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the respective labour arrangements are necessary steps to enable small producers
performance to accrue benefits from the fair trade model. The returns to society can
be that regional heterogeneity within countries finds through the fair trade model for
food products a sustainable development pathway for agriculture and community
development. And this means more than economic growth and WHS standards for
rural and remote areas of peripheral countries in the globe. Here follow policy recommendation topics for government’s intervention to increase the chances of agriculture development related to this alternative trade model:
– Facilitate access and storage of crop seeds to small farmers.
– Act lowering input costs for small producers.
– Balance asymmetrical power relations between small-scale farmers, medium-size farmers and
large-scale agri-food enterprises.
– Agreements and surveillance to support the small farmers associations and cooperatives.
– Facilitate access to credit so small farmers can undertake long-term investments.
– Facilitate the access to processing plants.
– Provide training so small farmers develop capacity building skills.
– Provide transportation facilities to remote small farm lands.
– Technical assistance to avoid socioenvironmental disruptions.
Each of the listed topics can turn into a bottleneck for small farmers if not well
managed and also for communities where they live. However, partnerships for sustainable development can turn small producers’ steps into international trade feasible with social responsibility guidelines. This is the lesson Thai fair trade certified
rice farmers demonstrated, producing great outcomes with support of government
policies. Let alone all the work that need to be undertaken by the small farmers, but
within the insightful social entrepreneurship initiative of fair trade, a stable income
and decent work conditions are secured, a great achievement for small-scale producers’ livelihoods considering that Fairtrade standards attendance constitutes a
prerequisite to join the fair trade system and to maintain the fair trade certification
label.
Although fair trade high standards face criticism, it is not a sound solution to
lessen the robust fair trade working conditions requirements. On another hand, it is
not fair that small producers are held solely accountable for internalising the
expenses to dignify their work and add value to their production when they are submitted to meso structures out of their control. Difficulties of producers that are
related to macroeconomic structures should be addressed through partnerships for
sustainable development as per the above recommendations, with emphasis on their
capacity building. This important aspect was already remarked by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), when it stated that “provision of education in rural areas is essential if smallholders are to participate in markets, as small farmers cannot trade in sophisticated chains if they are neither literate
nor numerate” (FAO 2012, p. 30). Training is usually provided by some fair trade
organisations, but this also relies on meso structures from the localities where the
A. C. Ribeiro-Duthie
the respective labour arrangements are necessary steps to enable small producers
performance to accrue benefits from the fair trade model. The returns to society can
be that regional heterogeneity within countries finds through the fair trade model for
food products a sustainable development pathway for agriculture and community
development. And this means more than economic growth and WHS standards for
rural and remote areas of peripheral countries in the globe. Here follow policy recommendation topics for government’s intervention to increase the chances of agriculture development related to this alternative trade model:
– Facilitate access and storage of crop seeds to small farmers.
– Act lowering input costs for small producers.
– Balance asymmetrical power relations between small-scale farmers, medium-size farmers and
large-scale agri-food enterprises.
– Agreements and surveillance to support the small farmers associations and cooperatives.
– Facilitate access to credit so small farmers can undertake long-term investments.
– Facilitate the access to processing plants.
– Provide training so small farmers develop capacity building skills.
– Provide transportation facilities to remote small farm lands.
– Technical assistance to avoid socioenvironmental disruptions.
Each of the listed topics can turn into a bottleneck for small farmers if not well
managed and also for communities where they live. However, partnerships for sustainable development can turn small producers’ steps into international trade feasible with social responsibility guidelines. This is the lesson Thai fair trade certified
rice farmers demonstrated, producing great outcomes with support of government
policies. Let alone all the work that need to be undertaken by the small farmers, but
within the insightful social entrepreneurship initiative of fair trade, a stable income
and decent work conditions are secured, a great achievement for small-scale producers’ livelihoods considering that Fairtrade standards attendance constitutes a
prerequisite to join the fair trade system and to maintain the fair trade certification
label.
Although fair trade high standards face criticism, it is not a sound solution to
lessen the robust fair trade working conditions requirements. On another hand, it is
not fair that small producers are held solely accountable for internalising the
expenses to dignify their work and add value to their production when they are submitted to meso structures out of their control. Difficulties of producers that are
related to macroeconomic structures should be addressed through partnerships for
sustainable development as per the above recommendations, with emphasis on their
capacity building. This important aspect was already remarked by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), when it stated that “provision of education in rural areas is essential if smallholders are to participate in markets, as small farmers cannot trade in sophisticated chains if they are neither literate
nor numerate” (FAO 2012, p. 30). Training is usually provided by some fair trade
organisations, but this also relies on meso structures from the localities where the
A. C. Ribeiro-Duthie