Devon Testing

SECTION 6: COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT

In this section you assess yourself against the Compliance Criteria of the WFTO Fair Trade Standard. For more information see the Application Guide & the WFTO Fair Trade Standard.

Principle 1 Opportunities for Economically Marginalised Producers

Decreasing economic inequality through trade forms a key part of the organisation’s aims. The organisation supports economically marginalised Producers and Workers, whether they are grouped in associations, co-operatives or companies, employed in Fair Trade committed family businesses, or informal/self-employed Workers or Homeworkers. It seeks to enable them to move from income insecurity and poverty to social and economic empowerment. The organisation has a plan of action to carry this out.

Compliance Criteria 1.1 (Mandatory)

Mission: Your constitution, bylaws, articles of association or other legal documents confirm that decreasing economic inequality through trade, the commitment to improve the socio-economic conditions of economically marginalised Producers and Workers, and/or trade justice are your organisation’s priority. Where legal or other legitimate barriers prevent this, the primacy of the social mission must be demonstrated through other supporting evidence.

Compliance Criteria 1.2 (Mandatory)

Senior management responsibility: Fair Trade is recognised at the highest level as an organisational objective and the implementation of the WFTO Fair Trade Standard is assigned to senior management. All management staff understand the Fair Trade Principles.

Compliance Criteria 1.3 (Mandatory)

Focus on economically marginalised Producers/Workers: You work and trade primarily with Workers, Producers and Suppliers of FT Products who are socially and/or economically marginalised, or who are buying from such groups, or otherwise demonstrate positive impact on economically marginalised groups as a central part of your business.

Compliance Criteria 1.4 (Mandatory)

Reinvesting profits: As a Fair Trade committed organisation, you re-invest the majority of your profits in your FT business and expansion of your Fair Trade activities and pay management at proportionate levels.

Principle 2 Transparency and Accountability

The organisation is transparent in its management and commercial relations. It is accountable to all its stakeholders and respects the sensitivity and confidentiality of commercial information. The organisation finds appropriate, participatory ways to involve Workers, Producers and members in its decision-making processes. It ensures that relevant information is provided to all its trading partners. The communication channels are good and open at all levels of the supply chain.

Compliance Criteria 2.1 (Mandatory)

Organisation and governance: You have a defined and functional organisational and governance structure, and a credible accounting system.

Compliance Criteria 2.2 (Mandatory)

Transparency: You provide transparent and well-founded information on your Fair Trade activities, including supply chains or membership requirements, to your trading partners and the public (as appropriate).

Principle 3 Fair Trade Practices

The Enterprise trades with concern for the social, economic and environmental well-being of Producers and Workers, does not maximise profit at their expense and does not cause negative impact on the environment.

Compliance Criteria 3.1 (Mandatory)

Trade Agreements: You have written agreements with your Producers and/or Suppliers of FT products, with relevant and appropriate details. E.g. product specification, delivery and lead times, pre-finance, price and payment terms, cancellation, and problem resolution.

Compliance Criteria 3.2 (Mandatory)

Respecting agreements: You respect your trade agreements and deliver products (or services) on time and to the desired quality and specification. In case of problems, you communicate in a timely manner with your trade partners and work to improve your performance.

Compliance Criteria 3.3 (Mandatory)

Payment: When buying FT products, you pay on receipt of the products/documents or within an agreed short period to allow for quality checks.

Compliance Criteria 3.5 (Mandatory)

Use of Pre-payments: If you receive prepayment from your FT buyers, you use it as agreed with the buyer.

Compliance Criteria 3.7 (Mandatory)

Long-term Relations: You maintain long-term relationships with your FT buyers, Producers and/or Suppliers of FT Products, aiming to maintain and, if possible, increase trade levels to benefit producers. You do not terminate trading relations or stop buying without appropriate notice and reason.

Compliance Criteria 3.8 (Mandatory)

Unfair competition: You do not engage in unfair competition with other FTOs (or FTNs, FTSOs) and respect intellectual property and associated rights regarding protected names/brands, designs, including logos, labels and culturally based designs or names. Unfair competition is defined as any deliberate action to harm competitors, e.g. making defamatory remarks about other FTOs to their buyers to persuade them to change to you as their supplier; deliberate short term / unsustainable dumping pricing practices to force competitors out of business.

Principle 4 Fair Payment

Please feel free to read more about our Fair Payment Tools on our website.

