***Updated***
I started getting into espresso coffee back in 2004 while I worked at my first office job. I used to disguise the taste with 2 teaspoons of sugar but even so, I was seldom blown away by the cafes in my area.
That christmas I decided to buy the family an espresso machine to enjoy cafe-level quality at home. I bought a machine at the entry price level and it lasted a whole two weeks before I returned it due to constant faults. Alongside the refund money I added a further investment of 200% of the original price and bought a more adequate machine. I still encountered problems as it was the first model of a new series but we still have that machine today and almost 5 years on, it continues to extract fantastic coffee.
Back to the story. Since I started buying coffee beans I knew that they came in two types; *fairtrade coffee and non-fairtrade coffee. Thanks to the oxfam, I had learned about this concept by visiting their stores.
So why fair trade?
I realised that most coffee in the world is cultivated in three third world continents; Asia, Africa and Latin America. If tomato farmers in Mexico are anything to go by then I knew that workers in the coffee industry weren’t getting a good deal. Why do I care? Well I am South American, I was born there. If I’m buying coffee, the last thing I want to do is fund an unethical component of the industry. A 250g bag of coffee today costs around $6. After the wholesalers and the roasters get paid, what’s left over for the farmers and the workers? So that’s basically it. I want to enjoy quality coffee without the feeling of guilt attached to it.
The movement has slowly picked up and now even the big players are getting heavily involved. Somewhere along the line, I started hearing about the rainforest alliance. I read a bit about them at a cafe and was pleased to see what they do. Then I asked myself: Why does the rainforest alliance exist if fair trade is already here?
Two things spurred me on to find an answer 1) How come all the big notorious names use rainforest alliance instead of fair trade? and 2) what’s the difference between the two anyway?
After doing some research, I have been led to believe that rainforest alliance is a watered down version of fair trade and that its priority is nature and agriculture rather than workers and the community.
Without wanting to go into it further, I leave the following links:
http://grahamsgrumbles.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/fair-trade-vs-rainforest-alliance/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18372.cfm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2004/nov/24/foodanddrink.shopping1
http://www.fairtradeblogger.com/blog/2008/04/10/rainforest-allliance-certification-versus-fairtrade-whats-the-difference/
Rainforest Alliance Certification
Thanks to the comments below I am now more informed on rainforest alliance certification and their work with fair coffee. Their focus is not just on the economical welfare of coffee farmers but for the environment as a whole. Certification form rainforest alliance ensures that the best practises are used to ensure sustainability of the land and community. By maintaining these standards, the coffee industry can continue to grow without impacting negatively on their farming lands. Rainforest alliance also takes into account the human aspect of the process by teaching farmers how to use resources wisely and efficiently. This in turn allows farmers to reduce their costs and be able to compete better in an industry filled with big corporations.
**I thank everybody from rainforest alliance who aided me with the extra information.
Summary
So in closing I would like to say “The cheapest coffee costs you $6 a bag, good fairtrade costs about $10. It’s not gonna break your bank but for good quality and the ability to help the workers in this industry, how could you not consider the alternatives? Let’s put more pressure on our supermarkets and cafes, ask for and demand fair trade coffee. Support cafes and stores that do supply fairtrade.”
If you’re in Canberra and want to enjoy fairtrade coffee when you’re out and about, go to Cafe Essen, Garema Place, Civic. Costa Rican, East Timorese and Mexican Chiapas are three great roasts you can choose from their fair trade range.
* More information about fairtrade in Australia: http://www.fairtrade.com.au/
Where to buy fairtrade products in your local area: http://locator.fairtrade.org.nz/locator
Rainfores alliance sustainable agriculture standards: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture.cfm?id=standards
Hi, i work for Unilever, a multinational company that works with both Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance. I have worked closely on launches of some of our products that are certified by either RA or FT.
Your comment ‘rainforest alliance is a watered down version of fair trade’ simply doesn’t hold any water (excuse the pun).
