Product Certification

Honey Program

Honey is a very popular sweetener in the U.S. with 70% of the national demand being imported from abroad. More and more US customers choose to buy Fair Trade Certified honey. As honey extends beyond food products into bodycare products, Fair Trade certified honey is poised to take off within the next few years. This will allow a growing number of beekeeper cooperatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America to establish long-term, stable trade relationships, receive better prices for their honey, and invest in their community development.

Contact Us to learn more about the Honey Program

Featured Producer

COSATIN

Cooperativa de Servicios Agropecuarios Tierra Nueva (COSATIN) was founded in 1997 and became a Cooperative Union in 2005. COSATIN has been Fair Trade certified almost since its founding, and the majority of its small farmers are coffee or honey producers.

How Fair Trade Has Made a Difference

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importers

How to import Fair Trade Honey

  • Sign a Fair Trade USA certification and licensing agreement.
  • Pay Fair Trade USA an annual importer fee of $500.
  • Purchase Fair Trade Certified honey from Fair Trade cooperatives, producer groups or exporters certified by FLO-Cert. Sell Fair Trade Certified honey to other Fair Trade registered traders and operators.
  • Pay at least the Fair Trade minimum price and the designated Fair Trade premium to the certified cooperative--see the FLO Pricing Database at http://www.fairtrade.net/793.html
  • Submit quarterly reports to Fair Trade USA on Fair Trade Certified imports and sales. Undergo, and comply with, regular desk audits and on-site audits.
packers and manufacturers

How to sell Fair Trade Honey

  • Sign a Fair Trade USA certification and licensing agreement.
  • Purchase Fair Trade Certified honey from a registered importer.
  • Submit a product profile application for each product to be labeled.
  • Submit all packaging, sales and marketing material carrying the Fair Trade Certified logo to Fair Trade USA for approval.
  • Submit quarterly reports on Fair Trade Certified honey purchases and product sales. Undergo, and comply with, regular desk audits and on-site audits.
  • Brands pay a fee based on quarterly sales of labeled Fair Trade Certified products.
  • Please ask about our program for small-scale partners, as lower fees and reporting requirements apply.
  • Please note: For composite products with more than one ingredient, all ingredients that can be Fair Trade Certified should be Fair Trade Certified.

Downloads

application/pdf iconFT_FAQ_Honey.pdf