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Where does the Fair Trade money go? How much consumers pay extra for Fair Trade coffee and how this value is split along the value chain

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  • Naegele, Helene

Abstract

Fair Trade certification aims at transferring wealth from the consumer to the farmer; however, coffee passes through many hands before reaching final consumers. Bringing together retail, wholesale, and stock market data, this study estimates how much more consumers are paying for Fair Trade-certified coffee in US supermarkets and finds estimates around $1.50 per lb. The study then assesses how this price premium is split between the different stages of the value chain: most of the premium goes to the roaster’s profit margin, while the retailer surprisingly makes smaller absolute profits on Fair Trade-certified coffee, compared to conventional coffee. In the period studied in this study, the coffee farmer receives about a sixth of the price premium paid by the consumer.

Suggested Citation

  • Naegele, Helene, 2020. "Where does the Fair Trade money go? How much consumers pay extra for Fair Trade coffee and how this value is split along the value chain," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 133, pages 1-1.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:266389
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Claudia Coral & Dagmar Mithöfer, 2023. "Contemporary narratives about asymmetries in responsibility in global agri-food value chains: the case of the Ecuadorian stakeholders in the banana value chain," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1019-1038, September.
    3. Jiri Hejkrlik & Johana Rondevaldova & Petra Chaloupkova, 2024. "Assessing Consumer Interest in Sustainable and Ethically Certified Tropical Fruits in the Central and Eastern European Region," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-28, November.
    4. Balzarova, Michaela & Dyer, Celia & Falta, Michael, 2022. "Perceptions of blockchain readiness for fairtrade programmes," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    5. Nguyen Thuy Trang & Steven W. Kopp & Vo Hong Tu, 2025. "Sustainable development of local livelihoods in Vietnam: A demand‐driven approach through “One Commune, One Product”," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 270-286, February.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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