Alternatives

Abstract

Fair trade has been presented by its advocates as a progressive rural development strategy. Fair trade is, however, a specific configuration of capitalist relations of exploitation in which exploitation takes two forms: the exploitation of labour and monopsonistic exploitation. Moreover, these processes are strongly gendered. As such, fair trade serves to deepen the character of the capitalist market imperatives subordinating peasant farmers and rural workers.

Keywords:

• Exploitation
• fair trade
• gender
• rural development
• rural waged labour

Notes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

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5 Fridell, Fair Trade Coffee, 5

6 Fridell, Fair Trade Coffee, 54.

7 Clapp, Food, 184.

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9 Clapp, Food, 187.

10 Clapp, Food, 186.

11 All data in this paragraph is from Fairtrade Foundation, Scope and Benefits.

12 All data in this paragraph is from Fairtrade Foundation, Scope and Benefits.

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27 Cramer et al., “Fairtrade Cooperatives,” S122.

28 Cramer et al., “Fairtrade Cooperatives,” S122.

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30 Cramer et al., “Fairtrade Cooperatives,”S117, emphasis in original.

31 Fairtrade Foundation, Scope and Benefits.

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35 Fairtrade Foundation, Scope and Benefits, 25.

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41 Cramer et al., “Fairtrade Cooperatives,” 122.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. Haroon Akram-Lodhi

A. Haroon Akram-Lodhi teaches in the Department of International Development Studies at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.