IDS was commissioned by Oxfam to carry out a literature review on the Spectrum of Fair Trade.
The basis of the review was:
- To analyse the risks and opportunities for Fair Trade across the spectrum of ATO and corporate participation.
- To examine what differences, if any, exist between the benefits to producers from relationships with organizations classified as ATOs and from relationships with corporates including both branded manufacturers and retailers.
The specific research questions were:
- What are the risks and opportunities of corporate participation in Fair Trade?
- What are the risks and opportunities of differentiating ATO Fair Trade from corporate participants in FairTrade?
- ATOs operate under a spectrum of different business models ranging from pre-payment and importation to retailing and design support: what are the risks and challenges in a marketplace where Fair Trade faces increasing competition?
- ATOs address different markets for their products from alternative distribution to mass retailers: do these strategies diminish or increase their impact for small scale producers?