Community forest users in Nepal encountering ethical consumerism from the Global North

Abstract Fair Trade certification is designed to help disadvantaged producers and workers in the Global South improve their livelihoods by linking their products to ethical consumers in the Global North. Emerging Fair Trade markets in the North now require some Southern producers to respond to extra demands from Northern ethical buyers. Drawing on a case of community forest users who collect non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Nepal, this article explores how a new ethical value chain can influence the livelihoods and forest resources of community forest users. Such influences are examined from the perspectives of different Fair Trade stakeholders and through an environmental justice framework. The findings suggest plausible outcomes in contrast to the expectations of Northern ethical consumers, such as a small number of beneficiaries in the target community, a negative impact on forest resources, and procurement of the NTFPs outside of the target forestland.