ABSTRACT
The last few decades have seen numerous efforts to introduce social justice and sustainability dimensions into international trade networks. Following initial steps to label Fair Trade products taken at the initiative of Northern civil society agencies, private companies have increasingly responded with efforts to include social, environmental and human rights concerns in their corporate business operations. Some critical voices claim that such corporate social responsibility (CSR) is merely ‘window dressing’ or a ‘green washing’ of a company’s image (Utting 2005; Doane 2005). Nonetheless, the acceptance and consistent enforcement of standards has effectively embedded CSR criteria within core corporate activities and entrepreneurial values.
