The relationship between fair trade and commodification

What is it about?

This paper is about the exploration of the political promises and potential of ethical consumption (especially fair trade). The analysis is informed by interviews with ethically consuming citizens which illuminate their concerns, certainties and confusions. On the one hand, fair trade is about 'decommodification' (exposure of social and environmental conditions of production), yet on the other hand, there is a parallel process of 'commodification' (branding processes remove the radical character of fair trade consumption) as the movement and market has been ushered into mainstream markets. The paper argues that the decommodification of fair trade products is perhaps at the expense of the commodification of fair trade consumer politics.

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Why is it important?

It is important to make sense of the way in which (mainstream) markets transform products, practices and political beliefs.