Producers in moralized markets Die Produzenten in moralisierten Märkten

© 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.The literature on moralized markets has not paid sufficient attention to the production side. This article examines how a morally infused idea changes if it is carried to the production site. Anchored in neo-institutional translation theory, the article explores how the Fairtrade model is locally translated by Ghanaian producer organizations. The empirical study shows that the moralization trend is coupled to consumption and that the idea of Fairtrade transforms into a driver of organizational rationalization during its journey to the producers. The article explains how the synchronicity of these different interpretations of the Fairtrade model is ensured and highlights the drawbacks of intensified organizational efforts on the production side.