Fairtrade Gemeenten

What Fairtrade Gemeenten does

Fairtrade Gemeenten is the Dutch national arm of the global Fairtrade Towns campaign, operated by Stichting Fairtrade Gemeente Nederland, a non-profit foundation established in 2015 and headquartered in Utrecht. The organization runs a structured, volunteer-led campaign that enables Dutch municipalities, schools, churches, restaurants, clubs, libraries, hospitals, water boards, and universities to earn a Fairtrade title by meeting a defined set of criteria related to fair trade product usage, communication, and community engagement. The core product is the Fairtrade Gemeente (Fairtrade Municipality) title, supplemented by a portfolio of nine vertical sub-programs (Fairtrade School, Kerk, Restaurant, Club, Bibliotheek, Ziekenhuis, Waterschap, Hogeschool & Universiteit, and Dorp) plus a downloadable Resource Library (Hulpmiddelen) of toolkits, manuals, and templates. The underlying technology is a standard web and content management platform (fairtradegemeenten.nl); there is no proprietary technology product.

The business model is non-commercial. The foundation does not charge fees for participation, sell products or services, or generate commercial revenue. Activities are funded by its three founding partner organizations (ICCO/Kerk in Actie, Stichting Max Havelaar, and the Landelijke Vereniging van Wereldwinkels) and through donations. A national campaign bureau coordinates the effort, supported by local volunteer core teams (kernteams) in each participating municipality that drive grassroots outreach, recruit businesses and organizations, and manage title applications on a biennial renewal cycle. Reach as of the most recent data includes 83 municipalities holding the Fairtrade Gemeente title, 15 active municipal prospects, 3,870 participating businesses and organizations, and integration into a global Fairtrade Towns network spanning 36 countries and over 2,135 towns.

Name

Fairtrade Gemeenten

Legal name

Stichting Fairtrade Gemeente Nederland

Website

https://fairtradegemeenten.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Fairtrade Gemeenten (Stichting Fairtrade Gemeente Nederland) is a Dutch non-profit foundation that runs a volunteer-led campaign enabling municipalities, schools, churches, hospitals, and other institutions to earn Fairtrade titles through fair trade promotion and procurement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fair Trade Certification and Community Campaigns

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Fair trade certification
• Municipal sustainability programs
• Ethical sourcing promotion
• Community awareness campaigns
• Institutional fairtrade recognition

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Non-commercial mission-driven organization: Fairtrade Gemeenten (Stichting Fairtrade Gemeente Nederland) is a non-profit foundation. It does not generate commercial revenue. Its activities are funded through organizational backers and donations to promote fair trade in the Netherlands. No fee-based products or services are offered.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fairtrade Gemeenten operates a portfolio of free recognition/certification title programs that Dutch municipalities, schools, churches, restaurants, clubs, libraries, hospitals, universities, water boards, and villages can earn by meeting campaign criteria related to fair trade product usage, local stakeholder participation, and public awareness. The umbrella program is the Fairtrade Gemeente title, supported by specialized sub-programs including Fairtrade School, Fairtrade Kerk, Fairtrade Restaurant, Fairtrade Club, Fairtrade Bibliotheek, Fairtrade Hogeschool en Universiteit, Fairtrade Waterschap, Fairtrade Ziekenhuis, and Fairtrade Dorp, along with a downloadable resource library (Hulpmiddelen) for local campaign activities.

Product overview

Fairtrade Gemeenten is a campaign organization rather than a software company. It operates a portfolio of certification programs and titles that municipalities, organizations, and institutions can earn to demonstrate their commitment to fair trade. The core product is the Fairtrade Gemeente (Fairtrade Municipality) campaign, which serves as the umbrella initiative. The portfolio includes specialized sub-programs such as Fairtrade School, Fairtrade Hogeschool en Universiteit, Fairtrade Bibliotheek, Fairtrade Kerk, Fairtrade Restaurant, Fairtrade Club, Fairtrade Waterschap, and Fairtrade Ziekenhuis. Additionally, the Fairtrade Dorp program enables smaller communities to participate. All programs share a common framework of criteria related to fair trade product usage, communication, and community engagement. The organization also provides a Resource Library (Hulpmiddelen) with downloadable materials supporting local campaign activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fairtrade Gemeente (Fairtrade Municipality) Title Program
• Fairtrade School Title Program
• Fairtrade Hogeschool en Universiteit Title Program
• Fairtrade Bibliotheek Title Program
• Fairtrade Kerk Title Program
• Fairtrade Restaurant Title Program
• Fairtrade Club Title Program
• Fairtrade Waterschap Title Program
• Fairtrade Ziekenhuis Title Program
• Fairtrade Dorp Title Program
• Hulpmiddelen (Resource Library)

