Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
12
NEGOTIATING ORGANIC, FAIR AND ETHICAL
TRADE: LESSONS FROM SMALLHOLDERS IN
UGANDA AND KENYA
Kiah Smith and Kristen Lyons
Introduction
Global food networks are increasingly governed by transnational standards, accredit-
ation and certification systems regulating social and environmental conditions at dis-
tant production sites. These 'ethical' accreditation systems have emerged out of con-
cerns about inequalities within the global food system, the environmental effects of
agriculture and the social effects of the globalization of food production and, more
recently, the food, fuel and financial crises. Responses include mainstream supermar-
ket/industry global sourcing codes and standards (suh as GLOBALG.A.P - see p184),
grass-roots networks and labelling shemes suh as Fair Trade, 'Ethical Trade' based
on labour codes of practice, and organic certiication systems. In eah of these reg-
tioned as beneficiaries (Blowfield and Dolan, 2008).
By re-embedding social and ecological relations into agriculture and food pro-
duction, organics, fair and ethical trade all potentially provide opportunities for dis-
advantaged farmers in the South to access Northern markets with horticultural (and
other) products that reflect emerging definitions of quality, ethics and sustainability.
ity, as well as environmental and social justice, whih is relected in environmental
standards related to biodiversity, soil fertility and water conservation, as well as so-
cial justice criteria around labour relations and gender equity (Mutersbaugh, 2004).
Meanwhile, fair and ethical trade focus on 'how historically exploitative producer-
consumer hains can be refashioned around ideas of fairness and equality' (Raynolds,
2002, p405). Fair trade shemes seek to establish economic justice and transform
