The main theme of this 3rd Fair Trade International Symposium (FTIS 2008) is the unprecedented expansion of Fair Trade, its implications and the challenges it presents to its actors.

Until the late 90s, Fair Trade represented a narrow market, concerned a limited number of economic actors and was confined to specific products sold in specialized retail outlets. Ever since, Fair Trade has experienced continuous and exponential growth in developed countries, both in terms of turnover and public awareness. One can observe an increase in the number and the variety of Fair Trade products and actors involved, a multiplication of systems of guarantee, a broadening of the definition of Fair Trade.

This scaling up of Fair Trade faced by the traditional actors of the movement also question its future. Should the initial Fair Trade project be reconsidered in the light of the on-going changes? What are the impacts of Fair Trade initiatives on producers and consumers? How do they compare with the movement’s initial objectives? Does the multiplication of guarantee systems threaten the credibility of the movement and call for public regulations? These questions engage both the actors of the Fair Trade movement and social scientists. The growing number of research projects and articles on Fair Trade in various social sciences (economics, management, sociology, political science, geography, law) further demonstrates public interest for this topic.

The 3rd Fair Trade International Symposium will bring together – on the campus of Montpellier SupAgro (France) – researchers, Fair Trade operators, and all those who are interested in, and who wish to share their opinion and experience about Fair Trade.

The objectives of the symposium are to present the state of the art concerning studies on Fair Trade, to share information about on-going and coming research projects, and to confront opinions on the future prospects of Fair Trade.

The languages for presentations and papers are French, English and Spanish. Simultaneous translation will be provided. The symposium will feature plenary sessions, parallel sessions, poster sessions and roundtables with professionals.