Fair Trade USA Certification

1. Apply for Certification

   Complete a Fair Trade USA application form (downloadable at https://www.fairtradecertified.org/business/standards/documents/agricultural-production-standard-application) and email the application to [email protected]. Once Fair Trade USA has reviewed your application to ensure eligibility, your application will be forwarded to SCS.

2. Authorize a Proposal and Schedule Audit

   SCS will review your application and prepare a proposal with scope of work, timeline and quote for your review and approval. We will also work with you to schedule audit dates. To initiate the certification process, sign and return the Work Order.

3. Prepare for Audit

   Upon receipt of the signed Work Order, SCS will request documents and provide an audit plan in advance of the onsite audit. 

4. Undergo Audit

   The onsite audit includes field visits, worker interviews, management interviews and document review. Preliminary findings are communicated on the last day of the audit during the closing meeting. The audit report is then sent to you within 28 days.

5. Certification Approval

   Certification or recertification is granted if any identified Priority Non-Conformities (NCs) are corrected and closed. If a positive certification decision is made, a 3.5-year certificate is issued. SCS issues and sends the certificate with the final audit report. Surveillance audits are conducted annually to maintain the certificate in good standing.

6. Certification Decision

   Any issues cited in the Non-Conformity Report (NCR) are addressed in the Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) process. CAPs are your opportunity to conduct a root cause analysis, make necessary corrections, propose preventive actions on the NCs found, and provide clear evidence that implementation has occurred. To maintain your certificate in good standing, the CAP process has to be completed within five rounds of CAP and a maximum period of 6 months.

Benefits of Certification

• Demonstrate your organization’s commitment to safeguard the environment, and the health and well-being of workers and communities
• Brand your products as ethical alternatives for values-based shoppers
• Establish best practices within your organization for environmental and worker protections
• Provide funds for community enrichment projects
• Be a part of a global network of FTUSA certified suppliers, exporters, and importers

How will Fair Trade certification benefit our company in the global marketplace? 
Fair Trade USA certification is recognized in the North American market by a large number of retailers including Walmart, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger.

How long does a Fair Trade audit take to complete? 
The audit duration depends on the number and sizes of sites (farms and facilities) to be included in the audit scope, the different types of produce to include, the worker housing, the subcontractors, etc.

How long does it take to be certified? 
Once SCS receives the client’s application from FTUSA, SCS responds with a quote within 1 week. Audit dates need to be scheduled during peak harvest activities and when 50% of the workforce is present. An audit usually takes 2-3 months to plan. After the audit occurs and the audit report is sent out, it may take the applicant 2-6 months to implement and finalize the Corrective Action Plan process. Certification can therefore take 4-9 months to be granted.

How long does Fair Trade certification last? 
A FTUSA certificate is valid for 3 years, but the program requires annual audits. The first audit is an evaluation audit (Year 0), followed by 2 years of surveillance audits (Year 1 and 2), and Year 3 is a re-evaluation audit. By Year 6, the certificate holder is expected to comply with all requirements of the FTUSA standards, and in order to maintain the certification, annual audits will continue to be scheduled.

Is Fair Trade certification only for specific products, or can an entire company or produce become Fair Trade certified? 
Fair Trade certification can be applied to any product. Please consult Fair Trade’s list of certified products here. The client may choose what sites, farms, facilities, and produce to include in the Fair Trade certified scope.

Are Fair Trade audits on site or virtual audits? 
Since 2020, we have adopted a hybrid audit methodology that comprises a remote portion focused on document review and management staff interviews, followed by an onsite portion focused on field visits and worker interviews. This is subject to change.

Does Fair Trade certification have any impacts on climate change? 
Fair Trade USA’s APS and CFS standards do not have direct requirements dealing with carbon emissions, sequestration, GHG emissions and monitoring. (Refer to Module 4 in the Fair Trade Agricultural Production Standard 1.2.0.)

Does Fair Trade certification have any impacts on environmental protection? 
Fair Trade USA’s APS and CFS standards (specifically Module 4) require certificate holders to sustainably manage their pesticide use, water consumption, waste management and have a strong awareness of protected lands, endangered species and enhancing biodiversity.

Does SCS only audit U.S. companies to the Fair Trade Standard? 
SCS works with professional, highly trained and experienced auditors. We have local onsite auditors in the US, Canada, South and Latin America including the countries of Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru, as well as professionals in the Philippines who serve our Southeast Asia and Indian clients and auditors in Africa, specifically in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Mozambique.

Visit the Fair Trade USA’s website for questions related to the standard requirements.

SCS is proud to be a member of APSCA, a professional association promoting the use of reputable independent social compliance audits as a tool to advance workplace conditions globally. APSCA (Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors) is an industry association, whose members represent a substantial majority of the Social Compliance audit industry. Our mission is to enhance the professionalism, consistency and credibility of the individuals and organizations performing independent social compliance audits.