What is Fairtrade Certified?

It's tough to know if our favorite brands respect their workers and the planet. One sure way to find out is to look for the Fair Trade certification.

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This certification guarantees fair treatment, good working conditions, and a living wage for workers, and promotes sustainable practices.

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Initially popular among food and clothing brands, Fair Trade certification is now being adopted by more brands.

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What is the Fair Trade certification?

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You've probably seen the iconic blue and green yin-yang logo of Fairtrade International on products like coffee, tea, clothing, and textiles. This mark means the products meet Fairtrade's rigorous standards and certification process.

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Fairtrade ensures products are made under safe working conditions, meet environmental standards, and support sustainable economic development. Producers and traders must meet a mix of economic, environmental, and social criteria to earn this certification.

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• Economic criteria: Fairtrade sets a Minimum Price to shield producers from price drops and enable long-term planning. The Fairtrade Premium provides extra funds for farmers and workers to enhance their businesses and communities. Fairtrade also encourages long-term trading relationships and offers pre-financing to help stabilize producers.
• Environmental criteria: Fairtrade promotes sustainable practices like responsible water and waste management, biodiversity preservation, and reduced pesticide use. It bans hazardous materials and GMOs while supporting organic production with higher prices for organic goods.
• Social criteria: For small-scale producers, Fairtrade requires democratic self-organization, participatory decision-making, transparency, and non-discrimination. On plantations, it mandates fair employment practices, fair pay, freedom of association, worker safety, and effective management of the Fairtrade Premium. Forced and child labor are strictly forbidden.

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Fairtrade vs Fair Trade

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On some products, you would see “Fairtrade” instead of “Fair Trade”. While “Fairtrade” refers to Fairtrade International (FLO), “Fair Trade” (two words) and “Fair Trade Certified” refer to Fair Trade USA (FT USA). Fair Trade USA is the third-party certifier of Fairtrade products in North America. It has a separate logo.

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As a consumer, you won't notice much difference.

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Just watch out for brands using terms like “Fair trade” (notice the small t) or “fair trade” with small letters. They aren't certified by Fairtrade International or Fair Trade USA.

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