Toom is the first retailer in Germany to launch a pilot project with Fairtrade Germany for more cuttings with the Fairtrade seal. The aim: more fairly traded plants, lower production costs, higher premiums. In addition, toom pays an extra premium of one cent per Fairtrade plant purchased to the workers on the cutting farms.
The joint project between toom and Fairtrade Germany aims to increase Fairtrade premium income for workers in the Global South, reduce costs in the North and make Fairtrade cuttings a genuinely more sustainable alternative to conventional cuttings.
To achieve this, the pilot project is simplifying processes while at the same time complying with all Fairtrade principles. To reduce costs, the nurseries that cultivate the Fairtrade young plants in the Global North for toom no longer need to be Fairtrade-certified. The plants themselves are already certified in their country of origin, where Fairtrade standards are often all the more important due to the lack of alternative regulations.
This can lead to Fairtrade plants being mixed with conventional plants in European nurseries. This does not change the standards on the cutting farms in East Africa. toom is only allowed to sell the quantity of plants as Fairtrade goods that have been purchased from the farms in accordance with Fairtrade conditions. This is checked by the independent certification organisation FLOCERT. Toom requires European nurseries to be certified in accordance with social and environmental standards. In addition, at least 30 per cent peat reduction and compliance with the REWE residue guidelines are mandatory for production in Germany.
Improving working and living conditions through Fairtrade
In order to improve the living and working conditions of workers in the Global South, Fairtrade expanded its standard for flowers and plants in 2015 to include the category of young plants. Since then, young plants or unrooted cuttings can be certified in addition to cut flowers.
Certification has many advantages for the workers. These include, for example, fixed employment contracts, maternity protection, protective clothing and training in the safe handling of chemicals. They also benefit from a wage that is at least equal to the minimum wage stipulated by the Fairtrade standard. In addition, certified farms receive a premium that farmers and workers are free to spend as they wish. They can decide together which projects to invest in. These could be childcare centres, for example, or an improvement in medical care.
toom pays extra bonus to the workers on the cutting farms
In addition to the regular Fairtrade premium, toom pays an extra premium of one cent per plant purchased via the young plant company to the workers on the cutting farms. This is roughly equivalent to doubling the Fairtrade premium payment. Fairtrade is introducing a new, separate pilot label to identify plants that are traded via the pilot project. The first poinsettias labelled in this way will be available at toom Baumarkt DIY stores from November 2022.
