Fair Trade Awareness and Engagement: A Coffee Farmer's Perspective

In: Business and Society Review, Volume 119, Issue 3, p. 359-384

Abstract

AbstractAs one of the world's most traded commodities, coffee has been criticized for its contribution to environmental degradation, social injustice, and economic disparities between the producing regions of the Global South and consuming countries of the Global North. However, the Fair Trade concept is promising to change this through the establishment of a trading system where producers, importers, and processors form a more direct network characterized by an established set of ethical principles and practices deemed as "fair." While the transformational benefits of Fair Trade at the producer level have been examined in several impact studies, the farmers' low awareness and understanding of Fair Trade concepts, principles, markets, and customers represent an issue of concern. Among the many benefits associated with increased Fair Trade awareness is greater participation in Fair Trade governance bodies and the long‐term viability of the market itself.This research looks at Fair Trade from the perspective of farmers and their cooperative and uses the case of Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Pangoa, Peru, to examine how Fair Trade awareness (defined as knowledge of different areas of Fair Trade) is understood at the producer level. We then develop a three‐level Fair Trade awareness Model that illustrates both the existing and desired levels of understanding with regard to Fair Trade awareness.