When shopping for food, ever more consumers in rich nations pay attention not only to prices, appearance and flavour. They also consider environmental and social aspects. Therefore, certifications of organic production, fair-trade practices or regional origin often lead to a premium in the marketplace and can benefit small-scale farmers. Two recent research papers from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy shed light on the matter. They deal with pineapple growers in Ghana and coffee producers in Ethiopia.