Your question ‘Why does the rainforest alliance exist if fair trade is already here?’ is a good one- because they do different things. Why does Organic exist? or the Marine Stewardship Council? Because a one-size-fits-all approach is not possible. Our world is too complex to try and solve everything with one scheme.
RA and FT have different objectives and use a different approach. Both schemes have their strengths and weaknesses. They’re complimentary, and both further sustainable development, but in different ways. To say one is better than the other is like saying apples are better than oranges. There are several NGOs that have compared standards- check out the excellent report by the Tropical Commodity Coalition on Coffee or Consumer Reports Greener Choices site and you will see that both labels are meaningful and important.
Both FT and RA are members of ISEAL- which is the de facto gold standard for certification schemes. ISEAL has strict rules for the setting of standards, including stakeholder engagement.
Unfortunately some people see certification schemes as a zero-sum game- if RA wins then FT loses. This is doing a disservice to both schemes. The reality is that we shouldn’t focus on the difference between RA and FT. We should focus on the difference between certified and non-certified goods.
Lastly, you talk about being happy to pay a $4 price difference for FT versus non-FT coffee. Did you realize that of this $4, only about US$ 0.10 is paid as a Fairtrade premium to the farmer? The rest goes mostly to the retailer….
Hi, i work for Unilever, a multinational company that works with both Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance. I have worked closely on launches of some of our products that are certified by either RA or FT.
Your comment ‘rainforest alliance is a watered down version of fair trade’ simply doesn’t hold any water (excuse the pun).
Your question ‘Why does the rainforest alliance exist if fair trade is already here?’ is a good one- because they do different things. Why does Organic exist? or the Marine Stewardship Council? Because a one-size-fits-all approach is not possible. Our world is too complex to try and solve everything with one scheme.
RA and FT have different objectives and use a different approach. Both schemes have their strengths and weaknesses. They’re complimentary, and both further sustainable development, but in different ways. To say one is better than the other is like saying apples are better than oranges. There are several NGOs that have compared standards- check out the excellent report by the Tropical Commodity Coalition on Coffee or Consumer Reports Greener Choices site and you will see that both labels are meaningful and important.
Both FT and RA are members of ISEAL- which is the de facto gold standard for certification schemes. ISEAL has strict rules for the setting of standards, including stakeholder engagement.
Unfortunately some people see certification schemes as a zero-sum game- if RA wins then FT loses. This is doing a disservice to both schemes. The reality is that we shouldn’t focus on the difference between RA and FT. We should focus on the difference between certified and non-certified goods.
Lastly, you talk about being happy to pay a $4 price difference for FT versus non-FT coffee. Did you realize that of this $4, only about US$ 0.10 is paid as a Fairtrade premium to the farmer? The rest goes mostly to the retailer….
i had some links in the post- wanted to give you with more info. Unfortunately it won;t let me the post with links- even if they go to reputable NGO sites, not to spam sites.
here’s one for the Tropical Commodity Coalition:
http://www.teacoffeecocoa.org/tcc/content/download/373/2644/file/Coffee%20Barometer%202009.pdf
and her’s the one for Greener Choices:
http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/labelLogo.cfm?&pagenumber=4
hopefully it works this way.
have a nice day
Great comments and thank you for the resources. You mention that FT and RA complement each other. Does this mean that some products could qualify for both certifications or would that just cost too much money? I have seen some retailers sell some coffee under RA and other coffee of the same brand sealed with FT but I have never seen both. Thanks once again for the information.
i had some links in the post- wanted to give you with more info. Unfortunately it won;t let me the post with links- even if they go to reputable NGO sites, not to spam sites.
here’s one for the Tropical Commodity Coalition:
http://www.teacoffeecocoa.org/tcc/content/download/373/2644/file/Coffee%20Barometer%202009.pdf
and her’s the one for Greener Choices:
http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/labelLogo.cfm?&pagenumber=4
hopefully it works this way.
have a nice day
Great comments and thank you for the resources. You mention that FT and RA complement each other. Does this mean that some products could qualify for both certifications or would that just cost too much money? I have seen some retailers sell some coffee under RA and other coffee of the same brand sealed with FT but I have never seen both. Thanks once again for the information.
