Fair Trade Certified (Fair Trade USA) Certification Explained

Type: Cruelty-Free

Country: USA

Established: 1998

Scope

Food, textiles, seafood

Audit rigor

Level: third-party-audit. Supply-chain verified: Yes.

Cost for brands

Fair Trade premium per unit sold. Licence fee for mark.

Recognized in

USA, North America

Notes

The US equivalent of Fairtrade International (the two organisations parted in 2011 over strategic differences). Covers coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, flowers, seafood, and textiles. Does not certify vegan status. A product carrying Fair Trade Certified may be dairy, honey, or any other animal product — the certification addresses only social and economic equity in the supply chain.