Glossary

If you feel that the world of Fair Trade has its very own language – don’t fret! We’ll keep you in the know!

With this glossary we’ll guide you through the common technical terms used by FLOCERT, Fairtrade International and the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO).

Learn about the wor(l)ds of Fair Trade below!

Navigate the glossary by letter

Chain of custody

In an economic context, a chain of custody describes the stages a raw material passes through. It starts with primary production, moves through growing, handling, processing, transportation and retailing, and finishes with the sale of the finished product to the consumer. In contrast to the supply chain, the focus is on the original raw material, its changing ownership and the stages it passes through, rather than on its transformation.