The Politics of Food Labeling and Certification

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Clough
Keyword(s):  
Fair Trade ◽  
Food Production ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
First Century ◽  
Food Labeling ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Organic Certification ◽  
Voluntary Market ◽  
Organic Standards

From Fair Trade to Organic certification, the ethical labeling of food represents a growing phenomenon in the twenty-first century. The proliferation of labeling initiatives in recent years has provoked debate on the effectiveness of this form of voluntary, market-based regulation. Advocates understand ethical food labeling as a way of safeguarding environmental, labor, and health standards in food production that are unprotected by the state by empowering consumers as political actors. Conversely, critics view ethical food labeling as an elitist system plagued by problems of transparency, accountability, scalability, and consumer misinformation—ultimately an inadequate substitute for stronger state regulation. This chapter provides an overview of ethical labeling standards for food, outlining the claims made by proponents, the critiques that have been raised, and the relevant research, focusing particularly on Fair Trade and Organic standards.

Introduction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas I. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
First Century ◽  
The Political ◽  
Michel De Montaigne ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Northern European ◽  
Political Conception ◽  
Legal Principle ◽  
Ethical Disposition

In academic debates and popular political discourse, tolerance almost invariably refers either to an individual moral or ethical disposition or to a constitutional legal principle. However, for the political actors and ordinary residents of early modern Northern European countries torn apart by religious civil war, tolerance was a political capacity, an ability to talk to one’s religious and political opponents in order to negotiate civil peace and other crucial public goods. This book tells the story of perhaps the greatest historical theorist-practitioner of this political conception of tolerance: Michel de Montaigne. This introductory chapter argues that a Montaignian insistence that political opponents enter into productive dialogue with each other is worth reviving and promoting in the increasingly polarized democratic polities of the twenty-first century.

scholarly journals Exploring economic and legal barriers to commercial aquaponics in the EU through the lens of the UK and policy proposals to address them

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Cammies ◽  
David Mytton ◽  
Rosemary Crichton
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Organic Certification ◽  
Recirculating Aquaculture ◽  
Economic Barriers ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Eu

AbstractAquaponics is a food production system which connects recirculating aquaculture (fish) to hydroponics (plants) systems. Although aquaponics has the potential to improve soil conditions by reducing erosion and nutrient loss and has been shown to reduce food production related carbon emissions by up to 73%, few commercial aquaponics projects in the EU and UK have been successful. Key barriers to commercial success are insufficient initial investment, an uncertain and complex regulatory environment, and the lack of projects operating on a large scale able to demonstrate profitability. In this paper, we use the UK as a case study to discuss the legal and economic barriers to the success of commercial aquaponics in the EU. We also propose three policies: (1) making aquaponics eligible for the new system of Environmental Land Management grants; (2) making aquaponics eligible for organic certification; and (3) clarifying and streamlining the aquaponics licence application process. The UK’s departure from the EU presents a unique opportunity to review agricultural regulations and subsidies, which in turn could provide evidence that similar reforms are needed in the EU.

Labor and Development in Twenty-first-Century Latin America: Two Political Options

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 25-41
Author(s):  
Laura Carla Moisá Elicabide ◽  
Jana K. Silverman ◽  
María Piñón Pereira Dias
Keyword(s):  
State Intervention ◽  
Southern Cone ◽  
Labor Policy ◽  
First Century ◽  
Market Regulation ◽  
Wage Policy ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Social Divisions ◽  
Regulation And Supervision ◽  
The Pacific

An analysis of the results of social and labor policy in two Southern Cone countries (Uruguay and Brazil) and two members of the Pacific Alliance (Mexico and Colombia) between 2000 and 2012 focused on minimum wage policy, state intervention in labor market regulation and supervision, and relations between governments and social and political actors, especially unions, indicates that, in contrast to the situation in the progressive countries, the neoliberal policies adopted by Mexico and Colombia maintained social divisions instead of reducing them in this period. Un análisis de los resultados de la política social y laboral en dos países del Cono Sur (Uruguay y Brasil) y dos miembros de la Alianza del Pacífico (México y Colombia) entre 2000 y 2012 enfocado en la política de salario mínimo, intervención estatal en regulación y supervisión del mercado laboral, y las relaciones entre los gobiernos y los actores sociales y políticos, especialmente los sindicatos, indica que, a diferencia de la situación en los países progresistas, las políticas neoliberales adoptadas por México y Colombia mantuvieron las divisiones sociales en lugar de reducirlas en este período.

