Max-Havelaar-Stiftung (Schweiz)

The Max Havelaar Foundation ( Switzerland ) (proper spelling Max Havelaar Foundation ( Switzerland ) ) is a foundation under Swiss law with headquarters in Basel. The Foundation awards with their seal of products, which were in accordance with international standards for fair trade, established by the Fair Trade Labelling Organizations International ( FLO), produced and traded.

  • 7.1 Standards for plantation workers
  • 7.2 Standards for organizations of small farmers
  • 7.3 Product Standards
  • 8.1 Conventional banana
  • 8.2 Max Havelaar banana

Portrait

The Max Havelaar Foundation awards fair trade products with their seal (label) and thereby promotes fair trade with producers, workers and workers in disadvantaged regions of the South. Compliance with international standards of fair trade is monitored by an independent certification body. The Max Havelaar Foundation awards importers, processors and distributors the right to use against the payment of a license fee, the Max Havelaar label. The prerequisite is that they meet the standards of fair trade. The Max Havelaar Foundation is a non-profit and self-supporting since 2001.

History

The Max Havelaar Foundation was founded in 1992 by Swiss NGOs Bread for All, Caritas Switzerland, Lenten, Interchurch Aid, Helvetas and Swissaid. The Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs ( SECO today ) made ​​a start post. Since 2001, the Foundation is financially on their own feet.

Even then existed in the Netherlands, a fair trade organization, whose name is based on the famous fictional character Max Havelaar. Following the example of this fair trade organization, the Max Havelaar Foundation was founded in Switzerland.

The first Max Havelaar - certified product came in 1992 on the market. It was coffee, the world market price had dropped dramatically over the previous years, which drove many small farmers into poverty and ruin. To counter this, the Max Havelaar -certified coffee was launched. Thanks to its stable minimum price and Fairtrade premium, small farmers were able to improve their living and working conditions. Over the following years, the Foundation grew steadily, and it has been certified by and by new products. So after 15 years of service of the Foundation several certified Fair Trade products in the trade and also in catering are available. Among these there are over 60 different blends of coffee, bananas, flowers and plants, some fruit juices, textiles / cotton products, more than 15 varieties of honey, a variety of Schokolade-/Kakao-Produkten, pineapple, rice, tea, sugar, dried fruit, avocados and mangoes.

In 1997, the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO ) is founded, among other things with the help of the Max Havelaar Foundation.

Since December 2006, the STEP Foundation, the certified under fair conditions handmade carpets heard the Max Havelaar Foundation.

In February 2008, the Max Havelaar Foundation presented their logo to the logo used throughout Europe by various governing bodies, thus making a contribution to make fair trade products across national borders visible.

In order to reach more consumers and be able to support even more producers in disadvantaged regions of the South, both sales channels, such as in food service, as other product forms such as branded products, constantly updated and expanded.

The retail business is Coop in Switzerland market leader when it comes to the sale and the range of Max Havelaar products.

Max Havelaar

"Max Havelaar " is the main character of a novel, published in 1860 under the title Max Havelaar or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company. The author, Eduard Douwes Dekker, wrote his partly autobiographical book under the pseudonym " Multatuli ". Dekker had lived since he was 18 years in the East Asian colonies as an employee of the Dutch government. He struggled long ultimately unsuccessful against the local colonial grievances and acknowledged last the service.

The novel and its main character Max Havelaar are very popular in the Netherlands. As in various countries cachet organizations were founded for fair trade, it was obvious, even in Switzerland, for symbolic reasons to choose the name "Max Havelaar ".

Purpose of the Max Havelaar Foundation

The aim of the foundation is to promote fair and environmentally friendly trade with producers in so-called developing regions, and information about related topics. Specifically, the Foundation has two main tasks:

  • It secures market access on fair terms of trade for producers and workers in disadvantaged regions of the South.
  • It is distinguished from products with the Max Havelaar label, which according to the Fairtrade Labelling Organization International ( FLO), produced and traded in accordance with international standards of fair trade.

To the Max Havelaar Foundation is also a business unit Label STEP, which works to improve the living and working conditions of weavers and assigns a corporate label for fair trade with carpets.

