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!
Mass Balance
Mass Balance is the practice in Fairtrade which requires certified companies to ensure that the amount of outputs sold as Fairtrade must be equivalent to the amount of inputs sourced as Fairtrade, taking into account production yields and losses. The quantity of products or ingredients sold must not exceed the quantity purchased, therefore ensuring that the “balance” is positive.
Mass Balance is only applicable to a few Fairtrade products (cocoa, cane sugar, juice and tea, as well as the FSP Cotton and Gold Sourcing Programmes).
- Single Site Mass Balance (SSMB) requires that all Fairtrade inputs must be delivered to and processed at the same site where the Fairtrade output is processed.
- Group Mass Balance (GMB) allows that Fairtrade inputs do not need to be delivered to the same site where the Fairtrade output is processed. Group Mass Balance is only allowed in cocoa and cane sugar.