It is the primary concern of this study to examine the development of Fair Trade and the different interpretations which fair trade laws have had. Also, this study will attempt to estimate future action in the area of fair trade. This study closely examines the legal framework upholding the system.

A valorização de produtos que sejam ecológica e socialmente responsáveis vem fazendo que as certificações no âmbito socioambiental venham crescendo no decorrer dos anos. Isso se reflete na agricultura onde a pressão se dá no sentido de que as produções sejam ambientalmente mais equilibradas e socialmente mais justas. A certificação Fair trade surge como uma das alternativas a essas pressões originárias dos consumidores. Esse modelo de Comércio surgiu como uma alternativa às associações de pequenos produtores rurais em condições econômicas desfavoráveis obterem melhores condições de comércio para seus produtos e assim melhorar o padrão de vida de suas comunidades. Tais desvantagens econômicas podem ser caracterizadas pela maior vulnerabilidade de pequenos produtores a flutuações dos mercados internacionais de commodities, sem acesso a crédito e reservas de capital. Essa falta de oportunidades econômicas por dificuldades de acesso a capital, mercados compradores e informação criam barreiras aos pequenos produtores, o que garante o acesso facilitado a produtores maiores no mercado de exportações. É nesse contexto que se torna uma excelente opção o novo modelo de comércio justo, o Fair trade. No entanto, verificou-se uma dificuldade desses produtores conseguirem tal certificação. Foi realizado então um estudo multicasos em quatro organizações de pequenos produtores já certificadas, a fim de detectar essas dificuldades de se conseguir essa certificação e propor um check list de ações para ajudar outras organizações a se inserirem nesse mercado. / The valorization of environmental and social responsible products has resulted in an increase of socio-environmental certification schemes over the years. In agriculture, this reflects on a growing pressure towards an environmentally more balanced and socially fairer production. In this context, fair trade certification comes as an alternative to these pressures that come from consumers. This model of trade has emerged to associations of small farmers in unfavorable economic conditions as an alternative for obtaining better trading conditions for its products and thereby improving the living standards of their communities. Such economic disadvantages include the vulnerability of small producers, with no access to credit and no capital reserves, to fluctuations in the international commodity markets. This lack of economic opportunities due to difficulties in accessing capital, markets and information create barriers to small producers, thus ensuring large producers easier access to the export markets. In this context, fair trade becomes an excellent option. However, it is evident the difficulties of these producers to get such certification. Therefore, a multicase study was carried out in four organizations of small producers which already have the certification in order to detect these difficulties in getting the certification and to propose a checklist of actions that can help other organizations to fit into that market.

A valorização de produtos que sejam ecológica e socialmente responsáveis vem fazendo que as certificações no âmbito socioambiental venham crescendo no decorrer dos anos. Isso se reflete na agricultura onde a pressão se dá no sentido de que as produções sejam ambientalmente mais equilibradas e socialmente mais justas. A certificação Fair trade surge como uma das alternativas a essas pressões originárias dos consumidores. Esse modelo de Comércio surgiu como uma alternativa às associações de pequenos produtores rurais em condições econômicas desfavoráveis obterem melhores condições de comércio para seus produtos e assim melhorar o padrão de vida de suas comunidades. Tais desvantagens econômicas podem ser caracterizadas pela maior vulnerabilidade de pequenos produtores a flutuações dos mercados internacionais de commodities, sem acesso a crédito e reservas de capital. Essa falta de oportunidades econômicas por dificuldades de acesso a capital, mercados compradores e informação criam barreiras aos pequenos produtores, o que garante o acesso facilitado a produtores maiores no mercado de exportações. É nesse contexto que se torna uma excelente opção o novo modelo de comércio justo, o Fair trade. No entanto, verificou-se uma dificuldade desses produtores conseguirem tal certificação. Foi realizado então um estudo multicasos em quatro organizações de pequenos produtores já certificadas, a fim de detectar essas dificuldades de se conseguir essa certificação e propor um check list de ações para ajudar outras organizações a se inserirem nesse mercado. / The valorization of environmental and social responsible products has resulted in an increase of socio-environmental certification schemes over the years. In agriculture, this reflects on a growing pressure towards an environmentally more balanced and socially fairer production. In this context, fair trade certification comes as an alternative to these pressures that come from consumers. This model of trade has emerged to associations of small farmers in unfavorable economic conditions as an alternative for obtaining better trading conditions for its products and thereby improving the living standards of their communities. Such economic disadvantages include the vulnerability of small producers, with no access to credit and no capital reserves, to fluctuations in the international commodity markets. This lack of economic opportunities due to difficulties in accessing capital, markets and information create barriers to small producers, thus ensuring large producers easier access to the export markets. In this context, fair trade becomes an excellent option. However, it is evident the difficulties of these producers to get such certification. Therefore, a multicase study was carried out in four organizations of small producers which already have the certification in order to detect these difficulties in getting the certification and to propose a checklist of actions that can help other organizations to fit into that market.

