Fairtrade International has officially launched the public consultation for its Standards Evolution Project inviting producer organisations, businesses, and partners around the world to help shape the future of Fairtrade Standards.

The consultation marks a major milestone in Fairtrade’s multi-year initiative to modernize and strengthen its standards in response to growing global challenges, including climate change, rising production costs, widening social inequalities, and increasingly complex human rights and environmental regulations.

As part of Fairtrade’s standard review process for changes in Standards, Fairtrade has published a consultation document with the proposed changes. Feedback will be collected through its online consultation platform, where stakeholders can focus on the issues most relevant to their role within Fairtrade.

Simultaneously, National Fairtrade Organisations located throughout the world will engage directly with partners, while Producer Networks organise workshops and field visits to gather input from farmers and workers in producing regions worldwide. Stakeholders participating in the consultation will be asked targeted questions aimed at ensuring the proposed changes are achievable and practical to implement.

The consultation materials are available in all official Fairtrade languages so that stakeholders across the global Fairtrade system can participate in this important process.

Soon after the consultation closes, a summary of the consultation will be published to give an overview of feedback received in an aggregated and anonymous form. All feedback gathered during the two-month consultation process will be carefully reviewed and used to enhance the new, evolved standards.

Lastly, the final outline of the revised Standards will be presented to Fairtrade’s Standards Committee for approval together with an implementation plan.

Fairtrade expects to publish its finalized evolved standards in 2027, with certification against the new standards beginning by 2028.

To watch a video about the consultation process, click here. And for more information or questions on the Standards Evolution project and the consultation process contact: standardsevolution@fairtrade.net