PhD Studentship: The Formation, Governance and Business Models of Fair Trade: Managing North-South Relationships in Commodity Markets

Funding amount: Full fees and maintenance at the UKRI rate (£21,805 in 2026/27)

Hours: Full Time

Closing date: Friday 15 May 2026

We seek an excellent candidate whose research will focus on the strategic development of a cluster of companies established by the London based Fairtrade pioneer Robin Murray ,who spun a trading company, Twin Trading out of the Greater London Council in the early 1980s. Twin Trading anchored a business group including a number of well-known Fairtrade certified firms - Cafedirect, Divine Chocolate, Liberation Nuts, and Agrifair, as well as collaborating with the UK Government Department of International Development. The University of York has secured the archive of the late Robin Murray which is now available in the Borthwick Institute of Archives.

The PhD student will conduct historical archival research to contribute to the Fairtrade literature by investigating the management of long-term relationships between the different firms within the business group as well as with the different stakeholders. This will enable an exploration of the north-south relationships and how the companies initiated, developed, maintained and coordinated them over time.

The scholarship is based in the School for Business and Society at the University of York. The School for Business and Society was formed in 2022 through a merger between The York Management School and the Department of Social Policy and Social Work. Our research is cross-disciplinary and draws together activities that other universities normally locate in separate Business Schools and Schools of Public Policy.

Start date: September 2026

Award duration: 3 years

Research Topic: The formation, governance and business models of Fair Trade: managing north-south relationships in commodity markets

Eligibility criteria for this scholarship

You should have experience of (or be willing to acquire skills in) historical research and qualitative research (including interviewing) as well as an interest in fair trade and global business. Experience undertaking archival research is desirable. You will have a background in the arts, humanities and/or social sciences.

How to apply

For information about how to apply for this studentship, see  https://www.york.ac.uk/business-society/study/funding/postgraduate-research/governance-business-models-fair-trade/

Contact details

For questions about the position, please contact Dr Kevin Tennent (kevin.tennent@york.ac.uk)

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