Summary
This study examined agricultural practices on 175 smallholder coffee farms in Rwanda though household surveys in order to assess the environmental impacts of Fairtrade certification. The researchers found that farmer cooperatives provided training opportunities and access to credit. However, Fairtrade certification did not have a strong overall effect on agricultural practices including use of fertilizers and pesticides. The effectiveness of Fairtrade in influencing environmental practices appeared to depend more on local regulatory contexts and availability of alternative practices.