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What is CU Fair Choice?
CU Choice Fair is an inspection and certification system based in the International Human Rights Declarations and Labour Conventions that protect and assure the fair treatment to all those involved within the control and influence of the company that implement the system. It also includes requirements on health, safety and environmental protection.
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Who can certify CU Fair Choice?
CU Fair Choice Certification can be granted to producer organizations, individual producers, operators/traders and/or a company / industry. It is available for a wide range of products and services. The certification of raw material suppliers or any multi-ingredient and finished product is possible if the raw material comes from certified fair trade sources.
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What are the benefits to being certified under CU Fair Choice Standard?
By getting certified with CU Fair Choice Standard your company will be recognized as a company that cares for the welfare and respect to all those related to it, as well as protecting the environment. Consumers worldwide are increasingly valuing these issues. Through certification with CU Fair Choice Standard the products offered to consumers will be linked to environmentally and social responsibility.
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What are the main differences between CU Fair Choice and other Social Fair Trade certifications schemes?
- CU Fair Choice is the first fair-trade standard created in a Latin American country that takes in consideration local market and producing conditions, making its implementation more suitable than other fair-trade standards that do not consider the particular characteristics of emerging countries.
- CU Fair Choice Standard does not impose a fixed amount on the price because it is aware that this depends on several issues that in many cases can not be controlled. This has proved from experience to be more beneficial for producers that the other systems, which in the end worked against them preventing them from selling their product. Instead of a prime CU Fair Choice Standard requires the establishment of a joint fund with the company or contracting operator and the community group with a basic amount that can be obtained by calculating a minimum percentage of annual or seasonal turnovers, and managed by any of them.
- CU Fair Choice accepts other fair trade schemes products as inputs for processed products without resting the category of fair choice - fair trade status of the product.
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What should I do to certify CU Fair Choice?
The first step is to contact a local representative of CU. On our website www.cuperu.com you will find contact details of our offices around the world. The representative of CU will provide an application form that will be used to prepare a draft of the proposed economic and time for certification, you also can downloaded the application form directly from our website.
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How much does the CU Fair Choice Certification cost?
The certification cost varies depending on the size and complexity of their operations / supply chain, to which the certification applies, the location of the producers (cost and time of local travel). If you are certified under other CUC program, this can reduce certification costs by optimizing the trip cost to the area. You can contact our representatives who will prepare a cost estimate according to your project conditions.
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How long does it take?
The length of time for attaining certification depends on how long it will take you to meet the certification criteria. CU Fair Choice certification is performed using a public Standard you can find it at www.cuperu.com .We suggest you obtain a copy of the Standard and use it as an internal training document. In this way you can have an idea where you will stand for certification. After confirming your application for certification (along with your approval of the budget), we organise the audit; then all results are reviewed and the certification is finalised.
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I buy from producers who are not smallholders; is certification still open to me?
Yes, the CU Fair Choice Certification covers genuine fair trade efforts and initiatives in various agricultural systems, such as growers, plantations or manufacturing and trading operations. The larger and more commercial the supply structures, the more focus will be on your demonstration of high social commitment and own efforts towards workers welfare and community benefits.
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Are there projects certified already under CU Fair Choice Standard?
We have pilot projects already certified in India, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Pakistan and Perú. Information is available on our website www.cuperu.com and www.fairchoicecertification.com
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For a multi-ingredient product, what % of my ingredients needs to undergo certification, and how is this declared on the label?
To label a mixed or processed product as “CU Fair Choice Product”, the minimum requirement of fair trade raw material the product shall contain is 90% (this raw material can be obtained from other Fair trade certified sources). To label as “made with CU Fair Choice Ingredients”, the minimum requirement of fair trade raw material the product shall contain is 70%.
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FAQs
