FLOCert

FLOCert
Limited company
Industry Product certification
Founded 2003
Headquarters Bonn, Germany
Key people
 Rudiger Meyer, Managing Director; Dr Esther L Guluma, Chair of the Supervisory Board
Products Audit, Certification, Trade Audit
Website www.flocert.net

FLOCert (stylised as FLOCERT) is the audit and certification body for Fairtrade Standards. It was created in November 2003 as an independently governed subsidiary of Fairtrade International.

FLOCert audits and certifies over 3000 Fairtrade players, ranging from small producer organizations to large global retailers, in more than 120 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In order to guarantee the credibility of the Fairtrade Certification Mark, FLOCert operates an independent, transparent and worldwide consistent certification system which is accredited by ISO 17065, the international quality norm for certification bodies.[1]

Producer certification

FLOCert ensures that producers and traders comply with the FLO International Fairtrade Standards, that traders pay the Fairtrade Premium to producers and that producers invest the benefits received through Fairtrade in their development.

FLOCert works with a network of around 100 independent auditors who visit all organizations that seek certification (small producer groups, plantations or contract production setups) and report back to FLOCert. The audit methodology is tailor-made for the evaluation of the Fairtrade Standards. The auditors are mainly locally based (in the country itself or neighbouring country) and familiar with the local culture, law and language.

Trade certification

FLOCert has also developed a trade auditing system to monitor traders compliance with the Fairtrade International Trader Standard. The system was created to check that every Fairtrade labelled product sold to a consumer has been produced by a certified producer organization that has been paid the Fairtrade price.

Fairtrade licensees (companies that have license contracts to use a Fairtrade label) are also subject to auditing, although in cases where these only handle finished products, this is done by the respective National Fairtrade Organization.

ISO 17065 Accreditation

FLOCert has ISO 17065 accreditation, the international standard for ensuring fair and capable certification of products, processes and services.

References

  1. ↑ "Our roots, history, background and role in Fairtrade". FLOCERT. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
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