Commerce équitable : la crise de croissance ?

14/05/2009 - Article

The latest issue of the journal Courrier de la planète looks at the main issues facing fair trade, after ten years of spectacular growth. It includes several articles by CIRAD researchers.

Based on the accounts of experts and the main players in the fair trade sector, the journal Courrier de la planète looks in its latest issue at the questions raised by the spectacular growth in fair trade operations over the past ten years.
The issue looks back at the history of fair trade, covering the main stages in the growth of this type of consumption since its appearance shortly after the Second World War.
It looks at the issues surrounding the range of supply chains, the multiplicity of labels and brands, the link between profitability and solidarity, and how fair trade is regulated. It also analyses its impact on poverty and inequality.
Lastly, a report on responsible consumption, or "how citizens can act responsibly to influence markets through what they buy" serves to broaden the debate.
This issue follows on from the third Fair Trade International Symposium (FTIS), organized in Montpellier on the initiative of CIRAD in May 2008. It fits into the current debate on whether the principles of fair trade need to be reformulated, and if so, how.

On-line presentation of the issue

List of articles written by CIRAD researchers