Quantifiable outcome

• 83 municipalities in the Netherlands hold the Fairtrade Gemeente title, covering a significant share of Dutch municipalities and citizens.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ICCO/Kerk in ActiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015ICCO/Kerk in Actie is one of the three founding organizations of Stichting Fairtrade Gemeente Nederland. Together with Stichting Max Havelaar and the Landelijke Vereniging van Wereldwinkels, ICCO/Kerk in Actie established the foundation in 2015 and originally initiated the Dutch Fairtrade Gemeente campaign in 2007.
• Stichting Max HavelaarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Stichting Max Havelaar is one of the three founding organizations of Stichting Fairtrade Gemeente Nederland and the Dutch member of the global Fairtrade movement. Max Havelaar provides the international Fairtrade certification standards and brand that underpin the campaign.
• Landelijke Vereniging van Wereldwinkels (National Association of World Shops)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015The Landelijke Vereniging van Wereldwinkels is one of the three founding organizations of Stichting Fairtrade Gemeente Nederland. As the umbrella organization for World Shops in the Netherlands, it brings grassroots fair trade retail experience to the campaign.
• International Fairtrade Towns Campaign (Fairtrade Towns)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007The Dutch Fairtrade Gemeente campaign is part of the international Fairtrade Towns campaign, which started in the United Kingdom and is now active in 36 countries. The international framework provides the criteria, methodology, and global brand identity for the Dutch campaign.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• B Lab (B Corporation): Operates the global B Corp certification for businesses meeting social and environmental standards. Comparable as a competing sustainability/certification label that Dutch municipalities and institutions may choose instead of (or alongside) Fairtrade titles.
• Fairtrade International: The global umbrella organization for the Fairtrade labelling system, of which Fairtrade Gemeenten is a downstream national campaign. Highly comparable as the parent framework that provides the Fairtrade brand, standards, and certification mark that Fairtrade Gemeenten promotes.
• Rainforest Alliance: Global sustainability certification organization (now merged with UTZ) certifying agricultural and forestry products. Comparable as a competing ethical-sourcing label that competes for the same sustainability-procurement mandate in Dutch institutional buyers.
• ICCO Cooperation: Dutch development organization focused on poverty alleviation and fair economic development, and a founding partner of Stichting Fairtrade Gemeente Nederland. Comparable as a peer Dutch fair-trade and development actor with overlapping mission and shared institutional history.

Direct peers

• Fairtrade Foundation (UK): Original creator of the Fairtrade Towns campaign in 2007 and the most direct analogue to Fairtrade Gemeenten. Operates the UK Fairtrade Towns program with the same criteria-based municipal engagement model, including sub-titles for schools, universities, and workplaces.
• World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO): Global network of fair trade enterprises and organizations that promotes fair trade practices and the Guaranteed Fair Trade label. Comparable as a peer fair-trade promotion body that overlaps in mission with Fairtrade Gemeenten's grassroots fair-trade advocacy.
• Fairtrade Belgium: Belgian Fairtrade organization coordinating Fairtrade Gemeenten-equivalent campaigns in Belgium. Comparable as a neighboring national Fairtrade promotion body with municipal outreach and community-engagement programs.
• Landelijke Vereniging van Wereldwinkels: Dutch national association of World Shops (fair-trade retail stores) and one of the three founding organizations of Fairtrade Gemeenten. Directly comparable as a Dutch fair-trade grassroots movement with overlapping volunteer base and complementary fair-trade retail mission.
• TransFair Deutschland: German Fairtrade labelling organization that also runs the Fairtrade Towns (Fairtrade-Städte) campaign in Germany. Directly comparable as a national Fairtrade campaign operator with municipal and sub-program title structures mirroring the Dutch model.

Regional players

• Fair Trade USA: U.S.-based fair trade certification body operating a parallel, independent Fairtrade certification system. Comparable as a peer fair-trade labelling organization with similar mission but operating in a different geography than the Dutch-focused Fairtrade Gemeenten.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FairtradeNLD
• Facebookfacebook.com/fairtrade.gemeente
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairtrade-gemeente-nederland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Fairtrade Gemeenten