Principle 5 No Child Labour, No Forced Labour

The organisation adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and national/local law on the employment of children. Organisations who buy Fair Trade products from Producers/Producer groups or Fair Trade companies ensure that the Producers comply with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and national/local law on the employment of children. Any involvement of children in the production of Fair Trade products (including learning a traditional art or craft) is always disclosed and monitored and does not adversely affect the children’s well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play.

Compliance Criteria 5.1 (Mandatory)

No children employed: You do not employ children below the age of 15 or under the age defined by local law (whichever is higher) as Workers. For specified cases where child work is allowed by national law (e.g. work experience during school holidays) you must monitor the health, safety, welfare, education and right to play of working children according to the relevant UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Compliance Criteria 5.2 (Mandatory)

Protection of young workers: If you employ young Workers (15- 17 years) you ensure that their working conditions conform to applicable national regulations. You must not submit Workers of less than 18 years of age to any work which is likely to jeopardise their health, safety, morals or their school attendance.

Compliance Criteria 5.4 (Mandatory)

No forced Labour and human trafficking: You and your Producers do not restrict Workers’ freedom of movement or employment and are not involved in human trafficking.

Principle 6 No Discrimination, Gender Equity, Freedom of Association

The organisation does not discriminate in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/Aids status or age. Where women are employed within the organisation, even where it is an informal employment situation, they receive equal pay for equal work. The organisation recognises women’s full employment rights and is committed to ensuring that women receive their full statutory employment benefits. The organisation takes into account the special health and safety needs of pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers.

Compliance Criteria 6.1 (Mandatory)

No discrimination: In your employment practices you do not practice any discrimination in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, disciplinary practices, termination, or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/Aids status or age, unless it is part of your mission to favour particular disadvantaged groups.

Compliance Criteria 6.2 (Mandatory)

Fair Selection of Producers/Suppliers: In selection of FT Producers and/or Suppliers of FT Products you do not practice any discrimination. Preferential selection of disadvantaged groups (in line with your mission) is not considered “discrimination”.

Compliance Criteria 6.4 (Mandatory)

Violence/sexual harassment in your organisation: You have a system to enable confidential reporting of violence, harassment or sexual abuse and you follow up and resolve any such incidents.

Compliance Criteria 6.5 (Mandatory)

Pregnant Women and new parents: You respect all legal requirements for pregnant women and new parents.

Compliance Criteria 6.6 (Mandatory)

Freedom of Association: You respect the right of all your Workers to form and join Workers’ organisations of their choice and to bargain collectively. Where the right to join trade unions and bargain collectively is restricted by law and/or political environment, you should support alternative means of independent and free association and bargaining.

Principle 7 Good Working Conditions

The organisation provides a safe and healthy working environment for Workers and Producers. It complies, at a minimum, with national and local laws and ILO conventions on health and safety.

Compliance Criteria 7.7 (Mandatory)

Minimum Social security: You provide your Workers with all legally required social benefits (e.g. retirement contributions, sick leave, basic social security, health care contributions, as applicable).

Compliance Criteria 7.7 (Mandatory)

Paying Workers: You make payments to Workers at scheduled intervals in a form convenient to them, according to legal requirements, and documented on payslips.

Principle 8 Capacity Building

The organisation seeks to increase positive impact on people and the planet. The organisation supports the development of skills and capabilities of its workers and producers, as appropriate.

Principle 9 Promote Fair Trade

The organisation raises awareness of the aims of Fair Trade and of the need for greater justice in world trade through Fair Trade. This includes, but is not limited to, advocating for SDGs, promoting alternative business models and system change, and creating awareness of ongoing climate change and the impact this has on the Fair Trade community everywhere and especially on growers, producers and artisans who produce the lowest carbon emissions but suffer most from floods, droughts, changing rainfall patterns and rising temperature.

Compliance Criteria 9.1 (Mandatory)

Promoting FT: You promote and/or raise awareness of FT and FT Principles internally (with your Workers and Producers) as well as to your trade partners and the public (consumers, local community) according to the scope of your organisation.

Compliance Criteria 9.3 (Mandatory for FTEs)

Living up to your claims: You use honest and ethical advertising and marketing techniques.

Principle 10 Climate Action and Protecting Our Planet

Climate action, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and protection of the environment.

