Different Fair Trade Labels: How To Identify

If we all cross the shelves of our stores a packet of coffee, sugar or rice labeled "fair trade" and its iconic brands best known as Max Havelaar or Alter Eco present in supermarkets, how's there be in this jungle of labels that are increasing, like the labels of organic products? Here are some keys to better locate and make sure you buy fair trade, respecting the values of a more balanced development.

Brands and labels of products and fair trade organizations: how to sort
If the products of organic farming are more strictly regulated, for example by standards and labels on a national or European products fair trade still lack a formal regulation and what are the stakeholders themselves who have established qualifications.

The criteria thus vary organizations ... and the consumer has the responsibility for checking circuits, trademarks, and dies himself. However, certain criteria can help you check the levels of the industry fair.


Thus, this industry leading brands, such as Fairtrade Max Havelaart, Ecocert Fair for example, conduct annual inspections to verify various key points in respect of the values of "fair trade".

Process of verification and certification of fair trade products: what are the criteria?
There is first a certification system that attaches to the Fairtrade product itself:

1. control from producers and cooperatives in developing countries, especially on ethical working conditions, respect the environment, quality of products.
2. control from importers, including on prices and fair wages, supplies from producers involved in the process of fair trade
the label "fair trade" is affixed by an independent certifier, Ecocert particular, to ensure the whole process of verification.
3. Outside of this process depends on the marks themselves, overseen by independent certifiers, gradually set up a monitoring channels to international and European level through the certification of fair trade organizations.


The criteria of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
At European level, EFTA is a federation depends on the World Trade Organization Fair (WFTO), which oversees including fair trade organizations (or ECA), through a certification process to be renewed regularly, every two years to verify the seriousness of the whole chain of fair trade from producer to consumer.

This approach allows including ascertaining not only crafts and food, and it is part of a broader, more global.

Thus, types of handicraft products like Fair Trade Artisans du Monde can see more clearly in this second method of certification and verification. For consumers, one or other of these two methods of verification ensures that the product purchased complies with the values of fair trade.