All about FLOCERT’s audits: Getting it right
10.03.2026
Much of FLOCERT's Fairtrade Certification work is based on audits. They are crucial for assessing whether companies comply with the Fairtrade Standards. Our audits go far beyond ticking boxes, as our auditors must collect and verify substantial amounts of information. How do they find out what they need, and how can they be sure the information is correct? How do they stay on top of Standard changes? And what happens if allegations are received?
FLOCERT's video podcast host Eva Wiegand sat down with our auditing experts, Stephany Tadadjeu and Chris Schmeling, for a look behind the scenes of FLOCERT's audits.
Both Stephany and Chris are experienced auditors themselves and manage auditors in Africa. Stephany's focus is on Small-scale Producer Organisations, while Chris mostly handles audits of Hired Labour organisations, i.e., flower or tea plantations.
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How do you verify information in an audit?
Cooperatives often have hundreds of members. How do you pick the farms you visit?
How can auditors get buy-in from the communities they visit?
How do you avoid that farmers are prepped before the auditor comes?
Audits typically take 1-3 days. How does FLOCERT treat potential Standard violations during the rest of the year? How do we process such allegations?
Will AI replace FLOCERT audits with human auditors?
How can you find the critical spots when auditing large flower plantations?
How can you make sure that workers will talk to the auditor openly?
How does FLOCERT make sure compliance issues are detected and handled similarly, and auditors are up to speed?
Find out more about this episode's guests!
Stephany Tadadjeu is Certification Manager for Africa at FLOCERT. Born in Cameroon, she joined the company in 2011 and has a background in Commercial Law. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Stephany manages a team of auditors for the French-speaking countries in Africa, who mostly carry out producer audits at Small-scale producer organisations, and trader audits. In her free time, Stephany likes to spend quality time with her family and friends.
Chris Schmeling has been working with FLOCERT since 2002; first as an auditor, and, since 2007, as regional coordinator. Having been raised on a coffee farm in Tanzania, Chris has first-hand experience of growing coffee and living in a rural community. He holds a master's degree in tropical agriculture from the University of Hohenheim, Germany. Chris is still based in Northern Tanzania, which he considers home. He manages FLOCERT's auditors in the English-speaking countries in Africa and is an expert especially for Hired Labour audits.
About the interviewer
Eva Wiegand is FLOCERT's Communications Manager and hosted this look behind the scenes "vodcast" edition of our podcast. In her free time, she likes discovering new indie music.