FLO International - Fairtrade Standards

Fairtrade Standards

Given the development focus of Fairtrade, Fairtrade Standards contain minimum requirements that all producer organisations must meet to become certified as well as progress requirements in which producers must demonstrate improvements over time.

There are two types of Fairtrade Standards for disadvantaged producers: standards for small farmers' organizations and for hired labour situations. Fairtrade standards for small farmers' organizations include requirements for democratic decision making, ensuring that producers have a say in how the Fairtrade Premiums are invested etc. They also include requirements for capacity building and economic strengthening of the organization.

Fairtrade Standards for hired labour situations seek to ensure that employees receive decent wages and may join unions and bargain collectively. Fairtrade certified plantations must also ensure that there is no forced or child labour and that health and safety requirements are met. In a hired labour situation, Fairtrade Standards require a “joint body” to be set up with representatives from both management and employees. This joint body decides on how Fairtrade premiums will be spent to benefit plantation employees.

For some products, such as coffee, only Fairtrade Standards for small farmers' organizations are applicable. For others, such as tea, both small farmers' organizations and plantations can be certified.

Fairtrade Standards and procedures are approved by the FLO Standards Committee, an external committee comprising all FLO stakeholders (labelling initiatives, producers and traders) and external experts. Fairtrade Standards are set in accordance to the requirements of the ISEAL Code of Good Practice in standards setting and are in addition the result of an extensive consultation process, involving a variety of stakeholders: producers, traders, external experts, inspectors, certification staff etc.