What Fairtrade Norge does

Fairtrade Norge is a Norwegian non-profit organization founded in 1997 that operates as the national Norwegian branch of the global Fairtrade International network. The organization administers the Fairtrade certification mark in Norway, licensing it to companies that use it on products meeting international standards for fair pricing, worker rights, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and supply chain transparency. Its core products are the Fairtrade label itself, the Fairtrade Standards framework, commodity-specific standards covering coffee, cocoa, bananas, sugar, tea, cotton, flowers, nuts, fruits, wine and honey, and supporting digital tools including an interactive Risk Map and an EUDR-compliant geolocation system for deforestation monitoring. The organization is part of a global ecosystem of 1,910 Fairtrade producer organizations representing over 2 million farmers and workers across 70 countries.

Fairtrade Norge generates revenue through two primary streams: licensing fees from Norwegian companies authorized to use the Fairtrade mark on their products, and project grants from Norad (the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) for development programs including a flower project in Kenya and a cocoa project in West Africa targeting SDG 1 (poverty eradication) and SDG 5 (gender equality). As of recent reporting, 22 Norwegian companies hold licenses covering approximately 400 Fairtrade-labeled products distributed through grocery chains, convenience stores, and specialty retailers across Norway, and 17 Norwegian municipalities have achieved Fairtrade municipality status. Named licensees include major Norwegian retailers and consumer brands such as NorgesGruppen, Rema 1000, Bama Gruppen, Mester Grønn, Arcus Norway, and Jacobs Douwe Egberts Norge, plus the hospitality company Strawberry.

The organization is governed by a board with broad sectoral representation, chaired by Anne Katrine Gangstad (Mester Grønn), and led by CEO Tone Cecilie Faugli. With approximately 7-8 staff operating from a central Oslo secretariat, Fairtrade Norge functions primarily as a licensing, advocacy, and standards-administration body rather than a technology company, running awareness campaigns, public-procurement advisory, and partner coordination across Norwegian civil society and commercial sectors.

Name

Fairtrade Norge

Legal name

Fairtrade Norge

Website

https://fairtrade.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fairtrade Norge is a Norwegian non-profit founded in 1997 that licenses the Fairtrade certification mark to 22 Norwegian companies covering ~400 products, while also running Norad-funded development projects in Kenya and West Africa and coordinating fair-trade advocacy across 17 municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fair Trade Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing Certification Services (AFALAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL), Traceability & Chain-of-Custody Certification (Mass Balance, Segregation, Identity Preserved) (AFALAMAK), Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

Keywords

• Fair trade certification
• Sustainability certification
• Ethical sourcing labels
• Commodity standards compliance
• Producer development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Licensing fees: Norwegian companies pay licensing fees to use the Fairtrade mark on their products. 22 Norwegian companies have licenses to use the Fairtrade mark, offering approximately 400 Fairtrade-labeled products.
2. Norad project funding: Fairtrade Norge receives project funding from Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) for development programs including a flower project in Kenya and a cocoa project in West Africa, focusing on SDG 1 (poverty eradication) and SDG 5 (gender equality).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fairtrade Norge licenses the internationally recognized Fairtrade certification mark to Norwegian companies that source and sell certified agricultural commodities, certifying that producers and traders meet standards for minimum pricing, fair-trade premiums, worker rights, gender equality, child labor prevention and environmental sustainability. The organization also offers Fairtrade commodity-specific standards (coffee, cocoa, bananas, sugar, tea, cotton, flowers, nuts, fruit, juice, wine), supports Living Income Reference Prices for cocoa, vanilla, coffee and coconuts, and runs development programs funded by Norad in Kenya and West Africa.

