Fairtrade Labeling Organization International ( FLO ) exists to improve the position of poor, small-scale, and marginalized producers in the developing world by influencing the conditions of trade in their favor. FLO International is the umbrella association of Labelling Initiatives known as Max Havelaar, TransFair, Fairtrade Foundation, and by other national names. At the moment, there are 19 Labelling Initiatives, mainly throughout Europe and North America. They license the Certification Mark onto consumer products and promote Fairtrade in their country. The FLO International accredited national Fairtrade labels represent a standard that incorporates internationally recognized conventions such as those of the International Labor Organization with principles of economic development and national laws governing labor rights and environmental protection.
| Sub-Category |
Private Sector
|
| Standard for |
Bananas, cocoa, coffee, dried fruit, flowers & plants, fresh fruit & vegetables, fruit juices, herbs and spices, honey, nuts and oil seeds, quinoa, rice, cane sugar, tea, wine grapes, and seed cotton
|
| Focus |
Certification and labelling system designed to allow consumers to identify goods produced under agreed labour and environmental standards.
|
| Structure |
Fairtrade Standards are divided into generic and product standards. Producers and traders are required to comply with the applicable Generic and Product Standards. Within the Generic Standards for small farmer organizations there are five princiles:
- Social development
- Economic development
- Environmental development
- Members must be small producers
- Democracy
The Generic Standards for hired labor situations includes seven principles:
- social development
- economic development
- environmental development
- Management of the Fairtrade Premium
- Forced labour & child labour
- Freedom of association & collective bargaining
- Working conditions
Each Product Standard includes four principles that are custom tailored for each product:
- Social development
- Economic development
- Environmental development
- Fairtrade minimum prices and premiums
|
| Conformity Requirements |
Fairtrade Standards distinguish between minimum requirements, which producers must meet to be certified, and progress requirements that encourage producer organisations to continuously improve in all standard's areas and to invest in the development of the organizations and their producers/workers. This concept is developed for the target group of Fairtrade; disadvantaged producers. It encourages sustainable, social, economic and environmental development of producers and their organizations. Certification of producers hinges on meeting all the Fairtrade Standards for which they are audited.
|
| Auditing System |
Certification is done by an independent international certification company, FLO-CERT GMBH.
|
| Geographic Focus |
Worldwide
|
| Website |
http://www.fairtrade.net
|