<p>One of the world’s most severe problems today is poverty. Can it be solved with Fair Trade? During this thesis the topic of Fair Trade and the problems it has to face will be presented. First an introduction will be given on how Fair Trade works, how it developed and where it stands today. Then the problems and the criticisms it has to deal with will be illustrated.  The main focus will be on the problem of the low market share of Fair Trade products and on consumer attitudes towards it. The aim is to find out restrictions and problems of Fair Trade products concerning consumer acceptance, for example reasons why consumers do not buy Fair Trade products and opportunities for further marketing activities to address those problems.  For the second part of this thesis, a quantitative study has been conducted by carrying out a survey among potential Fair Trade consumers, mainly students, which has brought insight into their actual attitude towards Fair Trade and their motivation for buying or not buying Fair Trade products. The results of this study confirm the problems defined in existing literature, which are most notably the high price, a lack of information and trust in Fair Trade and a lack of availability of Fair Trade products. In order to help more of the world’s poor to get out of poverty, it is important to address those problems so that the market share of Fair Trade products can increase.</p>

One of the world’s most severe problems today is poverty. Can it be solved with Fair Trade? During this thesis the topic of Fair Trade and the problems it has to face will be presented. First an introduction will be given on how Fair Trade works, how it developed and where it stands today. Then the problems and the criticisms it has to deal with will be illustrated.  The main focus will be on the problem of the low market share of Fair Trade products and on consumer attitudes towards it. The aim is to find out restrictions and problems of Fair Trade products concerning consumer acceptance, for example reasons why consumers do not buy Fair Trade products and opportunities for further marketing activities to address those problems.  For the second part of this thesis, a quantitative study has been conducted by carrying out a survey among potential Fair Trade consumers, mainly students, which has brought insight into their actual attitude towards Fair Trade and their motivation for buying or not buying Fair Trade products. The results of this study confirm the problems defined in existing literature, which are most notably the high price, a lack of information and trust in Fair Trade and a lack of availability of Fair Trade products. In order to help more of the world’s poor to get out of poverty, it is important to address those problems so that the market share of Fair Trade products can increase.

This study addresses the question of the constitution of markets in advanced societies.Specifically, the article studies the role of the traveling trade show in creatingthe real time computing market, which is part of the US electronics sector, duringthe mid-1990’s. Real time computing products assist the transfer, storage and processingof digital signals in real time and support many of the internet applicationswe use today.By applying ethnographic methods,we explore the general question ofhow economic actors cope with uncertainty in the phase of market-making and atthe cutting edge of technology. The paper makes two contributions to the existingliterature. First, it shows that the attempt to organize a trade show in real timecomputing was triggered by the uncertainty experienced by sellers regarding theidentity of prospective buyers and about the exact use to which they would put theemergent technology which is offered for sale. Secondly, we trace the history of anemergent market.We claim that trade shows for innovative products are importantvenues at which markets coalesce.The identification and ordering of market actors,the institutionalization of a distinct business culture and the social networks developedamong market actors and across the subsidiary markets provided the basicsocial infrastructure for what later became known as the real time computingindustry. / M2007-0244:1-PK / European Research Council ERC-2010- StG 263699-CEV / VR 2009–1958

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Master of Science / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Kim Y. Hiller Connell / Purchasing fair trade products is a form of socially responsible consumption. Fair trade is founded on the idea of paying fair wages and providing safe working environments to marginalized producers, typically from developing countries. Baby Boomers, the generational cohort that is the focus of this study, were born between the years 1946 and 1964. The purpose of this thesis is to expand the knowledge base of fair trade consumption related to the Baby Boomer generation. This study makes a positive contribution towards this goal by furthering the understanding of Baby Boomers knowledge about and attitudes towards the fair trade movement, as well as assessing their current level of engagement in purchasing of fair trade products and their perceptions about barriers to purchasing fair trade products to a greater degree. An additional contribution made by this study is the comparison of differences in fair trade knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Early versus Late Baby Boomers—a new contribution to the body of knowledge on fair trade. Altogether, 168 Baby Boomers (63 Late Boomers and 105 Early Baby Boomers) participated in the study. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. Questions in the questionnaire focused on: 1) knowledge of the fair trade movement; 2) attitudes about the fair trade movement; 3) fair trade purchasing behaviors; and 4) perceived barriers to fair trade purchasing. Data analysis included a combination of both quantitative (descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and correlation analysis) and qualitative techniques. Guagnano, Stern, and Dietz’s (1995) ABC Model framed the study and Rogers (1983) diffusion theory and the prerequisites for adoption of an innovation guided conceptualization of the barriers to fair trade purchasing. Overall, findings of the study indicated that the participants were knowledgeable about the fair trade movement. They also exhibited positive attitudes towards fair trade but were not willing to compromise on certain product characteristics. The participants were somewhat engaged in a number of fair trade purchasing behaviors and they perceived numerous barriers to purchasing fair trade products. Finally, there were no identifiable differences between the Early and Late Baby Boomers in terms of knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors.

Thesis advisor: Richard McGowan / The Fair Trade movement is not new. Its roots go all the way back to the 1940s, and since its inception many Fair Trade organizations have arisen to offer this alternative strategy for doing business. Coffee is most commonly associated with Fair Trade, and it is the product this paper seeks to explore. In a broad sense, this investigation will look at how close Fair Trade Coffee certification programs actually come to being fair. The working definition of fairness is the ability to provide economic opportunities to marginalized workers. A fair economy would properly reward hard-working farmers for their intense labors. Many Fair Trade initiatives argue this is not what exists. As a result, they pay a living wage and offer opportunities to coffee farmers—some of the poorest people in the world—with hopes that this will help advance them out of poverty. To see if this successfully promotes fairness in economics, this paper will focus on the benefits of certification to small-scale farmers, mainly regarding income, and on the development of the Fair Trade Coffee market. Ultimately, this research will demonstrate that this movement is at least somewhat successful at improving the economic situation of marginalized workers. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics Honors Program. / Discipline: Economics.