The Standard, Rules & Audit Guide
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The Fair Farms Standard is an industry-relevant standard describing fair and responsible employment practices that, if implemented by a participant, provide assurance (through a third-party audit) that the participant employs and treats workers in a fair and responsible manner and is compliant with the Fair Farms Standards of work health and safety requirements
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The Fair Farms Rules are the terms on which, upon registration, a business agrees to participate in the Fair Farms Program. Businesses participating in the Fair Farms Program (the Participants) must always comply with the Fair Farms Rules and the requirements of the Fair Farms Standard.
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This Fair Farms Audit Guide describes the Fair Farms audit process and requirements and is to be read in conjunction with the Fair Farms Rules and the Fair Farms Standard.
FAQ’s
Find the answers to some common queries
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Ethical Sourcing
Ethical sourcing is a responsible approach to procurement that ensures products and services are obtained in a manner that respects human rights, promotes fair labour practices, and minimises environmental impact. It involves selecting suppliers who uphold ethical standards throughout their operations, from production to distribution. This approach not only supports the well-being of workers and communities but also contributes to the sustainability of the environment.
Social Compliance
Social compliance refers to a company's adherence to laws, regulations, and ethical standards concerning labour rights, human rights, and workplace health and safety practices. It involves implementing policies and procedures that ensure fair treatment of workers, safe working conditions, and respect for human dignity.
Social compliance often includes regular audits and assessments to monitor and improve workplace practices, aligning with local regulations and international labour conventions.
At Fair Farms, we are committed to supporting growers in meeting these ethical sourcing and social compliance standards, fostering a fair and sustainable fresh produce industry in Australia.
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Fair Farms certification supports the social component of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting by verifying fair, ethical, and legal labour practices.
Fair Farms aligns with ESG expectations from stakeholders, including customers, and regulators, and can strengthen transparency and accountability in sustainability reporting.
Fair Farms certification can be used for HortESG reporting straightaway.
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Retailer Requirements
The Fair Farms Standard encompasses the ethical sourcing requirements of Australia’s larger retailers and Certification is widely recognised across the Australian horticulture supply chain industry. Coles, Woolworths, Metcash, and Aldi all accept Fair Farms as a way for suppliers to meet their ethical sourcing policies.
Always check with your buyer that Fair Farms Certification meets your contractual supply requirements.
Export Market Access
If you export produce, there is a strong chance that Fair Farms certification will be accepted by your importer. We recommend confirming your importer’s social compliance certification requirements and whether they recognise Fair Farms.
Our team is happy to support you with any questions your importer may have regarding the certification.
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The Online Self-Assessment (OSA)
The Online Self-Assessment (OSA) is a membership requirement and independent of whether you get audited or not. This is a simple True/False questionnaire built upon the Fair Farms Standard as a health check for your business and to assess if there are gaps in your knowledge and/or employment practices.
Fair Farms Training Modules
Participants can elect the purchase the full training suite or may opt to purchase only the modules required to fill the gaps in their knowledge, as identified by their OSA results.
Fair Farms training is designed to ensure you have all the information you need to implement the Fair Farm Standard and prepare for audit (if applicable). Training is delivered via the online e-learning platform is accessed in the member’s portal.
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Webinars & Continued Professional Development (CPD)
A schedule of Webinars & CPD training supports the continued upskilling of business owners and farm managers and ensures an ongoing focus on fair and safe employment practices in the horticulture industry.
Participants receive notification of webinars as they occur and can access CPD training modules through the Fair Farms online learning platform.
A minimum of 2 hours CPD training is recommend for participants each year as part of the Fair Farms Program.
The Fair Farms Manual
The Fair Farms Manual is a comprehensive suite of templated policies, procedures, and risk assessment documentation and checklists to assist in meeting the requirements of the Fair Farms Standards. These resources can be customised to meet the specific needs of each business, ensuring compliance with all relevant workplace legislation.
The Fair Farms manual is available to purchase from the member portal for $795
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As a member you have access to free phone and email support Mon-Fri 8.30am to 4.30pm AEST.
Our expert team includes a workplace relations specialist, who is available to answer all your social compliance questions and clarify how to apply the Fair Farms Standard so you can improve your workplace practices and, if applicable, prepare for audit.
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Changing from Non-Audit Pathway to Audit Pathway
If your compliance needs change you can contact fairfarms@fairfarms.com.au to request to change your status.
I am selling my farm; can I transfer my certification to the new owner?
No. Certification belongs to the business entity. The new owner will need to register with Fair Farms and schedule an audit for the next peak season.
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Fair Farms offers a performance-based recertification cycle of 12, 24 or 36 months depending on your audit score.
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Transitioning from a SMETA 2-Pillar audit to Fair Farms Certification is straightforward for most participants.
To ensure a smooth process, we recommend joining Fair Farms well before your upcoming re-audit. This will give you enough time to complete your Online Self-Assessment (OSA) and training requirements, and to schedule your audit with a Fair Farms-approved auditing body.
Before making the switch, we also advise confirming with your buyer or retailer to ensure alignment with their sourcing requirements.
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Workplace Agreements
If you have an EBA in place you can answer questions in the OSA to reflect your Agreement, just make sure you have your Agreement handy at the time of your audit so that your employment practices can be verified.
Labour Hire Provider Use
If you use workers supplied through labour-hire, you have significant obligations and accessorial liability under the Fair Work Act, WHS laws, and immigration laws. The Fair Farms Standard clearly spells out these responsibilities and supports you to meet these requirements.
W.A. State System employment laws
If you have employees covered by the WA State System you can still take part in Fair Farms, however, you will need to let us know that your business is a State System employer when you register so that we can ensure that you are provided with relevant training if required.
No Direct Employees or Labour Hire
If you are a very small family business without any direct employees or labour hire workers, you can still achieve Fair Farms Certification. Call us to discuss how we can tailor a pathway to suit your needs.
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We are very conscious of how your information is used and will always act in line with the Fair Farms Privacy Policy .
Public Visibility
The business name of certified businesses is made available to the public via the Fair Farms website.
Buyer Visibility
Each member has control over who they share data with. By adding your Registered Buyers in the member portal, you can elect to share relevant information about your business.
We do not share the results of your self-assessment (OSA) with customers, as the OSA’s purpose is used solely to identify your training needs.
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If you have concerns or wish to lodge a complaint regarding an auditor or auditing body, please use our online complaints portal. This ensures your complaint is formally recorded and directed to the appropriate channels for resolution.
For more information on the complaints and dispute resolution process, refer to Section 27 of the Audit Guide.
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Once certified you are welcome to apply to use the Fair Farms logo on your website, business cards, email correspondence and social media.
Fair Farms also provides gate signs at no cost for certified businesses.For more information refer Fair Farms Rules section 15.