Trading processes are occurring every day in all industries, and people within these processes are constantly faced with inequalities due to different power structures and opportunities. In particularly, the coffee industry is one industry that is affected by these trading differences. The purpose of this thesis is to examine two different trading concepts within the coffee industry; blockchain and direct trade, and how these are affecting the livelihood of the coffee farmers. This thesis was analysed from consumer’s and supplier’s perspective, which correspond to blockchain and direct trade respectively. Further, through a deductive qualitative research we gathered empirical findings which prove that farmers of developing countries such as Ethiopia and Guatemala can better off through a transparent and essential relationship, which either concept provides. Particularly, while blockchain encourages ethical customer to channel its purchasing power to the farmer, in order to improve their livelihood, a direct trade relationship between farmer and the buyer provides a personal connection in a vision to thrive together.

The aim of my study is to investigate how representatives of wine-farm workers' unions and wine-farm workers' support groups formulate their ideas about procedures aiming at achieving improved conditions. As sustainability work and ethical follow-up are terms which most often are used within companies, and not reflect methods, procedures instruments etc. for change, I have chosen to name them approaches. The study's data is collected between April and June 2016, through interviews with representatives for the farm workers' unions and farm workers' support groups in the Western Cape province (where most of the wine districts are located) in South Africa. The results are structured by using the theory around 'mapmaking', originally created by Smith (2005), and which Newman (2012) further developed in her theory known as 'working the spaces of power'. The various approaches on how to improve working and living conditions that the study will show, are structured in clusters according to where the spaces of power are created. This forms the first part of the analysis and its purpose is partly descriptive. The map that is formed, containing the various approaches to improve the farm workers' positions, shows the plurality of aspects in which improvement can be made. The second part of the analysis is based on the presented result's clusters, on which theories of governmentality then are used to place the study in a broader context. / <p>2017-01-31</p>

The thesis examines the Kenya's cut-flower industry in the wider context of global commodity networks. The Kenya's floriculture sector as a part of these networks has been influenced by notions of environmental and social responsibility in the past two decades. The first part of the thesis describes floriculture in Kenya and the cut flower supply chain. The second half analyses current ethical trading practice in the flower industry in Kenya. In this respect codes of conduct which embody notions of responsible business in practice are discussed here. In view of the fact that codes can't guarantee adequate working conditions to flower farm workers in many cases the thesis tries to explain why this concept of ethical trade failed.

Even today freedom of association in the South African wine industry is a sensitive topic. The wine farm owners often claim their workers can associate freely but the workers could paint a different picture. This study investigates how the right to freedom of association can be provided in the South African wine industry through looking at the barriers to freedom of association, how stakeholders could align and how globalisation has affected the sector. The study explores the opinions of the key stakeholders involved in this complex and dynamic industry by conducting semi-structured interviews focusing on freedom of association rights. The thesis illustrates how the specific barriers to union formation are the intimidation factor, the nature of the topic as it is a psychological and subjective choice, the fact that farms are private property, a bad perception of trade unions, and the difficulty in auditing. The barriers could be diminished through stakeholder alignment, which would be emphasized through relationship building and a clearer definition of the industry players’ roles. Last, the thesis argues that too many codes of conduct could negatively affect the industry’s development with regards to ethical trade and that the domestic market could take more responsibility and push the market in a more ethical direction. The thesis gives important insights to international retailers that focus on ethical trade and might be useful for future policy improvements in South Africa.