The International Labour Organization cites it as the world’s third most dangerous occupation. It employs three-quarters of the world’s child workers. In a range of countries including Brazil, the U.S. and Cote d'Ivoire, its workers have been found in conditions of virtual slavery. It is no wonder then that an increasing number of initiatives are looking at social standards in the agricultural sector.

A historical look at agricultural standards

The concept of fair trade, widely launched from Scandinavia in the 1980s but arguably originating as far back as the League of Nations in the 1930s, accounts for what has, up until now, constituted the examination of social issues in food production. However, fair trade, which seeks to guarantee a minimum, fair price for farmers independent of market fluctuations, focuses more on the economic welfare of the farmer than the conditions surrounding harvest and packing activities.

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