FairWild Standard Version 2.0

The increasing demand for wild collected products in the sectors of food, personal health care and medicinal herbs poses major ecological and social challenges: The high demand of potentially vulnerable plants can endanger local ecosystems substantially. Besides, the poverty of collectors who often belong to the poorest social groups in the countries of origin is of increasing concern.
 
In order to alleviate these threats to the wild plant resources, but also to the human resources, the collectors, the FairWild Standard Version 2.0 was created.
 
Version 1.0 of the FairWild Standard was developed by IMO, SIPPO (the Swiss Import Promotion Organisation) and Forum Essenzia, and first published in 2006. It was focused on relation between collectors and collection company, and introduced the concept of fair trade to the wild plant collection sector.
 
With the formation of the FairWild Foundation in October 2008 it was decided to unite the ISSC MAP Standard Version 1.0 and the FairWild Standard Version 1.0 into one standard. In August 2010 the FairWild Standard Version 2.0 was published, which unites all principles, criteria and indicators of ISSC MAP Standard Version 1.0 and the FairWild Standard Version 1.0.
 

 

FairWild Certification

At present, the FairWild Standard Version 2.0 is exclusively certifiable through IMO; no other control bodies are approved by the FairWild Foundation to offer this certification scheme. The exclusivity will continue until the FairWild Foundation has developed an accreditation scheme for its standard. Since FairWild is a rather complex Standard, the FairWild Foundation wants to guarantee the highest possible level in quality for the certified operations. IMO has been working with the FairWild and ISSC MAP standards since 2006 and is thus the most experienced certification body in this field. IMO offers to other certification bodies the so called “Partner Control Body” (PCB) model – other certification bodies can become PCBs for FairWild and perform FairWild inspections at their existing clients while IMO remains responsible for the certification decision.
 
Certified products and producers provide the buyers of wild collected products with transparency and the assurance that products are produced in a socially and ecologically sound way. Traceability and better product safety add additional marketing arguments for the final consumer. Products can be labelled with the FairWild logo.
 

The FairWild Standard Version 2.0

• Guarantees sustainability for both wild plant and human resources, by combining the principles of fair trade, international labour standards (based on principles of the International Labour Organisation) and sustainability for wild collection (all principles of the ISSC-MAP)
• Foresees the management of plants and involved people through a management plan
• Requests resource assessments for target plant populations
• Requires an organizational structure for collectors in order to work jointly with the wild collection company on improvement of their social situation.

Why FairWild - is organic certification not enough?

Additionally to the basic principles of organic wild collection and IMO special proceedings for certification, implementation of FairWild creates a management system in wild collection companies. Certified products are also upgraded and value added through the required fair trade system, which comprises of fair prices to collectors and premium fund development. Please note, that FairWild certification does not necessarily require an organic certification as it is an accepted standard.
 
Even if the FairWild logo is not used on the final product, FairWild guarantees constant supply of high quality raw materials by protecting collectors and collected plants!
 

More information about FairWild is available at the FairWild website. Please download the FairWild Standard at the section "FairWild Standard".