Fair Trade USA™ Factory Production Standards 2.0 Transformation

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Mar 16, 2023, 09:00 ET

New redesign improves and accelerates process to become Fair Trade Certified™

OAKLAND, Calif., March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fair Trade USA™ recently unveiled its new Factory Production Standard, significantly improving its overall certification process. The redesign supports accelerated factory onboarding, expansion into new product category and countries, affordability, and accessibility.

"This new program aims to broaden and scale impact to factory workers around the world." said Larry Ruff, President of Fair Trade USA. "These innovations create a more seamless operation as we move to scale and are a vital part of the program's transformation. We envision a time when sourcing from Fair Trade Certified factories is the norm, and all consumers have access to Fair Trade Certified products."

"We applaud Fair Trade USA's efforts to streamline certification under their Factory Redesign Program with the ultimate goal of increasing funds available to workers. We hope to see more companies adopt Fair Trade to drive the greatest impact."
– Wendy Savage, Sr. Director of Social Impact & Transparency at Patagonia

"As a brand who has been working with the program since the first apparel pilot back in 2010, we are excited that these changes can help Fair Trade open new countries quicker and bring more brands into the program."
– Ellen Johnson Sustainability and Social Impact Manager at prAna

"It's been very meaningful to partner with Fair Trade USA to establish the first Fair Trade Certification in the beauty industry. We look forward to growing consumer awareness and education around fair trade practices to make a difference in communities around the world."
– Tarang Amin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at e.l.f. Beauty

Program Innovations:

Easier Entry – An approach that promotes accessibility and ease of entry for businesses wanting to source via Fair Trade Certified™ factories, incentivizing progress over time.
Faster Onboarding – Third Party program recognition enables cost and time efficiencies by reducing excess auditing.
Expansion of Product Categories & Countries – Clarifies scope to allow for more diverse facilities and expansion beyond apparel to include cosmetics, footwear and other industries.
Simplified Pricing Model – Release of a new and simplified pricing model is available to better meet partners' budgets.
Additional Supporting Activity – Enhanced compatibility with industry initiatives – align requirements and language with Fair Labor Association (FLA) and various companies' Codes of Conduct.

Launched in 2010, more than 100 factories in 13 countries have been certified to date, representing 65 brands. Fair Trade USA plans to scale the program and significantly increase its impact between now and 2030.

For more information about Fair Trade USA, visit the website.

About Fair Trade USA   

Fair Trade USA, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the leading certifier of fair trade products in North America. Offering award-winning, rigorous, and globally recognized sustainable sourcing certification programs that improve livelihoods, protect the environment, and build resilient, transparent supply chains, its trusted Fair Trade Certified™ seal on a product signifies that it was made according to stringent fair trade standards.

Contact Information:   
Fair Trade USA  
Vernaé Graham 
Senior Manager, Public Relations 
[email protected]
FairTradeCertified.org

SOURCE Fair Trade USA