Providing third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development.

Service Offerings

SCS performs Fair Trade USA compliance assessments for all types of agricultural operations including:

1. Farms and Estates: For agricultural entities that depend on hired labor. May have single or multiple production sites, but only one central management and administration.

2. Independent Smallholder Groups: For smallholders who are not members of a product organization such as a cooperative or association.

3. Smallholder Groups: For groups engaged in commercial activities whose members are primarily individual smallholders.

Program Details

Eligibility

Certification audits are conducted for food products covered by Fair Trade USA standards, including: coffee, tea, herbs, cocoa, fresh fruit and vegetables, sugar, beans and grains, flowers, nuts, oils and butters, honey and spices, and certified ingredients used in ready-to-drink beverages. This list of products continues to expand.

Certification Criteria

SCS offers compliance assessment under the Fair Trade  Farm Workers Standard, the Independent Smallholders Standard, and the Small Producer Organization Standard. Participants must comply with requirements generally covered by the following areas:

• Empowerment
• Economic Development
• Social Responsibility
• Environmental Stewardship
• Trade Requirements

Complementary Services

In addition to auditing farms, estates, smallholders and traders for conformance to Fair Trade USA standards, SCS Global Services offers a wide range of complementary certification services. Let us know if you are interested in having us expand the scope of your audit to include a GFSI, GAP or GMP food safety audit, certify conformance with the National Organic Program requirements, evaluate your flavor management system, confirm antioxidant levels in your products, or certify that your harvested crops are pesticide residue free.

Process

1. Apply

   Complete and return the application form to SCS at [email protected], and copy Fair Trade USA ([email protected]).

2. Authorize Proposal

   Upon application approval, SCS issues a work order and Assessment Services Agreement.

3. Schedule Audit

   SCS provides an audit plan and requests documents in advance of the onsite audit.

4. Undergo Audit

   The on-site audit includes document review, worker interviews, and field observations. Findings are communicated in the closing meeting. Audit report is sent to client within 20 business days.

5. Corrective Actions

   Any issues cited in the Non-Conformity Report (NCR) are addressed by Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) within 30 days. CAPs provide clear evidence that implementation occurred.

6. Decision

   SCS issues a certification decision based on the CAPs prepared by the client.

7. Certification

   SCS provides a Fair Trade certification registration number, certificate, and applicable on-product label. Certificates are valid for 3 years and surveillance audits are conducted annually.

Benefits