There are numerous seals that certify fair trade, this figure shows only a few.
Overview of some Fairtrade seals and how they are connected
Fairtrade International
Fairtrade International is the umbrella organization to which 19 national and three producer networks belong. Its aim is to ensure compliance with minimum economic, social and ecological standards:
Economic standards:
Payment of minimum prices that cover production costs and enable farmers to live from their work.
Social standards:
Small-scale producers should organize themselves democratically, typically in cooperatives. Decision-making should be transparent and involve everyone. In addition, women and men should have equal rights in the cooperatives.
For large producers, e.g. on plantations, workers are often employed on a temporary basis. Here the following standards are required:
- Employees must not be discriminated against according to gender or origin,
- the wages must be equal to or higher than the legal or regional minimum wages
- the workforce must have the right to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
- the safety and health of workers must be guaranteed
- the Fairtrade premium is administered by the workers
- Forced labor and child labor are prohibited.
Environmental protection:
Environmentally friendly cultivation is to be promoted, in particular by restricting the use of pesticides and fertilizers, as well as by waste avoidance and proper disposal and by economical water consumption. However, standards for ecological cultivation do not have to be met.
Products such as coffee are mainly certified. FLOCERT monitors compliance with these standards in accordance with internationally valid guidelines (ISO)