Nuremburg, Germany, March 2017— Last month the BioFach trade fair brought customers, suppliers and manufacturers together with a variety of stakeholders from across the organic sector.

FairWild Foundation and TRAFFIC were present at the fair, encouraging those involved with the trade in natural ingredients to ensure the sustainable and equitable use of wild plant resources.

Between 15–18th February, the FairWild stand in Hall 4 became a meeting hub for those interested in sustainable sourcing (and in trying a cup of FairWild herbal tea!). Visitors to the Fair also had the opportunity to participate in special events, sharing experience on sustainable trade and how to establish FairWild value chains.

Events, guest speakers and a new accreditation programme

This year’s event “FairWild Standard – sustainability solutions for wild-collected ingredients” explored how FairWild principles and criteria can be used to support the traceability, quality and safety of certified products, integrated with addressing sustainability concerns and supporting harvesters and their communities. It was moderated by Steven Broad, FairWild Board member and Executive Director of TRAFFIC.

Guest speakers from the Organic Herb Trading Company, Traditional Medicinals, NATEVA and Neal’s Yard Remedies shared their perspectives, explaining the benefits and challenges of implementing the certification scheme together with supplier partners. This was followed by updates from FairWild Foundation, including the launch of a new accreditation programme for FairWild certification bodies.

According to FairWild Board member and accreditation co-ordinator Elisabeth Rüegg, “The decision to accredit additional qualified certification bodies will allow the FairWild scheme to be offered worldwide, and give wild-collection operators more options over which certifier they work with.”

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