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Fair Trade in Food and Agricultural Products

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Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics
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Development; Food labels; International trade

Introduction

The value, variety, and source of fair trade food and agricultural products have grown significantly over the past few years. In 2010, global retail sales topped $5.8 billion, a 5-year compound annual growth rate of nearly 30 %. The USA accounted for more than $21 million in 2011, yet remains relatively underdeveloped compared to key European nations (particularly the UK and Germany). The most commonly sold Fair Trade products at the consumer level are coffee, bananas, and chocolate (or rather cocoa as the primary Fair Trade ingredient), followed by tea, fresh fruit, and cane sugar. Flowers and plants, cotton, wine, and honey have also seen sales growth over recent years. The top source nations in Latin America are Peru, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Honduras, and Mexico, and in Africa Kenya and Ethiopia generate significant sales. This entry introduces the reader to the scope of food Fair Trade and its documented...

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References

  • Arnould, E. J., Plastina, A., & Ball, D. (2009). Does fair trade deliver on its core value proposition? Effects on income, educational attainment, and health in three countries. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 28(2), 186–201.

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  • Nelson, V., & Pound, B. (2009). The last ten years: A comprehensive review of the literature on the impact of Fairtrade (48 pp). UK: Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich. September. Available online http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/resources/natural_resources_institute.aspx

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Correspondence to Neal H. Hooker .

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Hooker, N.H. (2013). Fair Trade in Food and Agricultural Products. In: Thompson, P., Kaplan, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6167-4_341-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6167-4_341-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6167-4

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