Summary
The study explores the impact of Fairtrade certification on banana plantation workers in the Dominican Republic. Using survey data, they estimate several outcome variables related to wages and household income, labour
practices, and identity and identification issues amongst wageworkers at Fair
trade certified banana plantations and comparable, non-certified plantations in two banana production sites, Montecristi and Valverde. Results show that that FT certification is not directly correlated to primary wages, and that while wages paid are in line with minimum wages they are still far below a decent living wage. Beyond that, wageworkers at FT-certified plantations report more in-kind benefits and a higher sense of job security. The study also finds that FT workers have more paid leave days and have higher trust in worker representation compared to similar wageworkers on non-certified plantations. Finally, results show that FT certification is most positively correlated to wageworkers’ voice-related benefits, such as sense of workplace co-ownership, job satisfaction and receiving training.