著者

小鳥居 伸介

出版者

長崎外国語大学

雑誌

長崎外大論叢 (ISSN:13464981)

巻号頁・発行日

no.14, pp.33-50, 2010-12-30

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In this essay we will try to examine some aspects of fair trade in comparison with development assistance. First, a definition and development of fair trade is shown and its characteristics are demonstrated. Fair trade is a trade partnership bound for the realization of fairer international trade. In particular, it contributes to the conservation of producers' and workers' rights in developing countries and offers them better conditions for trade. Fair trade has a relatively long history in Europe and other developed countries, and several stakeholders such as producers and workers, fair trade organizations, companies, and consumers are involved. Second, some effects and limitations of fair trade are explicated and its possibilities and inherent problems are analyzed in comparison with development assistance. Fair trade has some advantages compared with development assistance. Because it is basically trading activity, fair trade can permeate wider social spheres than development assistance, such as producers' and workers' communities in developing countries, NGOs and corporations, and consumers' society in developed countries. On the other hand, fair trade has some limitations because its share in the world trade is still very small by now. Nevertheless, we must say that fair trade has great possibilities to transform unequal structures of world trade and make better future of global society. At the conclusion of this essay, we will give some implications extracted from these enterprises. We should not forget that fair trade is as much a social movement as an economic activity, and we should make continuous effort to realize that goal.