Summary
This study was commissioned and financed by Fairtrade
International and the Fairtrade Foundation to expand the body of evidence on how and to what extent Fairtrade certification is having an impact in hired labour contexts. The study focuses on banana plantation production in Colombia, Dominican Republic and Ghana. The study uses mixed methods of data collection (survey, in-depth interviews , experimental games) and counterfactual analysis to compare Fairtrade certified plantations to non-Fairtrade certified plantations (Latin America), or plantations certified at a later stage (Ghana). The study explored the effects of Fairtrade certification on a list of themes based on Fairtrade’s theory of change which covered economic, social and empowerment related benefits. The study presents country specific as well as cross-cutting findings, such as significant Fairtrade effects on in-kind benefits (and less on wages), and mixed evidence on impact of Fairtrade certification on improved labour conditions.