How To Become Licensed To Trade In Fairtrade Labeled Products In Australia And New Zealand

Step One: Review Information

Gather and read all the information on the Fairtrade system from this website or request information from Fairtrade Labelling ANZ by phone or email. We are happy to answer any questions you have about the process.

Here are links to the most important and relevant information on the Fairtrade Certification and Labelling system internationally:

1. a general introduction to the FLO Fairtrade Certification System
2. a general introduction to the Fairtrade Certification Label (or Mark)
3. detail on the Fairtrade standards that are guaranteed by the Fairtrade Certification Label
4. an explanation of certification processes for producers, traders and consumers
5. answers to Frequently Asked Questions
6. five principles of the Fairtrade Certification & Labelling system

Here are links to relevant information for Australia & New Zealand:

1. our service offer to licensed businesses
2. an outline of how the licence fees charged for use of the Label are spent, and what you as licensees get for your dollar
3. the business case for using Fairtrade Certification & Labelling
4. frequently asked questions
5. glossary of Fairtrade terms

Step Two: Apply

If after reviewing the information, you decide to become a Fairtrade licensee, you will need to complete a Fairtrade License Application Form.

Write to admin@fairtrade.com.au or call +61 3 9662 2919 for a form or download it here:

Fairtrade Licensee Application Form (Word document, 97kb)

There are no application fees. License applications may take up to 4 weeks to be approved.

If you are unsure about whether you need to become licensed, or have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

Step Three: Product Registration

Fairtrade Labelling Australia & New Zealand licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Label on products. We do not license a whole company or endorse their general practices.

Therefore, we will need to know the details of the products you wish to have licensed, including the supply chain back to the original producer. The two key elements we check is to ensure that the original producer organisation is Fairtrade certified and that they have been paid the Fairtrade price and premium for the particular product to be sold to your business. For a product to carry the FAIRTRADE Label, the complete supply chain from the producer organisation to you needs to be transparent and registered under the Fairtrade system.

Fairtrade Labelling ANZ can provide you with information on your importer options for the product you are interested in, or you can search our database for current importers on our website http://www.fairtrade.com.au/?q=locator. For overseas suppliers, you should contact our office.

Once we receive your application form, we will call you to discuss what products you are developing and their supply chain.

Step Four: Sign The Licence Agreement

Once we confirm that your supply chain meets international Fairtrade Certification standards, we will send you a License Agreement.

Once you have signed this and returned it to us, your business becomes a Fairtrade licensed company.

You will be given a unique Fairtrade identification number and you will become authorised to buy Fairtrade Certified ingredients from Fairtrade registered suppliers.

You will get access to all the services we offer and you will be eligible to apply the FAIRTRADE Label to all of the products that you have registered with us.

Someone from Fairtrade Labelling ANZ will be in touch with you to welcome you to the system, provide you with the latest information on Fairtrade, and let you know about the range of resources you are able to access.

Step Five: Get Your Packaging Approved

The final step is to ensure that your packaging and promotional materials meet Fairtrade requirements. These requirements are simple, and are laid out clearly in instruction manuals which you or your designer will need to read. We will provide you with high-resolution artwork of the FAIRTRADE Label, and our licensing team are on hand to assist you. Once your designs are approved…
you are set to go!

You can download these steps as a pdf file here (pdf, 38kb)