Farmers' Perceived Impact of Fair Trade: The Case of Costa Rica

The perceived usefulness of Fair Trade influences both its effectiveness and farmers’ long-term participation. The aim of this paper is to measure the perceived economic, social and environmental impact of Fair Trade by farmers in Costa Rica. One hundred farmers were interviewed, and their perceived change in living and working conditions due to Fair Trade participation was measured through a t-test analysis. The sample characters’ influence on the perceived change was also measured, adopting a regression model and a t-test. The results showed a positive perception of the impact of Fair Trade, with a particularly strong perceived improvement in the farmers’ technical, economic and managerial skills. There was relatively less perceived change in the environmental, educational and sanitary conditions. The results showed the need for Fair Trade to better adjust its strategy to the expectations of the farmers’ communities.