Ethical Trading and Socioeconomic Transformation: Critical Reflections on the South African Wine Industry

Abstract

Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-pro t purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. AbstractNewly emerging ethical trade practices in the South African wine industry are examined as a way of engaging with debates about the ability of alternative trade approaches to facilitate meaningful opportunities for socio-economic development in the global South.The South African wine industry has undergone rapid restructuring since the end of apartheid in order to meet the demands of international markets. However, transforming racially skewed ownership and skill patterns is proving a particular challenge. This paper outlines some of the initiatives that have been introduced to stimulate socio-economic change within the industry. By utilising analytical tools such as commodity chains, networks and cultural approaches we demonstrate that a complex array of forces is driving change on the ground. Such forces include national imperatives derived from the legacy of apartheid and the concerns of consumers in the global north. The paper concludes by considering the types of local and global constraints that need to be challenged if these initiatives are to be successful in facilitating meaningful socioeconomic transformation within the wine industry.

Mobilizing the ethical consumer in South Africa

“…Research on ethical trading issues concerning South Africa almost exclusively attends to South African export producers and the ethical initiatives and issues affecting them (see, for example, Bek et al, 2007;Herman, 2010;Kritzinger et al, 2004;Linton, 2012;Mather and Rowcroft, 2004;Raynolds, 2009).…”

The political economy of alternative trade: Social and environmental certification in the South African wine industry

“…Table 2) reflect both the ETI base-code and issues specific to South 20 African agriculture (WIETA, 2003;Bek et al, 2007). These are monitored through a social auditing inspection process (ref removed; Lewis, 2005), and complemented by efforts to educate producers and workers about the content of the code and its practical implementation.…”

Le vignoble sud-africain dans l’ère post-apartheid, entre transformation et continuité

“…Une recherche de justice sociale 25 En amont de la filière prennent place des mesures de discrimination positive qui s'inscrivent dans une politique post-apartheid de justice sociale (Bek et al, 2007). Celles-ci visent à améliorer l'insertion des populations non-blanches dans le secteur viti-vinicole sud-africain, et ce à plusieurs titres.…”