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Fairtrade labour certification: the contested incorporation of plantations and workers

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  • Laura T. Raynolds

Abstract

Fair trade seeks to promote the well-being and empowerment of farmers and workers in the Global South. This article traces the contested growth and configuration of Fairtrade International labour certification, providing a multifaceted and dynamic view of private regulation. I explain why Fairtrade International began certifying large enterprises and how its hired labour strategy has developed over time, illuminating fair trade’s move from peasant to plantation sectors, stakeholder involvement in shaping the growth of Fairtrade labour certification, the internal and external balancing of farmer and worker concerns, and major innovations in Fairtrade’s ‘New Workers Rights Strategy’. My findings challenge the claim that recent market mainstreaming explains the rise of labour certification within fair trade and the more general argument that private regulatory programmes founded to foster empowerment evolve over time to prioritise a logic of control. As I document, Fairtrade International has recently moved to bolster producer power within its organisation and labour rights within its certification programme. My analysis reveals the dynamic nature of private regulatory programmes and the potentially influential role of diverse stakeholders in shaping the priorities of Fairtrade and other labour-standards systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura T. Raynolds, 2017. "Fairtrade labour certification: the contested incorporation of plantations and workers," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(7), pages 1473-1492, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:ctwqxx:v:38:y:2017:i:7:p:1473-1492
    DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2016.1272408
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Elizabeth A. Bennett, 2018. "Extending ethical consumerism theory to semi-legal sectors: insights from recreational cannabis," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(2), pages 295-317, June.
    2. Claudia Coral & Dagmar Mithöfer, 2023. "Contemporary narratives about asymmetries in responsibility in global agri-food value chains: the case of the Ecuadorian stakeholders in the banana value chain," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1019-1038, September.
    3. Marcin Niemiec & Monika Komorowska & Anna Szeląg-Sikora & Jakub Sikora & Maciej Kuboń & Zofia Gródek-Szostak & Joanna Kapusta-Duch, 2019. "Risk Assessment for Social Practices in Small Vegetable farms in Poland as a Tool for the Optimization of Quality Management Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-10, July.
    4. Laura T. Raynolds, 2021. "Gender equity, labor rights, and women’s empowerment: lessons from Fairtrade certification in Ecuador flower plantations," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 657-675, September.
    5. Oya, Carlos & Schaefer, Florian & Skalidou, Dafni, 2018. "The effectiveness of agricultural certification in developing countries: A systematic review," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 282-312.
    6. Giordano Ruggeri & Stefano Corsi, 2021. "An Exploratory Analysis of the FAIRTRADE Certified Producer Organisations," World, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-14, October.
    7. Lena Partzsch & Jule Lümmen & Anne-Cathrine Löhr, 2022. "City networks’ power in global agri-food systems," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1263-1275, December.

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