Partner Organizations
Several other organizations have played an important role in the development of trade systems that promote sustainable production and trade with disadvantaged workers and producers around the world. FLO has over the years worked closely with Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs), World Shops and their umbrella organizations (EFTA, IFAT and NEWS) and highly values their contribution to the Fair Trade movement.
FINE
Since 1996 coooperation between FLO, IFAT, NEWS and EFTA has developed considerably. Under the acronym of FINE (standing for the first letters of FLO, IFAT, NEWS! and EFTA respectively) representatives of these four international networks hold regular meetings to coordinate their work. FINE is particularly involved in developing an integrated monitoring system for the whole Fair Trade movement and in advocacy work at the international level.
Since April 2004 FINE runs the Fair Trade Advocacy Office in Brussels. Its role is to co-ordinate the advocacy activities of Fair Trade proponents at both the European and the international levels. The aim of the office is to step up public support for Fair Trade and to speak out for trade justice. For more information, please visit the website of the Fair Trade Advocacy Office: http://www.fairtrade-advocacy.org/
The International Fair Trade Association is a network created in 1989 uniting ATOs and producer organisations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Pacific Rim. IFAT's mission is to improve the livelihoods and well being of disadvantaged handcrafts and agricultural producers by linking and promoting Fair Trade Organizations in both Northern and developing countries, and speaking out for greater justice in world trade.
In 2004 IFAT launched the FTO Mark which identifies registered Fair Trade Organizations worldwide and guarantees that standards are being implemented regarding working conditions, wages, child labour and the environment. These standards are verified by self-assessment, mutual reviews and external verification. The FTO Mark is available to all IFAT members who meet the requirements of the IFAT Standards and Monitoring System and so far over 150 organizations have registered.
The Network of European Worldshops was established in 1994 and coordinates the cooperation between Worldshops in Europe. It is a network of national associations of Worldshops representing 2,500 shops in 13 member countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom. NEWS! initiates and coordinates European-wide joint campaigns and awareness raising activities (for instance the annual European Worldshop Day in May) and supports the professionalisation of national Worldshop associations. The aim of NEWS! is to promote Fair Trade in general and the development of the Worldshops movement in particular.
Worldshops sell Fair Trade products and organize various educational exhibits, programmes and campaigns to promote fairer trade practices. Worldshops cooperate on local, regional, national and international levels, supported by their National Associations.
The European Fair Trade Association was established in 1990 and is an association of 11 Fair Trade importers in 9 European countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. EFTA's aim is to support its member organizations in their work and encourage cooperation and coordination.
Fair Trade importing organizations buy food and handicrafts from disadvantaged producers in developing countries and aim at improving market access and strengthening producer organizations. EFTA members generally follow FLO Standards, to which additional standards may be added with the aim of providing special support to particular target groups (women, ethnic minorities, politically persecuted, etc). In Europe, they sell their products through Worldshops, local groups, wholesalers and mail order catalogues. Fair Trade importing organizations also play an important role in awareness raising and in educating consumers and public authorities on Fair Trade and trade justice issues.
The International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling (ISEAL) Alliance is an association of leading international standard-setting, certification and accreditation organizations that focus on social and environmental issues.
ISEAL promotes formal and informal exchanges among members in order to increase their efficiency and to reduce the redundancy and overlap in the field and in the marketplace. The success of ISEAL members' programs, in turn, results in more direct benefits of voluntary certification to producers, workers and the environment.
ISEAL is improving the quality of the standard-setting process through the establishment of objective criteria for how standards are set and through direct capacity-building of members to meet those criteria. In addition, ISEAL members are striving for performance standards that are more easily understood and measured, and that are consistent across different certification programs.
ISEAL members include:
- Conservation Agriculture Network (CAN)
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
- International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS)
- Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
- Social Accountability International (SAI)
- Fairtrade Labelling Organizations (FLO)