The Fairtrade Movement, legal support and social implications

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The Fairtrade and Alternative Trading Movements account for a growing part of interactional trade flows. Arranged by non-governmental economic actors, they claim to mitigate the rigors of the free market' as practiced by governmental actors, as well as counteracting the consequences of protectionist government subsidies maintained by the rich world (especially the EU and US) covering many agricultural products. Little research has been carried out into the organisational structure of Fair Trade movements and, as the market expands, it is urgent that research should establish the way in which Fair Trade movements operate, the interrelationship of different networks and their accountability to prevent possible 'capture' of the movement by large retailers and manufacturers (Nestle has recently launched a 'Fairtrade' product). As the market for Fair Trade products expands it is increasingly likely that large multinationals will seek to co-opt the trade and undermine the original objectives of these movements. If they have not clearly established rules and legal foundations they may very easily be undermined and a fraud practiced on the public. The key aim of the study is to focus initially on tracing Fair-Trade goods imported into the UK by following their trail back to source investigating the questions posed above at each change in ownership. A subsequent study will extend to products imported into other consuming countries."The objectives are therefore to: Evaluate the value of Fair-Trade to producing and importing countries. Assess whether a legal framework is necessary Evaluate how far Fair-Trade succeeds in strengthening the capabilities of disadvantaged groups. These objectives are structured to deliver the following potential applications and outcomes: Transparency in order to prevent fraudulent misuse of the Fair-Trade movement Creation of protective mechanisms to ensure accountability Possibility of strengthening legal or social support for the networks"