View source for Fairtrade International

{{Short description|Group promoting a living income for farmers}}
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{{Infobox company
| name = Fairtrade International
| logo = Fairtrade Certification Mark.svg
| logo_size = 150px
| type = [[Nonprofit organization|Nonprofit]] ([[Registered association (Germany)|German registered association]])
| foundation = {{start date and age|1997}}
| location = [[Bonn]], [[Germany]]
| key_people = 
| industry = [[Product certification]]
| products = Producer Business Development, Standards Development
| homepage = {{URL|www.fairtrade.net}}
}}

'''Fairtrade International''', or '''Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International E.V.'''<ref>Fairtrade International (2011). [http://www.fairtrade.net Home page]. URL accessed on August 23, 2011.</ref> is a nonprofit product-oriented [[multistakeholder governance model|multistakeholder group]] aimed at promoting the lives of farmers and workers through [[fair trade]].  Fairtrade's work is guided by a global strategy<ref>{{Cite web |last=Köstlin |first=Christoph |date=5 August 2022 |title=The Future is Fair |url=https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Fairtrade-Global-2021-2025-Strategy-The-future-is-fair.pdf |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=5 August 2022 |website=Fairtrade International}}</ref> focused on ensuring that all farmers earn a living income, and agricultural workers earn a [[living wage]]. Fairtrade works with farmers and workers of more than 300 commodities. The main products promoted under the Fairtrade label are coffee, cocoa, banana, flowers, tea, and sugar.

Fairtrade is an association of three Producer Networks, nineteen National Fairtrade Organisations (formerly: [[Fairtrade Labelling]] Organisations) and eight Fairtrade Marketing Organisations that promote and market the [[International Fairtrade Certification Mark|Fairtrade Certification Mark]] in their countries <ref>.Fairtrade International (2011). [http://www.fairtrade.net/our_members.0.html?&L=0 Our members] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120730024433/http://www.fairtrade.net/our_members.0.html?&L=0 |date=2012-07-30 }}. URL accessed on August 23, 2011.</ref>

Producer Networks exist in Latin America, The Caribbeans, Africa,  Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. National Fairtrade Organisations exist in 16 [[Europe]]an countries as well as in [[Canada]], the [[United States]], [[Japan]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].<ref name=FLOLI>Fairtrade International (2011). [http://www.fairtrade.net/labelling_initiatives1.0.html Fairtrade labelling initiatives] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120804075801/http://www.fairtrade.net/labelling_initiatives1.0.html |date=2012-08-04 }}. URL accessed on August 24, 2011.</ref> Fairtrade International also oversees Fairtrade Marketing Organisations in [[the Czech Republic]], [[Korea]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Taiwan]], [[India]], [[Philippines]], and [[Poland]].<ref name=FLOLI />

==History==
Fairtrade International was established in 1997. It set [[technical standard|private standards]] relating to labour, cooperative organisation, and the governance of the Fairtrade benefits. The organisation was divided in January 2004 into two independent organisations:<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=isH8ceNFj_UC&q=%22Fairtrade+international%22++organization+divided+into+FLOCert&pg=PA238|title=The Processes and Practices of Fair Trade: Trust, Ethics and Governance|last1=Dine|first1=Janet|last2=Granville|first2=Brigitte|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|isbn=9781136231803|page=238}}</ref>

* '''Fairtrade International''' develops and reviews Fairtrade [[technical standard|standards]] and assists producers in gaining and maintaining certification and in capitalizing on market opportunities on the Fairtrade market. The [[technical standard|standards]] are developed and reviewed by the Fairtrade Standards and Policy Committee, in which Fairtrade members, producer organizations, traders and external experts participate.
* '''[[FLOCERT]]''' ensures that producers and traders comply with the FLO Fairtrade Standards and that producers invest the benefits received through Fairtrade in their development. Operating independently from any other interests, it follows the international [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] standards for certification bodies (ISO 65).