Importance of the Max Havelaar quality label

The Max Havelaar label is fairly produced and traded products, so for, among other things:

  • Stable minimum prices,
  • The payment of a fair trade premium,
  • Long-term trade relations,
  • Environmentally sound farming; least integrated production, increasingly also in organic quality.

Impact of fair trade in developing areas

Developed in Europe about 40 years ago Fairtrade movement had the goal to counteract the dark side of the globalizing world trade. Small farmers in less-favored regions of the South should obtain a stable minimum price, a fair trade premium and direct access to the markets of developed countries for their products. In this way they wanted to the situation of small farmers stabilize and improve long-term. Some years later, the Fairtrade system was extended to workers.

Financing

The Max Havelaar Foundation is a self-supporting since 2001 and funded exclusively by license fees. This went back in 2006 to just under 0.5 %. Reason for this development is mainly in the range of adaptation of some licensees in the banana.

Sales of Max Havleaar - certified products in the Swiss retail and food service was in 2006 CHF 223.4 million, the highest sales partner remained unchanged Coop and Migros, followed by claro fair trade, Ltd. for the fruit trade and agrotropic ( Blumengrosshandel ). Textiles and cotton products with the Max Havelaar label performed well. Due to range extensions, and at Manor and Switcher sales increased by 73%. In the fruit juice sector were several new partners, including Cremo, smoke and Rivella (brand Michel ) are obtained as a new licensee, as reflected in rising sales reflected ( 24 %). Banana felt again the price pressure and suffered a slight decrease of -5.8 %.

2011, revenue has increased with licensed Fair Trade products in the Swiss retail on 328 800 000 Fr ( 8 % compared to 2010 ). In Switzerland, per capita output in 2011 41 francs for Fair Trade products, a global peak. The aim of the foundation is 100 francs per head per year.

International cooperation

In 1997, the Max Havelaar Foundation founding member of the international Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International was (FLO ), headquartered in Bonn. Within this network, the Max Havelaar Foundation is working with 19 other nationally organized fair trade initiatives. These are legally and financially independent of each other and come under different names (for example, TransFair Germany, Fairtrade Foundation UK). FLO FLO include the organization eV and the independent certification body FLO -CERT GmbH. FLO eV defines the international Fairtrade standards and is advised by a panel of producers, traders and development expert users. The standards and minimum prices contained therein are reviewed approximately every two years and adjusted if necessary. Moreover accompanied and supported Flo eV producers in cooperation with local tutors. FLO -CERT GmbH for its part, is responsible for the inspection and certification of producer organizations as well as for the verification of compliance with the Fairtrade standards. For this, it works with locally -present inspectors. FLO -CERT reviewed the organizational structure and the use of the Fairtrade premium. In case of defects corrective measures are required. If these are not implemented in the specified time, it can lead to decertification of the producer organization.

The international Fairtrade standards

The Fairtrade standards there are two groups: in one group, the standards are governed the product specific standards for small farmers and the standards for plantation workers, and in a second group. In addition, a distinction is made between minimum requirements and development criteria. Minimum requirements must be met at the time of certification. For developing criteria producer must prove that they are endeavoring to gain implementation, they should report annually on the progress.

Standards for plantation workers

The international Fair Trade standards are partly based on the standards and conventions of the International Labour Organisation ( ILO). They include social, economic and environmental requirements. Enclosed extracts from the Fairtrade standards (FLO ), which for plantation workers ( Hired Labour ) apply ( unless otherwise indicated, are minimum criteria):

