Glossary
If you feel that the world of Fair Trade has its very own language – don’t fret! We’ll keep you in the know!
With this glossary we’ll guide you through the common technical terms used by FLOCERT, Fairtrade International and the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO).
Learn about the wor(l)ds of Fair Trade below!
1st grade organisation
A Small-scale Producer Organisation (SPO) whose legal members are exclusively individual farmers.
2nd grade organisation
A Small-scale Producer Organisation (SPO) whose legal members are exclusively 1st grade organisation affiliates.
3rd grade organisation
A Small-scale Producer Organisation (SPO) whose legal members are exclusively 2nd grade organisation affiliates.
Accreditation
The formal declaration and recognition by a neutral third party and authoritative body that a certification body and its programme is competent to …
Additional Entity
Any entity including, but not limited to, sub-organisations, additional sites and subcontractors that are involved with the Fairtrade products of a …
Affiliate
A producer organisation (e.g. 1st grade, 2nd grade, plantation) that operates under an umbrella body (e.g. 2nd or 3rd grade organisation, Multi …
Agent
An organisation or individual who provides services to organisations and does not take legal ownership of a product.
Allegation
An accusation, made by a third party, against a Fairtrade-certified organisation, claiming that this organisation violated the Fairtrade Standards, …
Appeal
An official customer request to revoke or reverse a Certification Decision.
Appeals Committee
An internal quality control body that objectively supervises the decision-making process carried out within FLOCERT. It is therefore responsible for …
Artisanal Small-scale Mining Organisation (ASMO)
An ASMO comprises artisanal and small-scale miners and/or is held by legal owners, landowners, shareholders, and/or members. It is constituted …
Artwork approval
The process by which prospective users apply for and receive written permission to use trademarks, such as the Fairtrade Brand Mark and the FAIRTRADE …
Assurance
FLOCERT provides independent and impartial assurance services. This requires the following five components:
A three-party relationship – the …
Audit
An evidence-gathering process that aims to assess the compliance of an organisation and/or a product with certain standards. There are three types of …
Auditor
A person qualified to carry out audits on behalf of a certification body.
Learn more about the audits carried out by FLOCERT auditors.