Fairtrade Coffee: A Niche Market

Abstract

Fairtrade proposes to be an open system, which especially targets marginalised producers, yet there are a number of factors that determine eligibility. In order to undertake an evaluation of Fairtrade’s impact on marginalised producers, it is first necessary to clearly understand the scope of Fairtrade markets, including the rules and trends that determine producer capacity to participate. An understanding of the terms of access, which characterise entry into Fairtrade labelling, provides insights into how viable an alternative the Fairtrade labelling model is for producers on a whole, or whether this is a system that works only for a privileged minority.