Compliance Criteria 10.1 (Mandatory)

Policy and Reporting: Your organisation works to understand the impact of your operations on the environment. Specifically, you have:

Compliance Criteria 10.2 (Mandatory for Agricultural producers)

Adapting agricultural practices: if you are an agricultural producer or work with agricultural producers, you encourage:

Data Confidentiality

WFTO will treat all information in this Application Form as strictly confidential. Once you are a Candidate, only the members name & contact details will be published on the WFTO website, as well as the members’ Fair Trade product categories.

However, WFTO reserves the right to produce statistics about its member base, based on the data included in this application. Such data will always be aggregated for members and presented in a way that does not allow tracing information back to an individual member.

By submitting this Application Form the organisation confirms the following:

  • All information about the organisation is correct and to the best of your knowledge

  • You agree to the all elements of the WFTO Application Procedure, including the above information being shared with WFTO Auditors that have signed a confidentiality agreement with WFTO.

  • You agree that WFTO may use the data in this Application Form for Fair Trade related statistics and studies about its members. Such data will always be published on an aggregated level for all members only, and never contain any information about individual members.

Confirmation

If you do not agree to the terms and conditions indicated above, you will not be able to submit your application. Acceptance of these terms is required for us to process your information. Please review and accept the terms to proceed with your submission.

Sign up to our Newsletter

Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific sourcing requests or queries.

Select Topic:

Contact us

Sourcing requests or queries

Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific sourcing requests or queries.

Principle One: Creating Opportunities for Economically Marginalised Producers

Poverty reduction through trade forms a key part of the organisation’s aims. The organisation supports marginalised small producers, whether these are independent family businesses, or grouped in associations or co-operatives. It seeks to enable them to move from income insecurity and poverty to economic self-sufficiency and ownership. The organisation has a plan of action to carry this out.

Principle Two: Transparency and Accountability

The organisation is transparent in its management and commercial relations. It is accountable to all its stakeholders and respects the sensitivity and confidentiality of commercial information supplied. The organisation finds appropriate, participatory ways to involve employees, members and producers in its decision-making processes. It ensures that relevant information is provided to all its trading partners. The communication channels are good and open at all levels of the supply chain.

Principle Three: Fair Trading Practices

The organisation trades with concern for the social, economic and environmental well-being of marginalised small producers and does not maximise profit at their expense. It is responsible and professional in meeting its commitments in a timely manner. Suppliers respect contracts and deliver products on time and to the desired quality and specifications.

Fair Trade buyers, recognising the financial disadvantages faced by Producers and Suppliers of Fair Trade products, ensure orders are paid on receipt of documents or as mutually agreed. For Handicraft FT products, an interest free pre-payment of at least 50 % is made on request. For Food FT products, pre-payment of at least 50% at a reasonable interest is made if requested. Interest rates that the suppliers pay must not be higher than the buyers’ cost of borrowing from third parties. Charging interest is not required.

Where southern Fair Trade suppliers receive a pre-payment from buyers, they ensure that this payment is passed on to the producers or farmers who make or grow their Fair Trade products.

Buyers consult with suppliers before cancelling or rejecting orders. Where orders are cancelled through no fault of producers or suppliers, adequate compensation is guaranteed for work already done. Suppliers and producers consult with buyers if there is a problem with delivery, and ensure compensation is provided when delivered quantities and qualities do not match those invoiced.

The organisation maintains long term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade. It maintains effective communication with its trading partners. Parties involved in a trading relationship seek to increase the volume of the trade between them and the value and diversity of their product offer as a means of growing Fair Trade for the producers in order to increase their incomes. The organisation works cooperatively with the other Fair Trade Enterprises in country and avoids unfair competition. It avoids duplicating the designs of patterns of other organisations without permission.

Fair Trade recognises, promotes and protects the cultural identity and traditional skills of small producers as reflected in their craft designs, food products and other related services.

Principle Four: Fair Payment

A fair payment is one that has been mutually negotiated and agreed by all through on-going dialogue and participation, which provides fair pay to the producers and can also be sustained by the market, taking into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men. The aim is always the payment of a Local Living Wage. Fair Payment is made up of Fair Prices, Fair Wages and Local Living Wages.
  • Fair Prices

    Fair Prices

    A Fair Price is freely negotiated through dialogue between the buyer and the seller and is based on transparent price setting. It includes a fair wage and a fair profit. Fair prices represent an equitable share of the final price to each player in the supply chain.

  • Fair Wages

    Fair Wages

    A Fair Wage is an equitable, freely negotiated and mutually agreed wage, and presumes the payment of at least a Local Living Wage.

