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Globale Fair Trade‐Märkte und Produktinnovationen
Author(s) -
DiMarcello Nicholas,
Marconi Nicholas,
Hooker Neal H.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
eurochoices
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.487
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 1746-692X
pISSN - 1478-0917
DOI - 10.1111/1746-692x.12069
Subject(s) - fair trade , certification , product (mathematics) , business , trade barrier , technical barriers to trade , trade association , government procurement , marketing , commerce , international trade , procurement , economics , geometry , mathematics , management
Summary Consumer interest in social justice and traceability has supported the global fair trade market's substantial growth in recent years, measured by both market share and number of product launches. Using fair trade product launch data we identify 6,423 food, beverage, and health and beauty products with various label claims launched in over 40 countries between 1999 and 2012. We provide a descriptive and comparative analysis of these products. Topics include the type of fair trade claim, the (third‐party) organisation certifying the claim (if any) and product categories. The most common fair trade categories are hot beverages, skin care products and chocolate confectionery. Dozens of certifying bodies operate in the fair trade industry, each with its own set of standards. While a majority of the products were certified, a significant share of innovations notably in health and beauty categories could only be classified as following fair trade ‘practices’ or ‘supporting’ fair trade procurement strategies. Affiliates of Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International ( FLO ‐I) certified 50 per cent of all fair trade product launches. We highlight differences in fair trade standards across certification organisations. Such diversity in composition and sourcing standards may confuse consumers, diffuse the market benefits and in extreme cases lead to government intervention.