Getting certified
In order to be able to sell into the Fairtrade market a producer organisation needs to be certified by FLO-CERT. Read more about the producer certification process on our website here.
Deciding whether to get certified is an important business decision. Audits will need to be undertaken and paid for annually. You should decide whether you think the costs are going to be worth the expected benefits.
As part of this decision, you should find out if there are any buyers who want to buy your products under Fairtrade terms in the countries you want to sell to. Being certified does not guarantee that you will sell your product to the Fairtrade market on Fairtrade terms.
Finding buyers
The whole supply chain from producer to consumer will be audited by FLO-CERT (or a Fairtrade Labelling Initiative) to ensure that all organisations who take ownership of a product are compliant with Fairtrade standards. The buyer of your products needs to be licensed to sell products with the FAIRTRADE Mark. They will need to apply to be a Fairtrade trader, through FLO-CERT (or a Labelling Initiative) in the country in which they wish to sell your products to an end consumer.
Fairtrade Africa recognises that finding buyers is often a challenge for producer organisations. Regional coordinators within Fairtrade Africa work with local partners to expose producers to new supply chains and promote Fairtrade certified producers on local and international markets.
Regional coordinators aim to keep updated information about traders located in or buying from their region. Producers can contact regional coordinators for support in finding buyers, or to inform them about products they feel would benefit from greater market exposure. Regional coordinators will then work to facilitate producers’ access to the Fairtrade market and link producer organisations to known financial and business assistance opportunities.