== Membership ==

The following are National Fairtrade Organizations and Fairtrade Marketing Organizations:<ref>Fairtrade International (2011).[http://www.fairtrade.net/labelling_initiatives1.0.html Fairtrade labelling initiatives] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120804075801/http://www.fairtrade.net/labelling_initiatives1.0.html |date=2012-08-04 }}.URL accessed on August 24, 2011.</ref>

*{{flagicon|Australia}} {{flagicon|New Zealand}} Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand
*{{flagicon|Austria}} Fairtrade Österreich
*{{flagicon|Belgium}} Fairtrade Belgium
*{{flagicon|Canada}} [[Fairtrade Canada]]
*{{flagicon|Czech Republic}} {{flagicon|Slovakia}} Fairtrade Česko a Slovensko (Marketing Organization)
*{{flagicon|Denmark}} Fairtrade Mærket Danmark
*{{flagicon|Finland}} Fairtrade Finland (incl. Baltic states)
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Association Max Havelaar France|Fairtrade Max Havelaar France]]
*{{flagicon|Germany}} Fairtrade Deutschland
*{{flagicon|Hong Kong}} Fairtrade Hong Kong (Marketing Organization)
*{{flagicon|India}} Fairtrade India (Marketing Organization)
*{{flagicon|Ireland}} [[Fairtrade Ireland]]
*{{flagicon|Italy}} Fairtrade Italia
*{{flagicon|Japan}} Fairtrade Japan
*{{flagicon|Korea}} Fairtrade Korea (Marketing Organization)
*{{flagicon|Luxembourg}} Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg
*{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Stichting Max Havelaar|Fairtrade Nederland (Max Havelaar)]]
*{{flagicon|Norway}} Fairtrade Norge
*{{flagicon|Poland}} Fairtrade Polska (Marketing Organization)
*{{flagicon|Spain}} {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Asociación del Sello de Productos de Comercio Justo|Fairtrade Ibérica]]
*{{flagicon|Sweden}} Fairtrade Sverige
*{{flagicon|Switzerland}} [[Max Havelaar-Stiftung (Schweiz)|Fairtrade Max Havelaar]]
*{{flagicon|Taiwan}} Fairtrade Taiwan (Marketing Organization)
*{{flagicon|UK}} [[The Fairtrade Foundation]] (United Kingdom)
*{{flagicon|USA}} Fairtrade America<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fairtradeamerica.org/|title=Home|website=Fairtrade America}}</ref>

These initiatives were joined in 2007 by three Producer Networks:

* Network of Asian and Pacific Producers (NAPP)
* Coordinadora Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Pequeños Productores de Comercio Justo (CLAC)
* Fairtrade Africa

== Structure ==

Fairtrade International is divided into six units:

* Standards and Pricing—sets and maintains fair trade standards
* Finance, Operations and Central Services—ensures coordinated communications, finance, human resources, fundraising, and IT services
* Global Products, Programs, and Policies. Implements all the commodity facing work, as well as programs on living income, living wages, and climate change
*Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning- Data governance and management, research and impact.
*External Relations - In charge of resource mobilization, communications and advocacy
*Brand, Trademark, and Licensing. Promotes the integrity of the Fairtrade Mark and relationships with licensees.

The coordination of all global activities is led by a Global Leadership Team, made of the CEO, the COO, and the CVO (Chief Value Officer).

== Fairtrade standards ==
Given the development focus of fair trade, related [[technical standard|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{{Vague|date=March 2009}} producers: standards for small farmers' organizations and for hired labor situations.

* Small farmers' organization standards include requirements for [[democracy|democratic]] decision making, ensuring that producers have a say in how the fair trade premiums are invested, etc. They also include requirements for capacity building and economic strengthening of the organization.
* Hired labour situation standards seek to ensure that employees receive decent{{Vague|date=March 2009}} wages and may join [[trade union|unions]] and [[collective bargaining|bargain collectively]]. Fairtrade certified [[plantation]]s must also ensure that there is no [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced]] or [[child labour]] and that [[Occupational safety and health|health and safety requirements]] are met. In a hired labor situation, fair trade [[technical standard|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 fair trade standards for small farmers' organizations are applicable. For others, such as [[tea]], both small farmers' organizations and plantations can be [[Fair trade certification|certified]].

