State Law and Fairtrade Certification a Relationship based on Heteronomy

Fairtrade International certification, although introduced and administered by private entities, has numerous ties with state-based law, reflected among other things in a heteronomous relationship. In some ways, fair-trade certification serves state-based law, whether international or national, while in other ways it benefits from it. This article provides an overview of the relationship. First, a comparative study of Fairtrade International certification standards over a ten-year period (2007-2017) shows that the relationship between certification and international law has changed. The relationship between Fairtrade International certification and the law is also important with respect to the domestic law of producing countries which constitutes, for many aspects, a point of reference. Secondly, the article analyzes the certification contract between fairtrade stakeholders, showing that German domestic law may prove extremely useful for the Fairtrade. International certification process.