Latin America and the Caribbean: Fair-Trade Markets and Agroecological Processes

Abstract

Latin America is leading important processes aimed at building a sustainable economy that ensures a better quality of life for producers who have been marginalized by global capital dynamics. The Solidarity Economy is presented as the best option, as it unites all entities and individuals involved in consumption — from producers to consumers — placing them at a level where they can ensure sustainable processes for the development of the communities involved. Agroecology is an important, growing proposal, supporting the notion that sustainability begins with production itself; evaluating different traditional market systems, this article puts forward the fair-trade market model as a way to strengthen and drive the sustainability underlying the process.