The Fair for Life standard: fairness as a principle

How does Fair for Life work in the textile sector?

Scope of application

Fair for Life can certify:

• Raw materials: cotton, for example;
• Intermediates: spinning, weaving, garment manufacturing;
• Finished textile products: clothing, linens, accessories.

The idea is not just to say “this cotton is fair trade”, but that the entire supply chain is engaged in responsible practices (fair trade + social + environmental).

Main principles for textiles

The requirements are grouped into several blocks:

1. Working conditions and human rights

   • Ban on forced labor and child labor, protection of young workers.
   • Respect for the fundamental conventions of the ILO¹: freedom of association, non-discrimination, collective bargaining, etc.
   • Decent working conditions: health and safety, reasonable working hours, basic social rights.
   • Worker committees, grievance mechanisms, conflict resolution procedures.

2. Economic conditions for producers and workers

   • Fair purchase price: higher than market price, covering production costs, with a minimum guaranteed price to provide protection during crises.
   • Multi-year contracts (at least 3 years) to secure relationships between buyers and producers.
   • Development premium dedicated to collective projects (education, health, infrastructures, etc.), managed with worker or producer participation.

In textiles, this means for example that cotton cooperatives or factories can invest in safer equipment, social services, training…

3. Environment and resources
   Even if it is not originally an “organic” label, Fair for Life requires:

   • reduction of hazardous chemical inputs,
   • responsible water and soil management,
   • biodiversity protection,
   • promotion of organic practices whenever possible.

For textiles, this is often combined with other labels (e.g. GOTS) to more precisely cover “textile chemistry” and “dye processes”.

4. Governance, transparency and traceability

   • Physical traceability of flows (avoiding as much as possible simple “mass balance”): what is sold as Fair for Life truly comes from certified supply chains, beyond mere accounting.
   • Point-based evaluation (scoring) and continuous improvement: companies must progress over time, not just tick boxes once.
   • Regular audits by third-party bodies, with document checks and on-site visits.

What Fair for Life really brings to textiles

“Full supply chain” approach

Unlike some labels that only cover a single link, Fair for Life aims to certify the entire textile supply chain: cotton producers, spinning mills, weaving, garment manufacturing, brands.

For textiles, this matters: social issues occur both in the fields and in the sewing rooms.

A mix of social / fair trade / environmental

Fair for Life combines:

• fair trade (pricing, premiums, long contracts),
• workers’ social rights,
• strong environmental criteria,
• and in some sectors (mainly food), animal welfare criteria reflecting a holistic view of responsible supply chains.

Even if in textiles the “animal” aspect matters less, the logic remains: social and environmental issues must not be separated.

A multi-sector label useful for lifestyle brands

Convenient for brands working in textiles, food and cosmetics: one coherent framework.

Requirements and traceability

Organizations like Ecoconso and other label guides consider Fair for Life a demanding label: strong social criteria, environment, animal welfare, strict physical traceability, etc.

For textiles, this helps avoid “greenwashing” through vague “fair trade” communication.

Strengths of the Fair for Life standard (for textiles)

1. A genuine fair trade approach:
• Fair pricing, minimum prices, long-term contracts, development premiums.
• This provides security for cotton producers and, in some cases, garment factories.
2. Full supply chain approach:
• It does not stop at the farm or a single link; the aim is alignment across the entire chain.
3. Serious social criteria:
• Human rights, health/safety, freedom of association, grievance mechanisms, etc.
• It goes far beyond simple voluntary codes of conduct.
4. Meaningful environmental component
• Responsible resource management, reduction of hazardous chemicals, promotion of organic practices.
• It is less technical than purely environmental labels, but more comprehensive than some “fair trade only” labels.
5. Physical traceability and third-party verification
• A real advantage compared to systems that mix flows using mass balance.
• For consumers, this improves credibility.
6. Geographic flexibility and variety of actors.
• Fair for Life can apply to actors in the Global North and South, to cooperatives as well as companies.

Limits and criticisms of Fair for Life

No label is perfect, and Fair for Life also has its blind spots.

Lack of public awareness

In studies and consumer surveys, Fair for Life is often described as a very serious label, but:

• it remains much less well-known than Fairtrade (the green-and-blue logo),
• it is rarely seen in mainstream retail, more often in organic or specialty stores.

For a textile brand, this means:

• heavy consumer education efforts,
• a weaker marketing impact compared to a highly recognized label.

A “fair trade” standard but not a textile specialist

Fair for Life is a fair trade and responsible supply chain standard, not a purely textile standard like:

• GOTS (strong focus on organic + strict restrictions on chemicals and dyeing processes),
• bluesign^® (focus on chemical substance management and industrial processes),
• or certain technical standards listed in textile certification guides.

So:

• Fair for Life covers social + fair trade + core environmental requirements,
• but for top-level textile products, labels are often combined: e.g. GOTS + Fair for Life.

Living wage: progress but no deadline as clear as others

The standard includes the concept of a decent income and pushes for wage improvement through premiums, negotiation, etc.

But compared to textile-oriented standards like the Fairtrade Textile Standard, which sets a precise timeline for achieving a living wage (6 years), Fair for Life is less explicit about a formal implementation deadline.

Concretely:

• it encourages social improvement,
• but lacks the same formal time pressure on wages as some textile-specific standards.

Certification complexity and cost

Even if not specific to Fair for Life:

• certifying an entire textile supply chain (from cotton to garment) requires multiple audits, documentation and monitoring,
• for very small structures, cost and complexity can be a barrier, especially if they are already certified GOTS, Fairtrade, etc.

This often explains why:

• the label is mainly found in highly committed brands,
• and less in SMEs without dedicated CSR² teams.

Clarity for consumers

The message “Fair for Life” is not as intuitive as:

• “Fairtrade Cotton” (immediately about cotton),
• or “Organic / Bio” (straightforwardly understood).

Customers often need explanations:
→ fair trade + environment + traceability + premiums + long-term contracts… It’s not a logo that “explains itself”.

In practice: what does it mean depending on who you are?

If you are a textile brand

Fair for Life is relevant if you want to:

• structure a genuine fair trade approach for your cotton or textile supply chain,
• go beyond “we pay our suppliers slightly more”,
• use a credible label for social + fair trade commitments,
• optionally combine it with GOTS / others to cover textile chemistry & environmental issues in more detail.

If you are a consumer

Seeing a textile product labelled Fair for Life means, in summary:

• fairer and longer-term contracts for producers,
• more secure pricing for the supply chain,
• regulated working conditions,
• real environmental efforts,
• strong traceability.

It’s not the most visible label on shelves, but it is one of the most comprehensive regarding fair trade + respect for people.