  • The Board operates, support or tolerate any form of corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse.
  • The management initiates no disciplinary action or dismissal, and also does not engage in discrimination against workers when they file a complaint.
  • The management ensures that the employed women equal opportunities in service, and equal access to services from fair trade ( development criteria).
  • There is no child labor tolerated.
  • Wives have the right to work elsewhere.
  • The Board recognizes the right of all written and practical workers to join a labor organization of their own choosing, or to create such to jointly negotiate their working conditions.
  • All workers will be informed of their rights, duties, responsibilities, remuneration and working hours in knowledge ( development criteria).
  • The wage payment is made regularly and is held in documents.
  • All salaried workers must necessarily obtain legal, written contract that includes a job description and was signed by both the workers as well as the employer.
  • All workers are every 7 days at least 24 consecutive free hours.
  • The workers are at least two weeks a year paid vacation.
  • The paid maternity leave shall not be less than 8 weeks. Mothers are granted for breastfeeding after the resumption of work breaks.
  • The employer is committed to helping all salaried employees in the enjoyment of a pension fund are ( development criteria).
  • The employer is committed to workplace safety.
  • The Fairtrade premium has to be used for improving the social and economic situation of the workers, their families and their region.
  • Of the companies is expected to reduce, recycle or compostieren the waste.
  • It is forbidden the premises to use GMOs, both in production and in the processing of the products.

Standards for organizations of small farmers

Small farmers can join the fair trade as long as they join together organizationally (eg cooperatives or associations ). This organization, which contributes to the social and economic well-being and development of their members and their environment, democratically controlled by their members. For small-scale farmers are those farmers who do not depend on a permanent salaried work force, but normally operate the hand operating with the support of the family. Enclosed extracts from the Fairtrade standards ( FLO), apply for small farmers organizations (Small Farmer's organization ):

  • The majority of organization members are small farmers.
  • From every Fairtrade-certified product contains at least 50 % of the volume has to be produced by small farmers.
  • The organization must be an instrument for social and economic development of its members.
  • The organization must have a democratic structure and a neat administration have.
  • At least once a year there is a general meeting, may participate in the vote and each member.
  • The annual report is presented to the General Assembly and approved by the members.
  • If a membership application is not approved, this may not happen for reasons that are based on gender, skin color, political opinion, social origin or religion.
  • About the use of the Fairtrade premium is democratically decided at the General Meeting, in which each member has one vote.
  • The organization ensures that its members protect the natural environment. She ensures that synthetic fertilizers are minimized and organic farming is encouraged.
  • Members are encouraged to reduce their energy consumption, especially those derived from non-renewable sources of energy.
  • Do not insert or banned substances sold, distributed, or handled by FLO.
  • Fertilizers must be correctly used, handled and stored so that they do not endanger people or the environment.
  • It is expected that the organization members reduce waste and recycle the waste or compost.
  • Water resources are used with the aim of preserving and non- pollution and managed.
  • For producers, it is forbidden to use GMOs, both in production as well as in processing.

Product standards

These guidelines are product-specific standards. Below is an excerpt of the standards that apply for Fairtrade-certified coffee:

  • The coffee comes from Fairtrade certified small farmer cooperatives.
  • Long-term trade relations between producers and licensees are sought. The contracts will be financed in part.
  • The coffee is grown environmentally friendly as possible and processed ( integrated or organic ).
  • The coffee farmers receive a stable minimum price and a Fairtrade premium. The world market price is above the Fairtrade minimum price, we obtain the farmers' organization, respectively. the cooperative association, with no limit upwards, the current world market price. The minimum price for Arabica coffee for example, was in 2010 at 1.25 USD / lb ( 453g ) ( FOB ) or $ 1.45 / lb for certified organic, the premium was at 0.10 USD / lb.

Example

The banana is a typical example of fair trade products. What is different is the distribution of income.

Conventional banana

Max Havelaar banana

  • 37% of the final price to stay in Switzerland

Certified products

The following products are sold with the Max Havelaar label:

  • Pineapple since January 2003; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 14.8%
  • Bananas since March 1997; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 55.3 %
  • Cotton products since April 2005; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: no details
  • Flowers since April 2001; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: no details
  • Spices since November 2009; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: no details
  • Fruit juice since March 1999; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 8.6%
  • Honey in November 1993; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 13.2%
  • Coffee since March 1992; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 5.3%
  • Plants since March 2004; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: no details
  • Rice / quinoa since March 2002; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 8.9%
  • Chocolate / Cocoa since November 1994; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 1.6%
  • Tea since November 1995; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 6.8%
  • Dried fruit / nuts since 2002; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: no details
  • Cane sugar since November 1994; Market share in the Swiss retail trade, 2011: 16.2%
Types of business entity Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Profit (economics) Integrated Authority File
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