producers incomes, farm reinvestment and quality and safety focused production... 

This chapter aims to illustrate the role and importance of ethical (fair) trade in the agricultural production chain. Towards that, we will initially analyse the organic market and will illustrate the role of the accreditation schemes and the local certification bodies. This is followed by a section on ethical (fair) trade discussing the evolution of the concept(s) and their association with organic production. The last sections examine the view of the stakeholders and selected supply chain members in relation to ethical (fair) trade, before drawing relevant conclusions. 

In 1990, EFTA was established representing 12 organisations importing fair trade products. As a proportion of fair trade imports, EFTA represents around 60% of European market. Fair trade shops expanded in Europe after the 1970s and now there are more than 3000 in 18 European countries. The International Federation of Alternative Trade (IFAT) was established in 1989, as an umbrella organisation for ATOs from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Japan and North and South America (EFTA, 1998). 

Fair trade exploited the mainstream channels by focusing on selling to institutional outlets. In 1988, the first fair trade label, Max Havelaar, was established in The Netherlands. This seal of approval was awarded to conventional businesses that respected fair trade standards that were open to external monitoring. Other labels such as Transfair International (co-founded by EFTA) and the Fairtrade Foundation, have also evolved. The International Fair Trade Labelling Organisation (FLO) has coordinated all fair trade labelling since April 1997 (EFTA, 1998). 

The outcome of the above is that, nowadays, the fair trade organisations represent an important alternative trade market (Raynolds et al., 2004). It is reported that international fair trade sales are worth over US 500 million and are expanding at approximately 30% per annum (Fair Trade Federation,... 

Associations between organic and ethical (fair) trade... 

Certification Yes, based on regulation by the state. Assured by legally registered labelling symbols on marketed produce Yes for fair trade no for ethical. No legal status for ethical claims on marketed produce... 

Those who are willing to pay extra for goods traded in an ethical manner do so based on the understanding that significantly improved livelihoods result from the premium paid for fair trade and/or organic certified produce. Statements on packaging of ethically traded products relating to the impact on the livelihoods of producer communities serve to link consumption and production for the consumer. 

An increased likelihood of a fair price for non-fair trade mainstream production. Even if a fair price is paid for only a small part of production, there is often a snowball effect with higher prices paid for the rest of production. 

The provision of credit as price advances from fair trade organisations are common, it means that those producing goods on a small scale can buy inputs for production. This invariably increases stability of production and income. 

Opportunities for producers to network through meetings organised by fair trade organisations. 

This chapter has shed light on the increasing role of ethical (fair) trade and its relationship with organic production and, subsequently, their key associations and differences have been illustrated. The authors expect the above discussion to prove beneficial and to provide further knowledge in this field of study. We also expect further research to be undertaken that could validate and/or contradict some of the key arguments cited in this work. 

EFTA (1998). Fair Trade Yearbook. Towards 2000, Dunk in de Weer, Ghent, Belgium. 

Fair Trade Federation (2003). 2003 Report on Fair Trade Trends in US, Canada and the Pacific Rim. Fair Trade Federation, Washington DC. 

Raynolds, L.T. (2002). Poverty Alleviation through Participation in Fair Trade Coffee Networks Existing Research and Critical Issues, Background paper prepared for project funded by the Community Resource Development Program, The Ford Foundation, New York. http //www.colostate.edu/Depts/Sociology/FairTradeResearchGroup. 

Raynolds, L.T., Murray, D. and Leigh Taylor, P. (2004). Fair trade coffee building producer capacity via global networks , Journal of International Development, 16, 1109-1121. 

---