  • Living Wages

    Living Wages

    A Local Living Wage is remuneration received for a standard working week (no more than 48 hours) by a Worker in a particular place, sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the Worker and her or his family. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, health care, transport, clothing, and other essential needs, including provision for unexpected events.

Principle Five: Ensuring no Child Labour and Forced Labour

The organisation adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national / local law on the employment of children. The organisation ensures that there is no forced labour in its workforce and / or members or homeworkers.

Organisations who buy Fair Trade products from producer groups either directly or through intermediaries ensure that no forced labour is used in production and the producer complies with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national / local law on the employment of children. Any involvement of children in the production of Fair Trade products (including learning a traditional art or craft) is always disclosed and monitored and does not adversely affect the children’s well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play.

Principle Six: Commitment to Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Women’s Economic Empowerment, and Freedom of Association

The organisation does not discriminate in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/AIDS status or age.

The organisation has a clear policy and plan to promote gender equality that ensures that women as well as men have the ability to gain access to the resources that they need to be productive and also the ability to influence the wider policy, regulatory, and institutional environment that shapes their livelihoods and lives. Organisational constitutions and by-laws allow for and enable women  to become active members of the organisation in their own right (where it is a membership based organisation), and to take up leadership positions in the governance structure regardless of women’s status in relation to ownership of assets such as land and property. Where women are employed within the organisation, even where it is an informal employment situation, they receive equal pay for equal work.  The organisation recognises women’s full employment rights and is committed to ensuring that women receive their full statutory employment benefits. The organisation takes into account the special health and safety needs of pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers.

The organisation respects the right of all employees to form and join trade unions of their choice and to bargain collectively. Where the right to join trade unions and bargain collectively are restricted by law and/or political environment, the organisation will enable means of independent and free association and bargaining for employees. The organisation ensures that representatives of employees are not subject to discrimination in the workplace.

Principle Seven: Ensuring Good Working Conditions

The organisation provides a safe and healthy working environment for employees and / or members. It complies, at a minimum, with national and local laws and ILO conventions on health and safety.

Working hours and conditions for employees and / or members (and any homeworkers) comply with conditions established by national and local laws and ILO conventions.

Fair Trade Enterprises are aware of the health and safety conditions in the producer groups they buy from. They seek, on an ongoing basis, to raise awareness of health and safety issues and improve health and safety practices in producer groups.

Principle Eight: Providing Capacity Building

The organisation seeks to increase positive developmental impacts for small, marginalised producers through Fair Trade.

The organisation develops the skills and capabilities of its own employees or members. Organisations working directly with small producers develop specific activities to help these producers improve their management skills, production capabilities and access to markets – local / regional / international / Fair Trade and mainstream as appropriate. Organisations which buy Fair Trade products through Fair Trade intermediaries in the South assist these organisations to develop their capacity to support the marginalised producer groups that they work with.

Principle Nine: Promoting Fair Trade

The organisation raises awareness of the aim of Fair Trade and of the need for greater justice in global trade through Fair Trade. It advocates for the objectives and activities of Fair Trade according to the scope of the organisation. The organisation provides its customers with information about itself, the products it markets, and the producer organisations or members that make or harvest the products. Honest advertising and marketing techniques are always used.

Principle Ten: Climate Action and Protection of the Environment

Fair Trade Organisations support and practice production, agriculture, service and trade activities that are natural resource conserving, low-emitting, culturally sensitive, socially just and economically viable. They work on adapting and building resilience to climate change and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of their operations. Where they work with groups of agricultural producers and indigenous people, FTOs contribute to the conservation of their territories, strengthen their systems of land use (cultural landscapes) and protect their biodiversity with the aim of preserving the ecosystem and strengthening their agricultural models to gain resilience to climate change.

Buyers and importers of Fair Trade products and services support their supply chain partners in adopting practices and transport options that encourage sustainable development and protect our planet at this time of crisis.

Updating Your Application...

We’re crafting a better tomorrow together!

Please don’t close this window.

Updating Your Member Profile...

We’re crafting a better tomorrow together!

Please don’t close this window.

Stay Connected with WFTO!
Sign up for our exclusive member newsletter and be the first to receive updates on the latest news, events, and resources from the World Fair Trade Organization. Stay informed and empowered with all the tools you need to stay engaged with our global community.<br>

Updating Your Member Profile...

We’re crafting a better tomorrow together!

Please don’t close this window.

Our Member Hub is presently transitioning. We kindly ask for your patience. If you encounter any login issues, please contact support.