About
Fairtrade International uses a structured, transparent process to review and revise its Standards and Minimum Prices, in line with the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Sustainability Systems. This process is managed by the Standards & Pricing Unit and overseen by the Standards Committee. Public consultation is a formal and essential step, ensuring standards and prices reflect real-world conditions and stakeholder input before adoption.
Summary of the Standard Operating Procedure
1. Initiation of a Standards Review
A review is initiated when a Standard or Minimum Price reaches its scheduled review cycle or a request for review is submitted and accepted. The scope, objectives, timeline, and stakeholder groups to be consulted are defined at the start of the project.
2. Research and Drafting
The Standards or Pricing team conducts an internal analysis, collects data (i.e. costs of sustainable production, non-compliances, and other), and may commission studies or expert input. Based on this research, a draft revised standard or price (or proposed changes) is developed. These drafts forms the basis for stakeholder consultation.
3. Public Consultation (Core Participatory Step)
Public consultation is a mandatory and central element of Fairtrade’s SOP for standard or price review.
- Purpose: The consultation ensures that producers, traders, National Fairtrade Organisations, civil society, companies, and other stakeholders can provide feedback on proposed changes in Standards and Prices before decisions are made.
- Publication of Consultation Documents: Draft or proposed standards and prices are published on the Fairtrade International website, along with instructions on how to provide feedback. Each consultation remains open for a fixed time period.
- Open and Inclusive Participation: All interested stakeholders are invited to participate. Feedback is submitted using standardised templates or online formats to ensure consistency and comparability of responses.
- Transparency of Timing and Scope: The consultation period, status (open or closed), and subject of the review are publicly communicated through “Fairtrade International Consultation platform” channels.
4. Review of Consultation Feedback
After the consultation closes, the Standards or Pricing team analyses all comments received. Key themes, concerns, and suggestions are documented and assessed to determine how they should be reflected in the next Standard draft. For price reviews, the outcomes are compiled and discussed with the project team, who define the recommendation on prices to be submitted to the decision of the Standard committee.
5. Feedback Summary and Decision-Making
For standards reviews, the Standards or Pricing team prepares a consultation feedback summary, explaining how stakeholder input was considered and which changes were accepted or rejected. The revised standard is then submitted to the Standards Committee for approval.
6. Approval and Publication
Once approved, the final revised standard or price is published, including information on effective dates and transition periods. All relevant documentation is publicly available to ensure accountability and clarity.