Fair trade in banana cooperatives from Magdalena (Colombia): A strategy to reduce poverty in small producers

Poverty is a social issue approached by academia from several perspectives to support the devising of public and economic policies. Objective. To identify poverty reduction strategies for rural areas through the adoption of fair trade. Methodology. The case method was used to analyze the creation, development and evolution stages of banana producers' cooperatives in the Province of Magdalena (Colombia). Data was collected through surveys, interviews and field visits, following an interdisciplinary approach (business history, economics, social sciences). Results. The case analysis revealed that two of the six cooperatives studied emerged from the small producers' own initiative, whereas the remaining arose as a way of adapting to market demands. Conclusion. Fair trade was found to be an important contributor to reducing poverty in those rural areas.