Agribusiness, fair trade and climate change: the challenges for organized small producers

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to reflect on the role that organizations of small fair trade producers should play vis-à-vis the unsustainability of the production and consumption model of our civilization and the problems inside the movement. With a world population in continuous growth, the potential of small scale agriculture as a key strategy for the worldwide food production and the management of water and lands should be at the core of all public policies; adopting participative, decentralized approaches, with local responsibility and a strong protagonism of the small organized producers, is one of the best strategies to promote a balanced rural development. In this scenario, Latin American organized small fair trade producers are rethinking their role both at the local and global level and are building new paths from below and from the South.

Key words: fair trade, climate change, small producers, agribusiness.