Fair trade critiques the historical inequalities inherent in international trade and seeks to promote social justice by creating alternative networks linking marginalized producers typically in the global South with progressive consumers typically in the global North. This unique and wide-ranging Handbook analyses key topics in fair trade, illuminating major theoretical and empirical issues, assessing existing research, evaluating central debates and identifying critical unanswered questions.
The Handbook of Research on Fair Trade edited by Laura Raynolds, CSU Sociology Professor and Director of the Center for Fair & Alternative Trade (CFAT), and Elizabeth Bennett, CFAT Associate, provides a synthetic overview and guide to cutting edge research, theory, and debates. The first of its kind, this volume brings together 43 of the world’s foremost fair trade scholars from across the social sciences and around the world. The Handbook serves as both a comprehensive overview and in-depth guide to dominant perspectives and concerns. Chapters analyze the rapidly growing fair trade movement and market, exploring diverse initiatives and organizations, production and consumption regions, and food and cultural products.
Written for those new to fair trade as well as those well versed in this domain, the Handbook is an invaluable resource for scholars and practitioners interested in global regulation, multi-stakeholder initiatives, social and environmental certification, ethical labeling, consumer activism and international development.