Actor-network
To give an overview of who is stating what in a complex controversy, we have chosen to present a small number of actors, who all play a prominent role in shaping or articulating the form of the controversy.
While the importance of some actors, like FLO and Fair Trade USA, are given due to their institutional role of setting the standards for what fair trade is, other actors might not have the same authority in shaping the controversy.
Some of these actors with minor institutional influence, notably Equal Exchange, play an influential role in questioning, discussing and debating the legitimacy of the standards put up by other actors - especially the standards gaining bags of plantation grown coffee the right to flaunt certificates of fair trade.
Last and not least, often overseen in public debates on fair trade coffee, is the producer of the fair trade product itself. In Brazil, Ipanema Coffees and other actors on the producing end of the supply chain articulates notoriously different aspects and angles on the controversy than the actors of the fair trade debate among the actors in the US and internationally.
While the importance of some actors, like FLO and Fair Trade USA, are given due to their institutional role of setting the standards for what fair trade is, other actors might not have the same authority in shaping the controversy.
Some of these actors with minor institutional influence, notably Equal Exchange, play an influential role in questioning, discussing and debating the legitimacy of the standards put up by other actors - especially the standards gaining bags of plantation grown coffee the right to flaunt certificates of fair trade.
Last and not least, often overseen in public debates on fair trade coffee, is the producer of the fair trade product itself. In Brazil, Ipanema Coffees and other actors on the producing end of the supply chain articulates notoriously different aspects and angles on the controversy than the actors of the fair trade debate among the actors in the US and internationally.