When a product carries the Fairtrade Mark, it means that all producers and traders are certified and audited annually to ensure compliance with Fairtrade Standards. Consumers can therefore be confident that the Fairtrade labelled products they buy have been grown and traded according to Fairtrade rules and that the premiums were paid to the farming communities.
We at Fairtrade Label South Africa do not certify farms and traders, but instead we license brand-owners when the Fairtrade products are already certified and ready for consumption (e.g. a pack of coffee or a bottle of wine). See the Fairtrade License page for more information about licensing.
Below the companies that are directly involved in Fairtrade certification:
THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS
Fairtrade certification is run by a separate company called FLO-Cert. FLO-Cert is an independent certification body that is specialised in Fairtrade audits. They have branches across producing regions and the office responsible for Southern Africa is located in Cape Town.
You can contact the local office at: +27 (0)21 671 0289 or africa-applications [at] flo-cert.net.
(1) Application
The certification process starts with the completion of an application questionnaire followed by a scope-check to evaluate the certifiability of the applicant. The purpose of this process is to establish whether the applicant falls within the scope of Fairtrade (e.g. that the product is covered by Fairtrade Standards) and to provide all the necessary information regarding the certification process.
If you are a producer organisation or a trader and you want to apply for Fairtrade certification, please contact FLO-Cert at africa-applications [at] flo-cert.net or Tel.
(2) Audit
Once the application is approved, FLO-Cert will verify the compliance with Fairtrade Standards through a physical audit. Audits vary in length and complexity depending on the size of the organisation, the complexity of its structures and the number of products they want to certify. A full Fairtrade audit can last from a couple of days up to six or seven days for large co-operatives. The cost of certification is dependent on the number of working days required to inspect the producer group or trader.
(3) Evaluation
Following the inspection, the auditor sends a report to FLO-Cert for evaluation. The decision to certify is taken by a specialised certifier, who is supervised by an independent certification committee. If non-conformities are found, FLO-Cert will revert to the applicant and decide on a timeframe within which the applicant must solve them. After this, a second audit occurs.
(4) Certification
If the audit is successful, the company will receive its Fairtrade certificate. This allows the company to produce/trade products on Fairtrade terms. FLO-Cert will re-audit the certified company every year to ensure that Fairtrade Standards are always met.
I WANT TO BE CERTIFIED AND I NEED HELP WITH THE STANDARDS
Fairtrade offers free and direct support to producers through its Producer Networks and its Fairtrade Consultants. These consultants are specialists in Fairtrade Standards, including certification processes and requirements. Any producer organisation that needs assistance in preparing for a Fairtrade audit or in maintaining its Fairtrade status can contact one of the local consultants. This service is provided by Fairtrade International and is free of charge.
Visit our business contacts page to find the contact details of the Fairtrade Consultants.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...
> For more information about Fairtrade certification visit FLO-Cert's website or contact FLO-Cert directly.
> To browse the list of Fairtrade certified organisations worldwide click here.
> To download the Fairtrade Standards relevant for your organisation visit the standard section on Fairtrade International's website.