Becoming a licensed Fairtrade business

How To Become Licensed To Trade In Fairtrade Labelled 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

[ Alternatively, you can download all the relevant information in this section in a single pdf document, including the application form (you'll need Adobe Reader to view them) ]:

Click here for the Australian kit

Click here for the New Zealand Kit

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)

Where Do The License Fees Go?

Organisations that are licensed to use the FAIRTRADE Label on their products pay Fairtrade Labelling ANZ a percentage of the sales value of their Fairtrade products. Fairtrade Labelling ANZ is a not for private profit company and these fees are reinvested in the Fairtrade system, to the benefit of licensees and developing country producers, in the following ways:

1. A portion of license fees are used to pay for the monitoring and verification, in Australia and New Zealand, of the guarantees given to consumers with respect to the FAIRTRADE Label to ensure ongoing consumer confidence in the integrity of the Fairtrade Labelling system. This includes:

• desk audit of quarterly reports, 
• inspections of licensed operators,
• reviewing and approving product packaging and promotional use of the FAIRTRADE Label to ensure consistent use, and 
• verification and approval of product supply chains before licensing the use of the Label.

2. A percentage of license fees are paid to Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) by Fairtrade Labelling ANZ to assist in covering the costs of: 

• producer development work, 
• certification of producers and traders, 
• review and development of Fairtrade standards and policy, 
• continuous improvements in the global Fairtrade system, 
• the development of new Fairtrade products, and 
• other general costs of running a robust independent third party verification system that inspires the confidence of stakeholders and delivers poverty eradication and sustainable development to producers and communities in developing countries.

3. License fees are also spent on developing and providing point of sale promotional materials on Fairtrade Labelling that are available for use by licensees, e.g. window stickers, brochures, posters etc.

4. License fees also contribute to funding the work of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand in educating the public and promoting the FAIRTRADE Label to help grow the market for Fairtrade products and ultimately increase the sales of Fairtrade products in Australia and New Zealand. This includes: 

• maintaining the website with information on fair trade and a searchable database of where consumers can buy Fairtrade Labelled products, 
• organising and coordinating events like Fair Trade Fortnight each year, 
• assisting with negotiations and promotions with big retail chains, and 
• projects that support producers to bring new fair trade products to market.

For a complete breakdown of what you get for your licensee dollar, download this document (pdf, 170kb)