Forum Fairer Handel

What Forum Fairer Handel does

Forum Fairer Handel e.V. is the recognized umbrella association for the fair trade movement in Germany, founded in 2006 and headquartered at Am Sudhaus 2 in Berlin. The organization represents the collective interests of fair trade companies, importers, certification bodies, and over 900 world shops (Weltläden) across Germany. Its stated purpose is to sharpen the profile of fair trade, articulate common demands toward policymakers, businesses, and trade, and drive broader market expansion of fair trade products and principles.

The organization's product surface consists of advocacy campaigns, educational materials, and policy interventions rather than commercial technology. Core offerings include the annual Faire Woche (Fair Week) campaign coordinating 1,600+ local actions, the Karte des Engagements interactive map of fair trade organizations, quality-controlled educational materials for schools and multipliers (including the annual Datenblatt Fairer Handel data sheet), publications and policy position papers, professional training (Fortbildung), a youth advocacy training program, and a petition platform (Appell Landwirtschaft braucht Fairness). Underlying technology is conventional web infrastructure with third-party integrations for video (YouTube), mapping (Google Maps), social aggregation (Juicer), petitions (openPetition), and Instagram automation (ManyChat).

The revenue model is non-commercial: the association is funded through membership dues from fair trade organizations, institutional grants (primarily ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development / BMZ), donations from church-development organizations (Brot für die Welt / MISEREOR), direct public donations, and modest revenue from publication sales. The organization is a registered tax-exempt non-profit (e.V.) under German law, governed by an elected board chaired by Andrea Fütterer, with day-to-day operations led by Managing Director Matthias Fiedler. It employs 11 staff, nearly all working part-time.

Name

Forum Fairer Handel

Legal name

Forum Fairer Handel e.V.

Website

https://forum-fairer-handel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forum Fairer Handel is the umbrella association for fair trade in Germany, founded in 2006, serving member organizations including fair trade companies, world shops, and NGOs through collective policy advocacy, the annual Faire Woche campaign, and educational publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fair Trade Advocacy and Policy Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

Keywords

• Fair trade advocacy
• Fair trade policy
• Ethical consumption
• Supply chain responsibility
• Fair trade education

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Revenue from member organizations that pay dues to be part of the association
2. Donations and grants: Funded by ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as other public and private donors
3. Publication sales: Sale of educational materials and publications on fair trade
4. Donations: Direct donations from supporters who contribute to the organization's work

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Forum Fairer Handel is the German umbrella association for fair trade, providing advocacy and policy representation for fair trade companies, world shops, and civil society organizations. It coordinates national awareness campaigns such as the annual Faire Woche (Fair Week), publishes educational materials and data sheets on fair trade, offers professional training, runs the Karte des Engagements interactive map of fair trade organizations, and engages in policy advocacy on supply chain due diligence, climate justice, and living incomes.

