If the Fairtrade Standards are what organisations and companies are checked for, the Fairtrade assurance system defines how these entities are checked. You can read more about our certification processes here.

Maintaining the independence, consistency and impartiality of the certification and licensing processes on a global scale is part of our commitment to transparency and the integrity of Fairtrade.

Our assurance system includes a set of rules for how certification and licensing must be done, a way to check compliance with the rules, and a committee with representation of all our stakeholders that decides if the certifiers and licensing bodies continue to meet Fairtrade’s expectations.

Our assurance system was designed following the requirements of ISEAL’s Assurance Code and builds on the requirements of ISO17065. Additionally FLOCERT, the main independent certifier for Fairtrade, is accredited against ISO17065 by the German national Accreditation Body DAkkS.

If you have a complaint or comment to submit to our assurance system please contact us by sending an email to assurance@fairtrade.net

ADD ACCORDION HERE - KEY INFORMATION

The Oversight Committee is a multi-stakeholder group that meets regularly to define the assurance system and oversee the performance of certifiers and licensing bodies. Members of the Oversight Committee are appointed by the Standards Committee at Fairtrade International and here you can find more about its scope.

Oversight committee minutes

For the minutes of the latest Oversight Committee meetings, please see below: