Scientists at the Wageningen University's LEI research institute recently published the results of a study on the impact of Fairtrade certification on the lives of plantation workers. One of the authors, Fedes van Rijn, told OneWorld Research that as far as wages are concerned, they did not find a difference between certified and non-certified plantations. But they did see differences in terms of in-kind benefits, such as access to housing and clean water. Workers at Fairtrade plantations were also better informed about their rights and generally more satisfied with their standard of living. The scientists also released a summary of the study and Fairtrade's response.