scholarly journals Socio economic aspect of organic farming practices for improving farmer’s income in some locations of Kerala, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-408
Author(s):  
N Karunakaran ◽  
MS Sadiq
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Open Market ◽  
Organic Certification ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
Organic Farmers ◽  
Certified Organic ◽  
Crop Income

Agriculture is the major source of livelihood and is under the big threat of liberalization and modernization. Organic farming is eco-friendly, promotes sustainable development, protects the fertility of the soil and ensures long term crop income to the farmer. In 2018, total area under organic certification process is 3.56 million hectare and produced around 1.70 million MT of certified organic products. In Kerala, the total area under organic farming stands at 15790.49 hectare. Organic farmers fail to capture the market for selling their products and have less capacity in the competing world, leads to worse financial situation of farmers. The total volume of export during 2017-18 was 4.58 lakh MT. Fair trade has flourished as an initiative for lifting poor organic farmers by providing higher price, credit and improved community life. It is also a market for high value products in the global trade policies. Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK) is a small farmers’ organisation to access global market on fair trade in an equitable trading terms and improved income. The system provides better price to products compared to open market and benefited fair trade exporting. This paper by studying FTAK focused the impacts of it on income and highlights the increased production of organic crops, better prices, premium and schemes to farmers. The study revealed that fair trade farmers earned higher price (20 to 50 percent) for commodities and marketing of products to foreign countries without intermediaries and organic farming is a better option for increasing farmer’s income in India. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 44(3): 401-408, September 2019

scholarly journals How Fair Is Fair-Trade: How Much Do Coffee Buyers Know About Grower Food Security & Nutrition? (P04-080-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Schlossman ◽  
Roberta Lauretti-Bernhard ◽  
Amanda Bridges
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fair Trade Coffee ◽  
Organic Certification ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Specialty Coffee ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Food Security And Nutrition

Abstract Objectives There is currently no information on what buyers know about nutrition of their fair trade coffee grower's nutrition and therefore are missing the opportunity to improve the condition of their grower families, many of whom are headed by women. Our objectives are to highlight knowledge and awareness of buyers and consumers; identify best practices to address needs of coffee growers and families to improve nutrition resources; and develop “Nutrition Actions for Coffee Growers” for companies to implement. Methods Review evidence and secondary data; review U.S. Government programs supporting small-scale farmers and their effectiveness to address grower nutrition; conduct key informant interviews with coffee buyers and companies identified during the Specialty Coffee Expo, April 2019 and Sustainability Consortium TSC10 Conference. Research protocol: Internet-search (pubmed, other sources); synthesize evidence from studies, publications, research; attend Specialty Coffee Expo and Sustainability Consortium TSC10; identify key informants among TSC10, International Women's Coffee Association (IWCA), coffee buyers and companies focusing on fair trade coffee; develop interview instruments; conduct interviews. Results This abstract is focused on methods and protocol for our research which will be the first of its kind. Conclusions This study will provide insight into fair trade purchasers’ understanding and recommend actions companies can take to enable women growers and their families to improve family food security and nutrition. Women provide up to 70% of labor in cultivating and harvesting coffee and 20–35% of coffee-producing households are female headed (International Coffee Organization, ICC 121, 2018). Even when growers get a price premium for fair trade or organic certification, it is not enough to support family livelihoods (Bacon, 2008; Méndez, 2010; Beauchelt, 2012, 2011). Better understanding among fair trade coffee buyers and companies will provide opportunities for growers to ensure better household nutrition. These actions could be scaled to other fair trade products like cocoa, essential oils, artisanal textiles. Funding Sources Global Food & Nutrition Inc. provided funding for the literature review and conference participation.

