What are the 'Producer Standards'?

Producer Standards are international standards to ensure that Fairtrade producers in developing countries can improve their lives and their communities. There are different standards for small farms and for plantations, as well as for different crops in different countries. The general standards aim to ensure that:

• Farmers are paid a fair price that allows them to provide for their families
• Small farmers join together in democratic organisations, such as cooperatives, which can make them stronger as a group and help them get a better price for their products
• Farmers and plantation workers receive an extra Fairtrade ‘premium’ to spend on community projects such as schools, hospitals and clean water, and farmers can also put it back into their businesses to help them grow
• Workers on plantations have safe and healthy working conditions, the freedom to join a union to protect their rights, and child labour is not permitted
• The natural environment is protected by reducing the amount of chemicals used, conserving water and producing less waste.