What is Fair Trade Organic (FTO) certification?

FTO is a combined certification confirming that a coffee meets both Fairtrade trading standards and certified organic production requirements.

Fairtrade requires producers to be paid a minimum floor price above commodity levels, plus a Fairtrade Premium - additional funds for community or business development. It also sets standards for working conditions, democratic governance of cooperatives, and environmental practices. Organic certification requires coffee was grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilisers for a defined transition period, verified through annual auditing.

Together they carry premiums above either certification alone. For buyers, FTO is a useful signal - but understanding what each standard actually requires, rather than treating all certifications as equivalent, leads to more informed sourcing conversations. Certification costs can be significant for smallholder cooperatives, and many excellent producers choose not to pursue it for practical rather than ethical reasons.