The History of Fair Trade: Hugo Grotius, Corporations, and the Spanish Enlightenment

Grotiana ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-159
Author(s):  
Edward Jones Corredera
Keyword(s):  
Fair Trade ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
Distribution Of Wealth ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
Perpetual Peace ◽  
Hugo Grotius ◽  
History Of ◽  
Peace In Europe ◽  
Spanish Enlightenment

Abstract The early Spanish Enlightenment was shaped by debates over corporations, sovereignty, and the balance of power in Europe. Spanish officials, in this context, turned to the ideas of Hugo Grotius to establish joint-stock companies that could allow the Crown to regain control over its imperial domains and establish perpetual peace in Europe. This article recovers the writings of Félix Fernando de Sotomayor, Duke of Sotomayor (1684–1767), who drew on the works of Grotius, Samuel Pufendorf, and Charles Dutot in order to show that the history of these corporations chronicled the contestation and erosion of Spanish power and the diversion of European states from their true interests. Sovereigns, not merchants, argued Sotomayor, could guarantee fair trade and the equitable distribution of wealth. The study of Sotomayor’s views on trade, natural law, and alienation challenges traditional interpretations about the Iberian engagement with Grotius, the rise of capitalist hopes in Southern and Northern Europe, and Spain’s investment in the Enlightenment.

scholarly journals Moralizing Postcolonial Consumer Society: Fair Trade in the Netherlands, 1964–1997

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter van Dam
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Consumer Society ◽  
The South ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Consumer Activism ◽  
The North ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S

AbstractDecolonization challenged people across the globe to define their place in a new postcolonial order. This challenge was felt in international political and economic affairs, but it also affected daily lives across the globe. The history of fair trade activism as seen from the Netherlands highlights how citizens in the North grappled to position themselves in a postcolonial consumer society. Interventions by fair trade activists connected debates about the morals of their society to the consequences of decolonization. They reacted to the imbalances of the global market in the wake of decolonization, joining critics from the South in demanding more equitable global relations. It was around this issue of “fair trade” that a transnational coalition of moderate and more radical activists emerged after the 1960s. This coalition held widely dissimilar views regarding the politics of the left and the use of consumer activism. The analysis of their interventions demonstrates that during the postwar era attempts at transforming the global market were inextricably interwoven with visions of a postcolonial order.

The evolution of the discourse of a Belgian fair trade organization: a two-dimensional history

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robbe Geysmans
Keyword(s):  
Social Movement ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Central Position ◽  
Societal Change ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Mutual Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose This paper aims to provide a detailed account of the evolution of the fair trade discourse of a Belgian fair trade organization, with a specific focus on the changes in the combination of the organization’s trade and social (movement) dimensions. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on an analysis of the organization’s discourse as found in the member magazine at four periods. These four periods cover different phases in the life history of the organization and in the broader fair trade field. Findings Throughout the organization’s history, both social (movement) and trade dimensions know drastic changes, also in their mutual relationship. In the earliest history, trade practices are clearly subordinate to goals of a socialist-inspired societal change, while in the more recent history, trade has permeated the entire discourse, putting the trade dimension in a more central position. However, both dimensions seem to evolve in a connected way, as the discourse shows clear similarities on both, and evolutions can be related to changes in the organization’s broader field. Originality/value Focusing on the discourse of a specific fair trade organization breaks with a tradition of broad notions of a fair trade history. Moreover, this case provides insight into the evolution of the mix of both social and economic dimensions within a specific organization, and connects this to evolutions in the broader (fair trade) field.

scholarly journals A Bumper Crop of Fair Trade Coffee Books

2010 ◽  
pp. 291-301
Author(s):  
John M. Talbot
Keyword(s):  
Fair Trade ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Small Farmers ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Fair Trade Coffee ◽  
The World ◽  
Boom And Bust ◽  
History Of ◽  
Coffee Market

The history of the world coffee market is a story of cycles of boom and bust. The most recent bust, one of the most severe in history, began in 1998 and started to ease in 2005. This period of severe crisis across the coffee producing countries in the developing world stimulated a growing interest in fair trade coffee as a means of helping the small farmers who were being devastated by historically low prices. As public interest and consumption grew, social scientists, as is their wont, set out to study the phenomenon. The result is the current bumper crop of books analyzing fair trade coffee.

scholarly journals The Economics of Fair Trade

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raluca Dragusanu ◽  
Daniele Giovannucci ◽  
Nathan Nunn
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Single Product ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Critical Overview ◽  
Trade Market

Fair Trade is a labeling initiative aimed at improving the lives of the poor in developing countries by offering better terms to producers and helping them to organize. Although Fair Trade–certified products still comprise a small share of the market—for example, Fair Trade–certified coffee exports were 1.8 percent of global coffee exports in 2009— growth has been very rapid over the past decade. Whether Fair Trade can achieve its intended goals has been hotly debated in academic and policy circles. In particular, debates have been waged about whether Fair Trade makes “economic sense” and is sustainable in the long run. The aim of this article is to provide a critical overview of the economic theory behind Fair Trade, describing the potential benefits and potential pitfalls. We also provide an assessment of the empirical evidence of the impacts of Fair Trade to date. Because coffee is the largest single product in the Fair Trade market, our discussion here focuses on the specifics of this industry, although we will also point out some important differences with other commodities as they arise.

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