Fairtrade International
Fairtrade International sets the standards behind the FAIRTRADE Mark, the label you'll see on coffee, chocolate, tea and bananas. It certifies products and ingredients rather than whole businesses, and the farmers and workers it serves hold half the vote in how it's run. Every brand on this page sells Fairtrade certified products, which we confirm before listing.
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Represented by Fairtrade's three producer networks
Held by farmers and workers in Fairtrade's General Assembly
Max Havelaar coffee
Figures from Fairtrade, last checked October 2026.
Here's what Fairtrade certification actually means
Fairtrade certification follows a product, not a company. A coffee roaster can sell Fairtrade certified coffee, and each link from the farmers' organization to the roaster is checked against Fairtrade standards.
Two economic rules sit at the centre. The Fairtrade Minimum Price acts as a safety net when market prices fall too low to sustain production. The Fairtrade Premium is an extra sum paid on top of the price, and producers decide together how to invest it in their farms, businesses or communities.
The standards also cover working conditions and the environment. They ban the worst forms of child and forced labour, restrict harmful chemicals and prohibit genetically modified seeds. FLOCERT, an independent certifier, audits producers and traders against them.
What Fairtrade standards require
| Standard | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Fairtrade Minimum Price | A price floor that acts as a safety net when market prices fall too low |
| Fairtrade Premium | An extra sum on top of the price for producers to invest |
| Democratic decisions | Producers decide together how the Premium is spent |
| No child or forced labour | The worst forms of child and forced labour are banned |
| Environmental protection | Harmful chemicals restricted and genetically modified seeds prohibited |
| Independent audits | FLOCERT checks producers and traders against the standards |
| Producer governance | Farmers and workers hold half the vote in Fairtrade's General Assembly |
Why this all matters
Commodity prices swing with weather and global supply, and the people at the start of the chain are often the least able to absorb a bad year. A price floor and a predictable premium give farmers something they can plan around.
The Premium matters because producers decide how to spend it. That's the difference between trade and charity: the money comes from selling a product on fair terms, and the people who earned it choose what it builds.
Producers usually sell only part of their harvest on Fairtrade terms, because that's how much buyers ask for. Every Fairtrade purchase adds to that demand, so more of each harvest can earn the Premium.
With and without Fairtrade: a quick comparison
| Without certification | With Fairtrade certification |
|---|---|
| Price set entirely by volatile markets | A minimum price as a safety net for most products |
| No extra community investment | Premium paid on top, invested as producers decide |
| Child and forced labour risks unchecked | Worst forms banned and audited |
| Environmental practices unknown | Harmful chemicals restricted, genetically modified seeds prohibited |
Shop verified Fairtrade brands
- Live on TLM
Gimme! Coffee
Specialty coffee from Gimme! Coffee, a worker-owned cooperative roaster and café company in Ithaca, New York.
Shop Gimme! Coffee → - Live on TLM
Temecula Coffee Roasters
Organic Fairtrade® coffees from Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Sumatra, roasted to order in Temecula, California.
Shop Temecula Coffee Roasters → - Live on TLM
Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Fair Trade Organic coffees roasted on California's Mendocino Coast by a family company founded in 1972.
Shop Thanksgiving Coffee Company →
About Fairtrade certification
What's the difference between Fairtrade and fair trade?
'Fair trade' is the broader approach to sourcing and production that puts fair pay and working conditions first. 'Fairtrade', one word, usually means Fairtrade International's certification and the FAIRTRADE Mark. Not every fair trade product carries that mark, but products that do must meet its standards.
What is the Fairtrade Premium?
It's an extra sum paid to producers on top of the price of their product. Farmers and workers decide together how to invest it, for example in their farms, their businesses or community projects.
How does The Labour Movement check Fairtrade claims?
We confirm a brand's current Fairtrade certification status before it's listed and ask for supporting documents where we need them. Every brand is also vetted against our own fair trade standards and reviewed each year, because a certification is a strong signal but not a substitute for ongoing checks.