Where Am I Eating: An Adventure Through the Global Food Economy with Discussion Questions and a Guide to Going “Glocal”
There are already a lot of studies made concerning the impact of fair trade on the lives of producers and farmers from developing countries. Though a lot has been said on fair trade, knowing the results of such studies can enhance our knowledge of how it has truly helped.
Why not do some reading to help keep yourself informed of discussions, questions and information on what we can do as consumers, to help make a difference as seen below in these studies. There are many books available on this topic, why not ‘Click’ on the book featured here to see a small range of the many books available and resource yourself to ‘make a difference’.
Impact of Fair Trade In Mexico
One such study was on the impact of fair trade was done by a Daniel Jaffee of Michigan State University. His study was conducted for over four years and looked into how it made a difference on coffee producers in Oaxaca, Mexico. His study revealed that while fairtrade has higher production costs, the higher prices has enabled gross household income in the area to increase. It did not only reduce their debts but also enhanced their economic options. This enabled households to have a better chance of feeding their families and educating the children. Because of the minimum price level set under fair trade standards, households were able to get some breathing room in cases when a commodity crisis was occurring. It also allowed them to engage in more sustainable practices. He added however that although some farmers continued to live in poverty, increasing the demand for fair trade products can augment the economic benefits that small farmers experience.
Impact of Fair Trade In Kenya
Another example of a study done about the impact was on farmers in Kenya. The researchers compared the status of farmers with product that have certification to those without. There results were similar to the first study mentioned. The farms were successful in diversifying the products on their farms. They were also able to experience a drop in child mortality rates and improve the household’s monthly food consumption.
Impact of Fair Trade In Nicaragua
Another study done was on small-scale coffee farmers in Nicaragua. Farmers were currently experiencing problems with their livelihood considering that Nicaragua had changing government structures and corporate concentration. There was oversupply but farm gate prices were low. The study showed that if their coffee was certified, such vulnerability to changing conditions was reduced. It also enabled farmer to practice a bottom-up approach to management.
Studies Confirm Notion On Fair Trade
These are just a few of the many studies conducted. The results however showed that there was an impact of fair trade act and it was a good and a very beneficial impact. The studies confirm our notion that fair trade is indeed beneficial to farmers and workers in developing countries. While some remain in poverty, increased awareness of people buying fair trade products could help lessen this number in the coming years.
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