Frequently asked questions

• What is the difference between Fairtrade America and Fairtrade International?

  What is the difference between Fairtrade America and Fairtrade International?

  Fairtrade America is the US branch of Fairtrade International. Fairtrade International is an umbrella organization that unites 30+ national offices (like ours) and three producer networks in Latin America (CLAC), Asia and Asia Pacific (NAPP), and Africa and the Middle East (Fairtrade Africa) covering 70 countries and representing more than 2 million farmers and workers.

  Fairtrade International focuses on setting best practices in agricultural social justice, setting and updating the Fairtrade Standards, facilitating the connection between our global team and supporting innovative programs led by producer networks.

  Fairtrade America focuses on supporting brands to sell Fairtrade certified products in the US and creating consumer awareness and interest in the fair trade movement.

• What's the value of Fairtrade Certification?

  What's the value of Fairtrade Certification?

  Fairtrade certification shows consumers (in the US and around the world) that you believe in paying people a fair price for the products they grow. That the farms you source from follow rigorous standards that protect workers’ rights, prioritize the environment, promote gender equality and combat child labor.

  Our certification also provides you and your company with peace of mind—knowing that you have done your due diligence in sourcing goods ethically—with the audits to prove it!

  How much does it cost to be Fairtrade Certified?

• How does Fairtrade provide direct support to farmers?

  How does Fairtrade provide direct support to farmers?

  Fairtrade directly supports farmers in three key ways:

  1. Pricing: Two pricing mechanisms work together to make sure producers are fairly paid for their work. The Fairtrade Minimum Price serves as a safety net when market prices fall to an unsustainable level. The Fairtrade Premium, paid on top of the final price, gives producer organizations a way to invest in their community, their business or their environment. Premium-funded initiatives look different in each community—sometimes producers choose to invest in farming equipment or capacity, building better infrastructure (like wells or roads), training for staff, improving local services like health clinics or funding schools.
  2. Local Network Support Systems: Fairtrade Producer Networks in Latin America (CLAC), Asia and Asia Pacific (NAPP) and Africa and the Middle East (Fairtrade Africa) serve as a direct support system for producer organizations. Staffed with local and regional experts in agriculture, marketing and supply chains, these networks are able to help with problems such as navigating shifting supply chains or improving soil composition.
  3. Relief and Resilience Funding: By leveraging resources from the Global North and redistributing them to the Global South, as we did with the Producer Relief and Resilience Funds, Fairtrade is working to ensure that certified producers have the resources they need to weather global crises like climate change and the recent coronavirus pandemic.

  The ripple effects of implementing Fairtrade Standards are many. As an example: Making farming practices more environmentally friendly improves the local ecosystem and decreases the negative health effects that come from using toxic chemicals.