Fairtrade in Peru: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable and Equitable Agricultural Development

Abstract

Fairtrade, present in Peru since 1990, has been widely studied for its impact on agri-food production. This research, based on convenience surveys conducted with leaders and members of cooperatives and agri-exporting companies during the 2024 Peruvian Expoalimentaria fair, examines the benefits and challenges faced by producers in their pursuit of sustainable and equitable development. The results were statistically analysed using Cronbach’s alpha, factor analysis, and the ordinal logistic regression model. These methods revealed that not all the dimensions evaluated reached statistical significance. However, the dimensions of agricultural sustainability and social justice emerged as the most significant, driven by the adoption of sustainable technologies and democratic participation in cooperatives. Nonetheless, these dimensions require additional external conditions to ensure well-being, such as market incentives, which did not achieve statistical significance, suggesting the influence of contextual factors not accounted for in the study. This research not only enriches the existing literature but also provides recommendations for implementing Fairtrade initiatives in Peru to promote more equitable and sustainable agricultural development that improves the socio-economic and socio-political conditions of the most disadvantaged producers. Furthermore, this study highlights the need to expand the theoretical development of unexplored variables, such as association models, sustainable practices, and economic growth in rural communities. In this way, it serves as an exploratory foundation for future public policies and strategies in the agri-food sector.