Fairtrade as a Social Innovation: Brazilian Experience of Rural Organisations

Abstract

The objective of this article is to describe the dynamics of fair trade in organisations that adhered to the Fair Trade International system, based on the principles of fair trade and the dimensions of social innovation, and to identify why there was a disruption in commercial transactions. Four organisations from the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, which won the fair trade seal, were analysed. Primary data collection occurred through semi-structured interviews and simultaneous annotations and, later, secondary data were collected from official documents, articles, academic works and websites. The results show that the experiences of organisations with Fair Trade International have numerous properties of the dimensions of social innovation. There was the emergence of an emerging development model with the opportunity to work collaboratively and collectively. These changes required adaptation and new practices, as producers underwent a period of changes in their working and production. The formation of cooperatives and fair trade certification had the mobilisation and participation of various actors, who also provided collective learning, both in technical terms and in terms of civic and interpersonal management, especially for rural producers.