This diploma thesis investigates fair trade rice production in Thailand. It focuses on the livelihoods of small farmer families. The interviews were conducted in the study region in northeastern Thailand to complete the theorectical parts of this work. Additionally, the concept of the livelihood approach is considered and applied to the study village. It is questioned if the small farmers could benefit from fair trade in as sustainable way. Furthermore, this thesis shows how the small farmers attempt to cope with the local socio-econmic conditions and constraints. To round off the empirical study, the commodity chain from the Thai producer to the Austrian consumer is displayed by the example of the Austrian import organization EZA fairer Handel GmbH and their fair trade partner Green Net in Thailand.