Fair trade standards and procedures are approved by the FLO Standards Committee, an external committee comprising all FLO stakeholders (labeling initiatives, producers, and traders) and external experts. Fair trade 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, [[Fair trade certification|certification]] staff etc.<ref>Fairtrade International (2011). [http://www.fairtrade.net/setting_the_standards.0.html Standard Setting] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114215237/http://www.fairtrade.net/setting_the_standards.0.html |date=2012-11-14 }}. URL accessed on February 21, 2011.</ref>

In 2020, Fairtrade issued a position statement<ref>{{cite web |title=Fit for purpose? |url=https://www.fairtrade.net/issue/fit-for-purpose |website=fairtrade.net |publisher=Fairtrade International |date=2020 |access-date=2022-01-17 |archive-date=2021-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511052732/https://www.fairtrade.net/issue/fit-for-purpose |url-status=dead }}</ref> defending their use of [[technical standard|private standards]] in response to a report from The Institute for Multi-Stakeholder Initiative Integrity (MSI Integrity).<ref>{{cite book |title=MSI Integrity, Not Fit-for-Purpose: The Grand Experiment of Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives in Corporate Accountability, Human Rights and Global Governance |date=July 2020 |publisher=MSI Integrity |url=https://www.msi-integrity.org/not-fit-for-purpose/}}</ref>

==Hazardous materials==
A list of [[hazardous material]]s whose use in production of Fairtrade products is prohibited or restricted is maintained by Fairtrade International, divided into sections known as the "Red List", "Orange List" and "Yellow List" respectively. The Red List covers materials which are prohibited and may not be used in Fairtrade products. The Orange List details materials which may only be used in specified conditions; some of these were to be disallowed from June 2020 or June 2022. The Yellow List covers materials which are flagged as hazardous and only to be used with caution.<ref>Fairtrade International, [https://files.fairtrade.net/standards/Hazardous_Materials_List_EN.pdf Hazardous Materials List], Version: 1.12.2016 v 1.4, accessed 5 September 2022</ref> The organisation relied on international conventions including the [[Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants]] (2014) in formulating its list. Earlier versions of the list distinguished between "red" (prohibited) and "amber" (under consideration for prohibition) elements.<ref>Fairtrade International, [https://files.fairtrade.net/standards/Prohibited_Materials_List_EN.pdf Prohibited Materials List], dated 15.05.2014, accessed 5 September 2022</ref>

== Child labour ==
Fairtrade prohibits [[child labour]] and anyone under 15 years old cannot be employed by Fairtrade organisation. Children under 18 years old can be employed, but their employment cannot interfere with their education or development. Children are only allowed to work on family farms under strict conditions, the work must be age appropriate and outside of school hours or on holidays.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Child labour |url=https://www.fairtrade.net/issue/child-labour |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Fairtrade International |language=en}}</ref>

Fairtrade faced backlash as [[child labour]] was found on one of its cocoa plantations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-30 |title=Child labour found in Fairtrade cocoa plantations - Danwatch |url=https://danwatch.dk/en/undersoegelse/child-labour-found-in-fairtrade-cocoa-plantations/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Does Fairtrade Really Work? |url=https://www.foodunfolded.com/article/does-fairtrade-really-work |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=www.foodunfolded.com |language=en}}</ref>

== International Fairtrade Certification Mark ==
{{main|International Fairtrade Certification Mark}}

The [[International Fairtrade Certification Mark|Fairtrade Mark]] is an international independent consumer Mark which appears on products as a guarantee that producers and traders have met fair trade standards. The Fairtrade Mark is owned and protected by Fairtrade International, on behalf of its 25-member and associate member labeling initiatives and producer networks.

For a product to carry the Fairtrade Mark, it must come from FLOCERT inspected and certified producer organizations. The crops must be grown and harvested in accordance with the International Fairtrade Standards set by Fairtrade International. The supply chain is also monitored by FLOCERT to ensure the integrity of labelled products. Only authorized licensees can use the Fairtrade Mark on their products.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
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== External links ==
* [http://www.fairtrade.net Fairtrade International Official Website]

{{Fair trade}}
{{Social accountability}}

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[[Category:Fair trade organizations]]
[[Category:Fair trade]]
[[Category:International economic organizations]]
[[Category:International organisations based in Bonn]]
[[Category:International organisations based in Germany]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1997]]