大学共同利用機関法人 人間文化研究機構　国立民族学博物館

Objectives

The objective of this research is to study results of fair trade—a concept which has attracted a great deal of attention as a method for assisting developing countries through trade—in terms of both the idea and practice. The object of study, namely fair trade, will be considered not simply in terms of trade carried out by members of the Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International (FLO) or International Fair Trade Association (IFAT), which is fair trade in its narrow sense, but also include overall trade carried out with the goal of supporting producers, which is fair trade in the broad sense-- that is, alternative trade. Our investigations concerning the philosophy of fair trade will address the basic question of why the concept of fairness (justness) is now important. We will look at related issues within parameters that emphasize the fairness of trade, primarily in the literature on economic thought and development theory, social movement theory, and conversion theory within anthropology. Alternatively, our investigations on the practical side of fair trade will look at the basic question: to what degree fair trade can actually aid developing countries? Looking at the case examples, we will consider themes such as the social, economic and cultural impact on manufacturers in developing nations, the pluses and minuses of certification systems and the role of consumers in developed countries.