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!

Navigate the glossary by letter

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
An Additional Entity is a site or legal entity that does not take legal ownership of the Fairtrade product but provides services involving the …
Additional Entity Audit
FLOCERT audit carried out at the premises of a Master Operator’s Additional Entity.
Affiliate
A producer organisation (e.g. 1st grade, 2nd grade, plantation) that operates under an umbrella body such as a 2nd (or 3rd) grade organisation or …
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 organisation, claiming it has violated the Fairtrade Standards, FLOCERT policies, or other …
Appeal
An official request by the customer to revoke or reverse a FLOCERT Certification Decision.
Appeals Committee
An internal quality control body that objectively supervises the decision-making process carried out within FLOCERT. Thus, it is responsible for …
Artisanal Small-scale Mining Organisation (ASMO)
Short form: ASMO. An ASMO is comprised of artisanal and small-scale miners and/or is held by legal owners, landowners, shareholders and/or members. …
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 …
Associate
A Trader Corporate Certification (TCC) certificate holder under one Master Operator.
Associate Audit
FLOCERT audit of an Associate in a Trader Corporate Certification (TCC) set-up.
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 …
Audit Order
Order that contains information regarding the audit to be carried out, including customer details (contact information, products), Terms of Reference …