Resistance to a social innovation: An analytic framework for problems of Fair Trade diffusion

In this study we propose conceptualizing Fair Trade as a form of social innovation. Our goal is to better understand its failure to gain general acceptance by examining consumer resistance to innovation. Research methods include observation (consumption behavior in a canteen) and face-to-face interviews. Our findings reveal that individual barriers are insufficient to explain resistance to Fair Trade. We discuss the reasons why consumers in our study showed low levels of identification with and appropriation of Fair Trade. We conclude with recommendations for facilitating the adoption of Fair Trade and social innovations.