Product overview

Forum Fairer Handel operates primarily as an advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings include an informational website platform, the 'Karte des Engagements' interactive map of fair trade organizations, campaign tools (Faire Woche, petitions), and educational materials (Bildungsmaterialien, Datenblatt Fairer Handel). The organization provides professional training programs, publishes annual reports and brochures, and maintains communication channels including newsletters and press distribution services. These offerings work together to advance the organization's mission of promoting fair trade in Germany through awareness, advocacy, and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Faire Woche (Fair Week) Annual nationwide campaign and action week for fair trade, co-organized with Fairtrade Deutschland and Weltladen-Dachverband, featuring over 1,600 local events under themes such as 'Fair handeln – Vielfalt erleben!' aimed at raising consumer awareness of fair trade.
• Appell 'Landwirtschaft braucht Fairness' Public petition campaign calling for legal frameworks for fair prices in food supply chains, addressed to Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer, powered by the openPetition platform.
• Karte des Engagements (Engagement Map) Interactive online map of organizations across Germany engaged in fair trade, with filtering capabilities, organization details, contact information, and websites, built on the Google Maps plugin.
• Bildungsmaterialien (Educational Materials on Fair Trade) Quality-controlled educational materials about fair trade for schools, teachers, and multipliers, covering themes such as the annual 'Der Faire Handel in Grafiken' presentation and other learning resources.
• Datenblatt 'Fairer Handel' (Fair Trade Data Sheet) Annual data sheet providing relevant statistics and information about fair trade, available for download and offered with an annual newsletter subscription.
• Fortbildung (Professional Training) Continuing education offerings for multipliers in fair trade, including seminars, workshops, and training programs organized by Forum Fairer Handel and partner organizations.
• Publikationen (Publications) Annual reports, brochures on current developments in fair trade, policy demands, and educational resources, available for download or ordering through the material database.
• FFH-Newsletter Regular email newsletter keeping subscribers informed about fair trade news, campaigns, events, and organization updates.
• Presseverteiler (Press Distribution List) Press release distribution service enabling journalists and media contacts to receive Forum Fairer Handel press releases via email.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,600 local actions organized during Faire Woche 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VENRO – Verband Entwicklungspolitik und Humanitäre HilfecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of VENRO, the German association of development policy and humanitarian aid organizations, contributing to broader development policy advocacy
• World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the global fair trade organization network, aligning with international fair trade principles and standards
• Fairtrade Deutschland e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in organizing the Faire Woche (Fair Week), Germany's largest fair trade campaign week, co-organizing with Weltladen-Dachverband
• Weltladen-Dachverband e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in organizing the Faire Woche (Fair Week), representing over 900 world shops in Germany
• CorA-Netzwerk für UnternehmensverantwortungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the CorA network for corporate responsibility, advocating for supply chain legislation
• Klima-Allianz DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Climate Alliance Germany, contributing to climate justice advocacy
• Forum Nachhaltiger KakaominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Forum for Sustainable Cocoa, addressing sustainability in cocoa supply chains
• Initiative LieferkettengesetzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Supply Chain Act Initiative, advocating for mandatory human rights due diligence

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Naturland: German organic and fair trade certification body that is itself a member of Forum Fairer Handel. Comparable in operating as a German-headquartered fair trade/standards organization with policy advocacy and member services, though focused on certification rather than association-level convening.
• Weltladen-Dachverband e.V. Umbrella association of German world shops (Weltläden), representing the same 900+ retail network Forum serves. Co-organizes Faire Woche and shares member overlap, making it the closest operational peer in the German fair trade ecosystem.
• Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao: Multi-stakeholder initiative on sustainable cocoa in Germany (BMZ-backed). Shares Forum's association structure, public-private funder mix, and policy-oriented mission, but focused specifically on cocoa rather than the full fair trade portfolio.
• CorA-Netzwerk für Unternehmensverantwortung: German coalition advocating for corporate responsibility and supply chain due diligence legislation. Forum is a member; CorA operates a similar advocacy model targeting German federal policymakers on overlapping human rights and supply chain topics.
• Klima-Allianz Deutschland: Broad German civil society coalition on climate policy, of which Forum is a member. Shares the advocacy association model, BMZ/BMU-adjacent funding mix, and member-network approach, with overlapping staff and policy engagement patterns.
• World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO): Global umbrella of fair trade enterprises and associations, of which Forum is a member. Comparable in representing fair trade actors globally and providing an 'association of associations' structure similar to Forum's domestic role.
• Fairtrade Deutschland e.V. The German branch of Fairtrade International and co-organizer of Faire Woche. Operates in the same German fair trade advocacy and labeling space as Forum Fairer Handel, with overlapping policy goals on supply chain fairness and complementary (rather than competing) roles.
• Initiative Lieferkettengesetz: German civil society coalition that successfully campaigned for the Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz. Operates as a direct peer in the supply chain due diligence advocacy space, with Forum as a member organization.
• VENRO – Verband Entwicklungspolitik und Humanitäre Hilfe: German umbrella of development and humanitarian aid NGOs, of which Forum Fairer Handel is a member. Operates as a parallel advocacy association with comparable funding sources (BMZ, church donors), policy engagement model, and member-base structure.
• Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO): Brussels-based fair trade policy advocacy office coordinating European-level lobbying for fair trade. Comparable to Forum Fairer Handel in mission and structure but focused on EU institutions; Forum's WFTO membership places the two in the same advocacy network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzSuxy92NAJkFiGpL_h2bxQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/FFH.ForumFairerHandel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forum-fairer-handel-e.v.
• Instagraminstagram.com/forumfairerhandel

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forum Fairer Handel