Fair Trade is all about transparency, and we want to provide as much as possible.

Check back here often or look to our blog for the latest updates on our certification process.

WFTO (IFAT) Certification

Green Action- SAHA Fair Trade is in the process of applying for international membership, recognition, and certification by the World Fair Trade Organization (formerly known as IFAT) that advocates, develops the markets and monitors Fair Trade across the world.   WFTO represents a global network of Fair Trade organizations that enables producers to improve their livelihoods and communities. We are in the process of finalizing the assessment report to be submitted in the next coming weeks. The report includes our organizational profile, a comprehensive report about our fair trade policies and practices, and references that testify to our performance. The WFTO report is very thorough and demanding, requiring complete transparency and details to prove accountability. Once the report is finalized we will publish it here.

Reporting our policies and practices includes the following indicators:
• Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers
• Transparency and Accountability- reporting social and financial activities
• Capacity Building- reporting on staff and producer's capacity building
• Promoting Fair Trade- evidence of our advocacy activities
• Fair Pay and Prompt Payments- providing evidence of our remuneration system
• Gender Equity- proving our organization's policy towards women's needs and empowerment
• Proving our policy and practices for healthy and safe working conditions
• Providing evidence of our policy towards child labor
• Providing evidence for responsible environmental practices

We are motivated to acquire the WFTO membership for several reasons: we believe that international standardization of Fair Trade increases trust in it's practices, encourages and advocates globally for Fair Trade, and supports the development of the market of Fair Trade through organization and business networking.

We are looking forward to being members of this global network of Fair Trade organizations.

Status Update, Feb. 19, 2009:

Our staff is reviewing the almost-completed application. As a final step, we have asked our accountant to prepare the neccesary financial documentation, which we expect to receive soon.  -SRG

FLO

The Fairtrade Labeling Organization, or FLO, is the international standards-setting body for individual fair trade products. In order for a product to carry the internationally-recognized FairTrade label, every member of the product's supply chain--from the producer to the distributor--must be certified by the FLO's certifying arm, FLO-CERT. This is a long, rigorous and costly process, but ensures compliance with fair trade standards and gives consumers the confidence that their products were produced ethically and environmentally.

FLO sets specific standards for each individual product it certifies, and while the list is constantly growing, currently only two of our products--olives and olive oil--have FLO product standards and are therefore eligible for certification.The standards for olives and olive oil were finalized in July 2008, and there are may cooperatives in the process of applying for FLO certification for these products--the first cooperatives will be recieving their certification in the coming months.

We are working with all of our cooperatives who are able to apply for FLO certification. It will take lots of time, energy, and money, but we believe it is an important step for consumer confidence and international recognition.

We have been advised by the FLO to wait to apply for certification until our cooperatives are close to recieving theirs since the process is much shorter for us as a distributor than it is for them as producers. Check back here for updates on our status and our producers!

Status Update, February 19, 2009:

Last week we met with an olive oil cooperative that has completed the first phase of the FLO application. They tell us they will likely recieve their certification only in late 2009 at the earliest. No one said this would be an easy process...we'll keep you posted.