The Fair Rubber logo guarantees that buyers pay additional 0,50€/kg DRC (Dry Rubber Content) regardless of the world market price. This Fair Trade premium is allocated directly to the primary producers of our products – rubber tappers, plantation workers and small scale farmers – to ensure as much as possible that they can cover their porduction costs and their living even when prices are low on the global market. Solely the joint body or the cooperative’s board members decide for what the Fair Trade premium is to be used. Only specification is that it is to be invested in projects that benefit the entire workforce respectively all members (here you find some examples). A constant monitoring process guerantees the buyers’ and the suppliers’ compliance with these criteria. The latter often during visits on site that include visiting the projects the Fair Trade premium helped implementing. In contrast to other lables or logos the suppliers do not have to pay anything for the Fair Rubber logo. The Fair Rubber Association finances any costs incurred (e.g. for the monitoring) through the membership fees. (more information: www.fairrubber.org)
More criteria are inspired by FLO standards applying for tea plantations.
Partnership in trade means for us to know our trading partners and to be in touch with them. That’s why we forego intermediate trade when possible.
The value added most often starts after the first processing of the raw material (for rubber this would be after processing the milk to sheets). Therefore our products aren’t manufactured in Germany but in the (neighbour) countries where the primary material comes from. Usually we receive the wrapped and tagged end products ready for selling.
The FSC® criteria and the Fair Trade standards include appropriate working conditions, that’s to say worker protection, no exploitative child labour, acknowledgment of the local people’s rights, right of union. (more information: www.fsc.org, www.wfto.com)
