Week 8: Further Certification Research

Done by Annelies


http://www.fairtrade.org.nz/What-is-Fairtrade/What-is-the-Fairtrade-Mark

WHAT IS THE FAIRTRADE MARK?

The Fairtrade Mark is the globally recognised label that adorns Fairtrade Certified products.

The familiar blue and green logo symbolising a farmer in a field, known as the Fairtrade Mark, is a registered trademark owned by Fairtrade International(also known as Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International or FLO). Every time you choose a product carrying the Fairtrade Mark you are making the choice to give a fair go to farmers, workers and their communities in some of the world's poorest countries.

At Fairtrade we work in partnership with these farmers to provide fairer prices, better terms of trade and additional funds for business and community development such as education, healthcare and environmental sustainability. This leads to better working conditions and enhanced investment in quality.

For a product to display the Fairtrade Mark it must meet the international Fairtrade social, economic and environmental standards which are set by the certification body Fairtrade International. These standards are agreed through a process of research and consultation with key participants in the Fairtrade scheme, including producers themselves, traders, NGOs, academic institutions and Labelling Initiatives such as Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand.

A key goal of the Fairtrade system is to promote fairness and justice in trade through increased transparency.  Products carrying the Fairtrade Mark are independently certified along the supply chain to ensure they have been sourced according to the Fairtrade Standards.

Farmers, workers and traders in the country of origin are audited by FLO-CERT (a separate international certification company), while traders and licensees in Australia and New Zealand are audited by FLO-CERT or Fairtrade ANZ. This process includes regular reporting of Fairtrade sales and on-site audits. Together these procedures ensure full supply chain transparency and provide assurance to customers that products carrying the Fairtrade Mark are Fairtrade.

All products bearing the Fairtrade Mark contain ingredients that have met strict Fairtrade Standardsthroughout their supply chain. These Standards are established through consultation with stakeholders across the system, including farmers and workers, traders, NGOs, academics and labelling organisations such as Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand (Fairtrade ANZ).

The Fairtrade Mark can be used on:

• Products that have been certified and audited as adhering to Fairtrade Standards
• Promotional materials used to advocate for and promote the purchase of Fairtrade products

The Fairtrade Program Mark is another way of engaging with Fairtrade cocoa, sugar and cotton farmers to sell more of their crops on Fairtrade terms, meaning more Fairtrade benefits for their farms and communities.

Globally, more and more businesses are committing to buying sustainable cocoa, sugar and cotton for use across complete product ranges, or even their entire businesses. The Fairtrade Sourcing Program is an additional way for businesses to source Fairtrade, and runs in parallel to the existing Fairtrade Mark.

This approach was launched to help cocoa, sugar and cotton farmers to increase their market access. It enables Fairtrade to work with businesses on an ingredient-by-ingredient or commodity-by-commodity basis and ensure better outcomes for more producers.

Economic criteria include the Fairtrade Minimum Price which aims to provide producers with a safety net against falling prices and allow long-term planning, along with a fixed Fairtrade Premium that provides farmers and workers with additional money to invest in improving the quality of their businesses and communities. 

Fairtrade also emphasizes long-term trading partnerships and requires buyers to provide pre-financing to producers who request it, opening access to capital to help stabilize their operations.

Environmental criteria emphasize ecologically and agriculturally sound practices, including responsible water and waste management, preserving biodiversity and soil fertility, and minimal use of pesticides and agrochemicals. Fairtrade prohibits the use of several hazardous materials and all genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Fairtrade does not require organic certification, but organic production is promoted and rewarded by higher Fairtrade Minimum Prices for organically grown products.

Social criteria for small-scale producers include requirements on democratic self-organization (typically in cooperatives), participatory decision-making, transparency, and non-discrimination (including gender equity).

In plantation-type settings where hired labour is the norm, our standards require companies to operate with non-discriminatory employment practices, pay rates equal to or higher than the legal or regional minimum wages, freedom of association and collective bargaining rights for the workforce, safeguards for worker safety and health, and facilities to allow workers to manage the Fairtrade Premium.

Forced labour and child labour are prohibited under the Fairtrade Standards.