Hoe werkt Fairtrade?

As a leader in the global movement to make trade fair, Fairtrade supports and challenges businesses and governments and connects farmers and workers with the people who buy their products.

With robust standards, a highly recognisable mark consumers can trust, strong advocacy on key issues pertaining human rights and the environment, tailored solutions for businesses serious about sustainability, and partnering with world-known organisations to drive impact, Fairtrade is more than a certification.

Here is how we make change happen. And the world fairer.

A recognised label

For consumers who have hundreds of labels to choose from, Fairtrade provides the trust and confidence to make sustainable shopping choices. When you buy products with any of the FAIRTRADE Marks, you support farmers and workers as they improve their lives and their communities. Products bearing these Marks meet the internationally agreed social, environmental and economic Fairtrade Standards.

Robust standards

The Fairtrade Standards are the foundation of our work. They establish what we mean by sustainable farming, decent work, and fair trading relations and what we want to achieve. The Standards provide the framework for Fairtrade certification by detailing the requirements that players in Fairtrade supply chains must fulfil. That includes farmer cooperatives, large farms or factories with a hired workforce, and companies who buy and sell Fairtrade products.

Bananas on a supermarket shelf with the Fairtrade mark

Strong Advocacy

Fairtrade plays an important role in making supply chains fairer. But certification alone cannot address the power imbalances of today’s market system. This is why we're pushing for long-term political change. For this, farmers and workers must be at the heart of policy-making around the world. Through Fairtrade advocacy, they make their voices heard and can influence public policies.

Man from CLAAC standing on a banana farm with a local producer

Targeted projects and programmes

From leadership skills to consumer awareness and climate resilience: There is a wide range of projects and programmes taking place across the world to make fairness the new normal. We do this via strategic partnerships with private companies, governments, research institutions and civil society organisations.

Assuring integrity in checking compliance

The FAIRTRADE mark is highly trusted by consumers around the world. If the Fairtrade Standards are what organizations and companies are checked for, the Fairtrade assurance system defines how these entities are checked