Analysis of fair trade practices: the case of an artisan soap manufacturer in the wilaya of Tizi-Ouzou
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Abstract
Fair trade developed in the 1980s, with the introduction of the fair trade label, and is now part of social movements that contribute to the ethical structuring of the market (Lapointe et al, 2008). Although the field of fair trade has undergone significant development in recent years, the theoretical approaches that make it up are heterogeneous, making it difficult to construct a stable, unified conceptual framework. In Algeria, fair trade is still underdeveloped, but there are a few initiatives aimed at promoting fairer practices. In this article, we study the fair trade practices of an artisanal soap-making company in Tizi-Ouzou. More specifically, we have tried to answer the following question: what are the fair trade practices of Ughus Savon?
Methodologically, we opted for the case method as a strategy for accessing reality. Data were obtained through a semi-structured interview with the company's director. The data were subjected to a thematic content analysis following the approach of Paillé and Mucchielli, 2003, 2016). The results of our survey highlight an important dimension of fair trade, that of the Co-creation of value between producer and supplier. The company manufactures all its soaps from declassified olive oil, and every year, the company director buys thousands of liters of it from a group of women, providing them with their only source of income.