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Coffee with a CauseCoffee Certifications Enable Consumers to Make a Difference
With every cup of coffee purchased, consumers can make a difference in the lives of coffee farmers. This primer highlights the various certifications that can be found.
With a coffee crisis driving coffee prices to all-time lows, coffee farmers are struggling to cover the basic costs of production. Further they are often unable to support their families on the price they receive for their coffee, which is often less than it costs to produce. To help ensure farmers get more of their share of the profits made from the coffee they grow, several organizations have established programs that allow consumers to make a difference every time they purchase coffee. However, deciphering coffee labels can be quite confusing. Following is a short primer on the various labels that can be found on coffee. In order for coffee to be labeled as certified organic it must meet the U.S. standards for organic production and be certified by an agency accredited by the USDA. This certification is focused on the environmental impact of the production of coffee and provides the assurance that the coffee is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Fair Trade certified, through TransFair USA, ensures that farmers receive a fair price for their coffee and work under fair labor conditions. The process also focuses on direct trade methods cutting out middlemen, while focusing on community development initiatives and environmental sustainability Bird Friendly is a term used by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center of the National Zoo. This certification ensures that the coffee is grown in the shade under a canopy of trees. This helps prevent the destruction of habitat for migratory birds as well as lessens soil erosion on the coffee farm. Rainforest Allilance certification is focused on the social, labor and environmental responsibility involved in farm management. The coffee is also shade-grown under a rainforest canopy that preserves the biodiversity of the natural ecosystem. Their labeling program is called ECO-OK. Utz Certified ensures the coffee farmers comply with the agency’s Code of Conduct which covers standards for socially and environmentally responsible practices. It also focused on improving farm management and product traceability. Shade-grown coffee refers to coffee that grows under a canopy of trees. Those coffees that are shade grown are grown using traditional methods that are sensitive to the health of the environment. These represent only a few of the many certification programs used throughout the coffee industry. Many companies have created their own programs, which highlight social and environmental sustainability. No one certification encompasses all issues as they related to the social and environmental impact of coffee production. That is why many coffees may be double or triple certified.
The copyright of the article Coffee with a Cause in Coffee is owned by Laura Everage. Permission to republish Coffee with a Cause in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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