Fair Trade: Definition and Challenges for the South

Abstract

Written by a political science professional with experience in fair-trade shops in Germany and an advisor to the Col y Flor shop in Medellín, this article presents the concept of fair trade, which emerged in Europe in the 1960s, and examines the challenges of applying a South-South fair-trade model. The author describes the eight core criteria of fair trade according to the FINE network, and contrasts this model with conventional organic trade and the emerging South-South fair-trade proposal, motivated by food sovereignty. The text presents data on how the final price of products is distributed across international supply chains, and documents the case of the Col y Flor shop in Medellín, which sells products from the Boquerón Agroecological Peasant Association.