Social. FairTrade

Ethical quality assurance by IMO

IMO is active in various fields of ethical quality assurance:

• Performance of audits and independent certification against the “For Life” Social Responsibility and “Fair for Life” Social & FairTrade Programme.
• Inspection and certification services according to the “Fair Wild” Standard.
• Verification of own Corporate Social Responsibility Programmes through Individual Performance Evaluation and Value Certification.
• Performance of audits against the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code, according to SMETA Methodology
• External verification and certification of HAND IN HAND procedures and criteria (Rapunzel Naturkost AG)
• Performance of audits against HAND IN HAND criteria (Rapunzel Naturkost AG)
• Performance of audits against Naturland fair trade standards (Naturland Fair)
• Inspection and certification services according to responsible commodity production and sourcing (UTZ certified, Rainforest Alliance, Starbucks)

Introducing the Fair for Life Social & FairTrade Certification System

In 2006, the Swiss Bio-Foundation and IMO introduced “Fair for Life”, a brand neutral, third party certification programme for Social Accountability and Fair Trade upon client request, in order to complement existing fair trade certification systems, which still exclude a large number of products, production types and countries.
 
The Fair for Life Social & FairTrade Certification Programme offers operators of socially responsible and fair trade projects a solution for objective inspection and certification by a highly qualified external verifier. It combines strict social and fair trade standards with adaptability to local conditions. The programme is based on several sets of key baseline standards such as the ILO conventions, FLO Fairtrade standards, SA8000, and IFOAM Social Criteria. It offers operators incentives for continuous improvement of social and fair trade conditions beyond minimum requirements. It also allows for meaningful certification of multi-ingredient products by using content rules that are modelled after those for organic products and by reviewing all critical steps in the value chain.
For detailed information please visit the Fair for Life website!

IMO´s Fairwashing Policy

It is IMO´s Policy to ensure that no company (including its national or international branches, subsidiaries or other dependent units, as well as mother companies or other units of the same trust or corporation) is certified by IMO according to “for Life”, “Fair for Life”, “Ethical Value” or individual Corporate Social Responsibility if there is proof or strong evidence of serious violations of human rights or fundamental worker rights. IMO may decline applicants or clients in case these are or have become known or are accused or suspected to committing or having recently committed serious violations of fundamental worker rights or of human rights.