Quality certification, regulation and power in fair trade

This article examines governance changes and shifting power relations within the fair-labelling network. These shifts are framed analytically by reference to broader changes in the agrofoods sector tied to the increasingly key role played by quality relations and standards in the production and marketing of food. The author argues that evident trends such as a growing complexity of fair-labelling markets, the centralization of its regulating bodies, and the normalization of certification processes have altered power relations to the detriment of small producers. In addition, and at the same time, this ‘fair’ market niche has become more desirable to dominant market actors leading to a combination of factors that has triggered a broad debate within fair trade with respect to the definition and mission of the fair-trade network.