As part of the Geneva Trade and Development Workshop (GTDW) seminar series, the Graduate Institute in Geneva (IHEID) and our partners are pleased to invite you to a public talk given by Nathan Nunn, Frederic E. Abbe Professor of Economics at Harvard University.

Professor Nunn will present his recent paper The Effects of Fair Trade Certification: Evidence From Coffee Producers in Costa Rica, coauthored with Raluca Dragusanu.

Abstract: We study the effects of Fair Trade (FT) certification of coffee on producers and households in Costa Rica. Examining the production dynamics of the universe of Costa Rican coffee mills from 1999–2014, we find that FT certification is associated with a higher sales price, greater sales, and more revenues. These effects are greater when global coffee prices are lower and the FT guaranteed minimum price is binding. Looking at households, we find robust evidence that FT is associated with higher incomes for farm owners. Part of this is due to a transfer of incomes from farm owners to intermediaries whose incomes decrease due to FT. We find no effect of FT on unskilled workers, who are the more disadvantaged group within the coffee sector.

About the speaker

Nathan Nunn is an NBER Faculty Research Fellow, a Research Fellow at BREAD, a Faculty Associate at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (WCFIA), and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) in the Boundaries, Membership & Belonging program. Prior to joining the Department of Economics at Harvard University in 2007, he was Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia. He holds an MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Toronto. His primary research interests are in political economy, economic history, economic development, cultural economics, and international trade.