Ethical trade and South African deciduous fruit exports ‐ addressing gender sensitivity

Ethical trade in exports from developing countries has come to the fore during the 1990s. South Africa is a major off‐season deciduous fruit exporter to Europe, and most fruit producers supplying European supermarkets are introducing codes of conduct. Within South Africa gendered patterns of employment are based on traditional neo‐paternalist relations. The challenge for supermarket codes of conduct is whether they are going to extend down the employment hierarchy, and genuinely improve labour conditions for the majority, but more marginalised, female labour force? This article examines ethical trade in the socio‐economic context of gendered patterns of employment within the South African deciduous fruit export sector. It then explores the implications of codes of conduct for more marginalised workers, especially women, and whether they can address their particular labour conditions.