Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
17
Fair trade, gender and the environment in Africa
Laura T. Raynolds and Jennifer A. Keahey
Introduction
Fair trade represents a promising approach to alleviating poverty and bolstering environ-
mental sustainability in the global South through a strategy of 'trade not aid'. The fair
trade model o
ers farmers and agricultural workers in the global South better prices,
stable market links, and resources for social and environmental projects. In the global
North, fair trade provides consumers with product options that uphold high social and
environmental standards, and supports advocacy campaigns fostering responsible con-
sumption practices. With its rising popularity, fair trade has come to represent an impor-
tant counterpoint to the ecologically and socially destructive relations characteristic of
the conventional global food system (Raynolds et al., 2007).
Fair trade joins a growing array of market-based initiatives that promote social and
environmental concerns through the sale of alternative, often certi
ff
fi
ed, commodities. In
this sense fair trade is related to other environmental certi
fi
cations found largely in food,
forest and
fi
ber products, and to other social certi
fi
cations found largely in apparel,
footwear and other manufactured items (Gere
and Kaplinsky, 2001). Fair trade distin-
guishes itself from other e
orts in its breadth in incorporating both environmental and
social concerns, and in its depth in reshaping trade and production conditions (Raynolds,
2000; 2002). Although fair trade products continue to represent a minor share of the
world market, certi
ff
ed sales are worth over US$1.4 billion and are growing rapidly (FLO-
I, 2006a). Currently over 569 fair trade organizations across 54 countries in Latin
America, Africa and Asia are registered, representing more than one million farmers and
workers. There are over 18 fair trade certi
fi
fi
ed products sold in 20 countries in Europe,
North America and the Paci
c (FLO-I, 2007a) and nascent markets are developing in
middle-income countries in the global South, such as Mexico, Brazil and South Africa
(Raynolds et al., 2007). The rapid expansion of fair trade certi
fi
cation into new com-
modities, regions and production relations brings with it substantial new opportunities
but also new challenges.
This chapter analyzes the impacts of
fi
orts to narrow the global
North-South divide, focusing particularly on the case of Africa. Africa is currently expe-
riencing the largest growth in fair trade certi
fair trade's e
ff
ed producer groups and products. Since
Africa represents one of the most disadvantaged regions in the world, the need for fair
trade to enhance environmental sustainability and social equality for farmers and agri-
cultural workers is acute.
1
As we demonstrate, fair trade in Africa is closely linked to
organic initiatives in seeking to halt environmental degradation in agro-export sectors.
Fair trade's support for producer and organizational empowerment is linked explicitly to
issues of gender equity, bolstering the initiative's social mandate. Although it is by no
means a panacea, we conclude that fair trade provides an important avenue for address-
ing critical environmental and social problems in Africa today.
fi
213
