‘Fair trade gold'

Over the past two decades, a global fair trade movement has crystallized in response to the hardships endured by the developing world's subsistence farmers. Its potential impact is perhaps greatest in sub-Saharan Africa, by far the poorest area of the world. Close to 50 per cent of its people subsist on a daily wage of less than US$1 (United Nations 2010), a large share of whom depend on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. Over the past 30 years, however, agricultural capacity has eroded significantly across sub-Saharan Africa and the market presence of smallholders has diminished substantially, in the process exacerbating poverty region-wide. ¹