Law, Politics, and Democracy in the Twenty-first Century

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-362
Author(s):  
J. Mitchell Pickerill
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Political Process ◽  
First Century ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Court Decisions ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Law And Politics ◽  
Law And Courts ◽  
The Us

Political scientists have long rejected the old law and politics dichotomy and recognize instead that law and court decisions are inherently political in numerous ways. Still, courts are not the same as executive and legislative institutions, and law is not simply a synonym for politics or policy. Law and courts are distinct and yet connected to political processes and policy outcomes in complex and nuanced ways. The question for law and courts scholars, then, is how and why do political actors (with seemingly increasing frequency) turn to law and the judiciary to influence public policy, and what are the impacts of infusing law and courts into the US political process? The three recent books under review help to answer these questions.

scholarly journals Understanding values-based food labeling as rural development strategy in Colombia. Comparative analysis: Fair trade, geographical indications and organic labels in the coffee region and the Buenaventura rural area (Phase 1)

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-119
Author(s):  
Xiomara Fernanda Quiñones Ruiz ◽  
Marianne Penker
Keyword(s):  
Rural Area ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Food Markets ◽  
Organic Certification

Poverty in many rural areas of developing countries is not a new story. Rural farmers face many financial and market barriers. Furthermore, conventional farming practices are afflicted by free market pressure to produce more food for less income, resulting in destruction of the environment and neglecting human and animal welfare. Value based labeling offers alternatives to conventional food markets as they provide ethical principles to counter unsustainable trends within the capitalism system as stated by Elizabeth Barham. Hence, a planned study is aimed at evaluating selected labels such as fair trade, geographical indication/denomination of origin and organic certification in the context of the Buenaventura rural area, taking into account the lessons learned and experiences from the coffee region. Thus the labels will be explained as well as the objectives and methodology of the doctoral thesis. Finally, the findings and conclusions of the initial exploratory research draw useful insights of the current situation.

scholarly journals Leaders Lacking Emotional Intelligence: Towards A Theory Of Tobephobic Leaders

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 1179
Author(s):  
Prakash Singh
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
First Century ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Task Oriented ◽  
Emotional Basis

Does a theory on tobephobic leaders (TLs) exist? In attempting to advance a theory on TLs, it is very pertinent to ask: Who are intelligent leaders? Research strongly suggests that intelligent leaders can mean numerous things because this conceptualization of intelligent leaders can be based exclusively on their intellectuality (cognitive abilities - IQ), or their emotionality (emotional intelligence EQ), or a combination of both. Expectedly, leaders who intellectualize and depend solely on their cognitive skills would tend to avoid the conscious recognition of the emotional basis of their decisions by substituting a superficially plausible, but questionable, explanation for their workers. On the other hand, leaders who base their decisions solely on their emotions can be accused of being irrational and not being task-oriented. The complexities of modern organizations in the twenty-first century require a new focus on leadership that extends well beyond possessing cognitive abilities alone. The focus of this paper is to advance a theory of TLs because no such attempt has yet been made globally. The primary objective of this article is to expand the notions of leadership that are currently in practice in organizations. Such a theory could make a major impact on how we view leadership practices in different organizations and could, therefore, make a significant contribution to our understanding of leadership activities. The theory of TLs will be embedded in two dimensions of leadership: intellectuality and emotionality. Hence, relevant research will be cited to evoke the prevalence and effects of TLs on human resources.

scholarly journals Fair trade governance: revisiting a framework to analyse challenges and opportunities for sustainable development towards a green economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Cristina Ribeiro-Duthie ◽  
Fred Gale ◽  
Hannah Murphy-Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Decision Making Processes

AbstractAs a relatively new form of non-state governance, the fair trade movement presents an opportunity to promote sustainable production and consumption and hence social change. Global market demands and consumer engagement denote changes in social practices that have led governments to share decision-making processes with private sector and non-governmental organisations. In this context of change, it is important to consider not only whether new forms of governance weaken or strengthen states’ authority within the marketplace but also the extent to which they may allow for “green washing” instead of the green economy proposed by the United Nations Environmental Program. This study considers the fair trade of food production and consumption as a potential innovative model. In doing so it examines the existing general literature on governance, which highlights that decision-making processes tend to reproduce top-down approaches. While such practices may reproduce conventional hierarchies, it is worth questioning the potential of new forms of governance within global markets. This article builds on a sustainability governance analytical framework to deepen understandings of fair trade governance and its possible responses to the dilemmas of food production for ethical consumption and thus sustainable development in transnational relations. This research aims to contribute to the literature on improving compliance with global sustainability standards and through this, inform practices that allow for cooperation towards a green economy.

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