Share 'The High Cost of Certification'

I was sent an interesting thesis analyzing Fairtrade (i.e., FLO) in coffee in Laos. The chapter titled Economic Sustainability contains the following information: In addition to the overload of work the farmers must invest to gain 34 cents per pound extra, they also have to pay the Fairtrade Certification fee of US$3,460 per co-op (Euro2,378) per year and the administration fee and other fees of…