Product overview

Fairtrade Norge operates as a certification and labeling organization within the global Fairtrade system. The organization offers the Fairtrade label/mark as its core product, which certifies that agricultural products meet international standards for fair pricing, worker rights, and environmental sustainability. Supporting products include the Fairtrade Standards framework, risk mapping tools, geolocation systems for deforestation prevention, and Living Income Reference Prices. The organization certifies commodities including coffee, cocoa, bananas, sugar, tea, cotton, flowers, nuts, fruits, wine, and honey across 70 countries with over 2 million farmers and workers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fairtrade-merket (Fairtrade Label) Licensed certification mark appearing on products to indicate compliance with international Fairtrade standards for fair pricing, safe working conditions, and environmental sustainability. Norwegian companies pay licensing fees to use this mark; 22 licensees offer approximately 400 labeled products in the Norwegian market.
• Fairtrade-standarder (Fairtrade Standards) International Fairtrade standards framework defining requirements for fair pricing, worker rights, environmental protection, gender equality, anti-child-labor provisions, deforestation prevention and supply-chain transparency that producers and traders must meet to earn certification.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Founding Organizations (12 Norwegian organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Fairtrade Norge was founded in 1997 by 12 Norwegian organizations: Det Kgl. Selskap for Norges Vel, Framtiden i våre hender, Kirkens Nødhjelp, Handel og Kontor, Norges Bondelag, Redd Barna, Kirkerådet, WWF, Norsk Folkehjelp, Frikirkens Globale Informasjon, Alternativ Handel and Norsk Næring- og Nytelsesarbeiderforbund (NNN).
• Fairtrade InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairtrade Norge is part of the global Fairtrade International umbrella organization, which sets international Fairtrade standards and coordinates the worldwide Fairtrade system.
• Arcus NorwayminorOthersNorwegian licensee with rights to use Fairtrade mark on products
• Bama GruppenminorOthersNorwegian licensee with rights to use Fairtrade mark on products
• Jacobs Douwe Egberts NorgeminorOthersNorwegian licensee with rights to use Fairtrade mark on products
• NorgesGruppenminorOthersNorwegian licensee with rights to use Fairtrade mark on products
• Rema 1000minorOthersNorwegian licensee with rights to use Fairtrade mark on products
• StrawberrymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian hotel company working with Fairtrade on responsible procurement, using purchasing power to demand human rights, working conditions and environmental standards from suppliers.
• UtviklingsfondetmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting development work
• ChangemakermoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in fair trade advocacy
• Norges BondelagmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization representing Norwegian farmers

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Rainforest Alliance: A leading global sustainability certification body (formed via the merger with UTZ) that licenses a competing certification mark on coffee, cocoa, bananas, and other commodities. Competes with Fairtrade for licensee share-of-wallet among Norwegian retailers and importers.
• Fairtrade International: The global umbrella organization that sets Fairtrade standards and coordinates national chapters. Functions as the parent and standards owner rather than as a direct competitor, but defines the strategic and standards framework within which Fairtrade Norge operates.

Emerging players

• B Lab (B Corporation): Certifies companies against social and environmental performance standards. Although focused on whole-company certification rather than per-product labeling, B Corp addresses overlapping ESG and ethical supply chain buyer demand in the Norwegian market.
• Etisk Handel Norge: Norwegian membership organization for businesses committed to ethical trade. Operates as a peer sustainability/ethical-trade network focused on advisory and member services in the Norwegian market, addressing overlapping ethical procurement themes.

Direct peers

• Fairtrade Sverige: The Swedish national chapter of Fairtrade International. Operates the same fair trade certification and licensing model in the Swedish market, making it the closest functional peer to Fairtrade Norge with comparable scope, business model, and product offering.
• World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO): A global fair trade network and guarantee system that certifies fair trade enterprises rather than individual products. Operates as an alternative fair trade verification model targeting overlapping mission, producer-support, and supply-chain transparency themes.
• Max Havelaar France: The French fair trade label licensed by Fairtrade International. Comparable direct peer with the same certification-and-licensing model, addressing French businesses and consumers under the same Fairtrade International umbrella.
• Fairtrade Danmark: The Danish national chapter of Fairtrade International, also known as Fairtrade Mærket. Runs the equivalent licensing and awareness model in Denmark, serving the same types of retailers, licensees, and municipalities as Fairtrade Norge.
• Fairtrade Foundation (UK): The UK national chapter of Fairtrade International. Operates the equivalent Fairtrade Mark licensing system with a larger licensee base and broader commodity coverage in the UK, making it a direct functional peer with similar (but more scaled) operations.
• Fairtrade Finland: The Finnish national chapter of Fairtrade International. Provides the same fair trade certification and licensing services in Finland, with a comparable small-team nonprofit structure and Nordic market focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/fairtradenorge
• Facebookfacebook.com/fairtradenorge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairtrade-norge
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairtradenorge

Compliance1 record

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 Fairtrade Norge