Abstract

Fairtrade-certified products have successfully entered the mainstream distribution channels, mostly in developed countries, and these products are now sold in famous supermarket chains. Nonetheless, the packaging and labeling of products as “Fairtrade” command premium pricing in the marketplace. How much of this, however, is valid and justified? Despite the reputable certification mechanisms for quality assurance, mass media reports suggest that much of the “surplus value” goes to the accreditation agencies themselves instead of the producers. This article proposes an agenda to set this right with a blockchain platform that provides “trust-free” assurances of verifiable labeling. Using an Action Design Research methodology, we have specified a research prototype of a Blockchain-enabled Fair-Trade platform Unified Modelling Language artifacts. We believe this will set the direction for social inclusion as part of information systems scholars’ aspiration to promote “tech for good.”

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