Certified Organic vs Fair Trade Certified

The title of this article is disturbing. The conceptscertification, fair has an objective definition
of Organic and Fair Trade are very important tothrough the certification requirements of Transfair.
building (rebuilding) a sustainable society. The goodThe coffee farmers are paid a fair trade premium
news is that the certifications are not mutually(currently $1.26/lb) to ensure that they have
exclusive and actually complement each othermoney to invest in their community infrastructure.
nicely.The money supports the families through health
First, a word about certification. In our currentcare, education, and through providing the needed
market, third party certification is essential tocapital to improve equipment and methods of
both organic and fair trade. As the market forharvest so that they can compete in the open
both fair trade and organic grows manymarket. Fair trade goes beyond community and
businesses would rather change the definition thanfamily support and extends to protecting the
to change their practices. We are seeing this nowenvironment. One of the requirements of fair
in the fair trade coffee market place. As timetrade certification it that a premium is paid for
goes on a search for fair trade coffee is moreorganic coffee, currently a full 15 cents more per
and more likely to turn up non-certified fair tradepound than just regular fair trade. Many fair trade
coffee, which is most likely just a marketingfarmers have switched to organic methods and
rouse to attract ethical customers. In a recentare now actively restoring the rain forest in order
search of ebay for fair trade coffee 90% of theto receive this premium. They are not doing so
results were not third party certified, and upongrudgingly either, they understand that the rain
further examination most looked very suspect.forest is their heritage and want it to be restored.
We have seen this already in the organic market.They don't want to expose themselves and their
How many products marketed to organicfamilies to toxic sprays when they can make a
consumers are actually certified? Companies haveliving otherwise. This explains why more than
greened their names but not their practices.80% of coffee certified as fair trade is also
Without non-biased third party certification ofcertified organic.
organic or fair trade we are left to trust selfSo why ask the question which is better when
interested parties who will only profit from thatyou can have both? Well there is plenty of coffee
trust. So look at the labels a product caries, lookout there labeled as organic but not fair trade.
into the requirements of that certification andThe environment is being destroyed by some
make an informed decision. Know what labels youfarmers out of what is seen as economic
trust and know the ones that you feel arenecessity. Organic is great, but by itself it is not
deceptions. With fair trade Transfair is currentlysustainable, we must ensure that the people who
the only certification agency, so look for the fairgrow it are properly compensated otherwise they
trade label.are put in an economic position which lends itself
The concept of growing organic is essential to theto decisions with negative environmental
preservation of our environment. Herbicides,consequences. Families that provide us with quality
pesticides and fertilizers seep into the groundorganic products deserve financial security. Fair
polluting our groundwater and it also runs off thetrade does not compete with organic but it does
fields and into local water resources. When forestmake sure it is fiscally sustainable for the
are cleared for the planting of fields much of theproducers, thus ensuring future supply in our
topsoil is eroded and transported in nearbycurrent economy..
streams to the nearest lake where it deposits theThis is why the fair trade model works. First it
sediment, filling up the lake. Working with theensures the financial security of the farmers
environment to prevent this erosion, organicthrough fair prices, access to non-predatory loans
coffee farmers preserve the fertility of the landand capital needed to market and sell their goods.
by growing coffee in the shade, where coffeeThen it guarantees them a premium for
was meant to grow. This shade grown coffeeenvironmentally friendly practices, which many
provides the migratory birds with habitat and istimes leads to conversion of conventional fields to
thus called bird friendly. The concept of organicorganic. This model has been working for coffee
goes beyond protecting the environment andand has now expanded to tea, chocolate and
extends to protecting the the people who work ineven some tropical fruits.
the fields. Many of the chemicals used in farmingThe results of fair trade have been amazing:
have been shown to cause cancer as well as* Organic methods are being used and taught
many other health concerns. These concerns are* Community infrastructure is being built/rebuilt
multiplied when a person is repeatedly exposed to* Clean water
the sprays, like the farmers. How many lifelong* Erosion control
farmers labored to provide our society with food* Children in school
and are now suffering from cancer (my* Quality products through quality methods
grandfather is one of them)? Some studies have* Adult education
shown that organic methods even protect those* Secure families
who eat the fruits(even after they are washed),* and sustainability
and also protect locals who drink the water.Next time you buy organic coffee or tea make
Fair trade certified works in the opposite direction.sure it is also fair trade certified by Transfair.
First it ensures that the people are being paid andRequest that your local grocer carry fair trade
treated fairly. When it comes to fair trade coffeefruits when they are available.