Your claim that Rainforest Alliance Certified™ is a watered down version of Fairtrade is unfair and based on largely outdated and misleading information, given the weblinks you provided.
Rainforest Alliance Certified™ is a sustainable farming programme that works with farmers to introduce best practices in terms of both environmental protection and social justice.
Fairtrade was founded as an alternative marketing system designed to give disadvantaged, small-scale farmers a guaranteed price for their products.
The standards behind the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal are managed by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), a coalition of leading conservation organisations, including the Rainforest Alliance, based in the countries where coffee and other tropical commodity crops are grown. Farms that meet these comprehensive standards earn the right to put the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal on products they sell. And companies, like Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Grinders Coffees, Lipton and others, earn the right to use the seal on their products because they can demonstrate that they are buying from certified farms.
As Chief of Sustainable Agriculture, Chris Wille, puts it: “The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ programme is a sustainable farming programme with a focus on how farms are managed and how to teach farmers to farm smarter – becoming more efficient, reducing their costs, increasing their productivity and ability to negotiate in the global marketplace and, ultimately, becoming more sustainable.”
To earn the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal of approval, farms have to meet a set of independent standards set out by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN). As part of the certification process, farmers have to make positive changes to their farming methods.
These include conserving and protecting water quality, soil quality, and biodiversity; planting trees and protecting native forests; reducing the use of chemicals; improving working conditions, including providing access to education and healthcare for farm families; reducing and recycling waste; and improving quality, productivity and the long term economic viability of farming communities.
Certified farms are audited annually by locally based auditors and surprise audits can also take place to ensure compliance with the standards is maintained. Farms in the programme also commit to continuous improvement. The standards themselves are reviewed and revised every two to three years to ensure that as better, more sustainable, farming practices, such as new alternatives to agro-chemicals, come to light the standards reflect those improved practices.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ programme works with farms of all shapes and sizes from vast tea estates in Kenya to small, family owned coffee farms in Peru. And the programme applies not just to coffee but to a wide range of crops including tea, cocoa, bananas, pineapples, citrus fruits, vanilla, mangoes, grapes and now sugar cane.
A recent independent study in El Salvador demonstrates that this focus on improved farm practices really delivers benefits for farmers, farm workers and communities. The study tracked 200 farms during 2007-2008 and found that Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms had, on average, a 76 per cent higher yield compared to the 22 percent increase in yield of the control group. In addition, farms in the programme reported earning US$321 per hectare more thanks to a combination of improved price gained through recognition of their certification plus the higher yields. To become certified the farmers had invested about US$70 per hectare on certification improvements about half of which was on environmental measure like soil and water conservation and half on social improvements such as potable water and improved worker housing.
You and your readers can access the standards here: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture.cfm?id=standards and learn more about the broader work of the Rainforest Alliance here: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org
Some farmers have chosen to be certified to more than one standard and there are a few that meet the criteria necessary for both faritrade and Rainforest Alliance certification, and some that meet these standards and are also organic. Currently there are few products in the Australian market that are from dual-certified origins.
Anita Neville
Communications Advisor
Rainforest Alliance
Thank you for your input. I will ammend the original article shortly to improve its accuracy.
Your claim that Rainforest Alliance Certified™ is a watered down version of Fairtrade is unfair and based on largely outdated and misleading information, given the weblinks you provided.
Rainforest Alliance Certified™ is a sustainable farming programme that works with farmers to introduce best practices in terms of both environmental protection and social justice.
Fairtrade was founded as an alternative marketing system designed to give disadvantaged, small-scale farmers a guaranteed price for their products.
The standards behind the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal are managed by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), a coalition of leading conservation organisations, including the Rainforest Alliance, based in the countries where coffee and other tropical commodity crops are grown. Farms that meet these comprehensive standards earn the right to put the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal on products they sell. And companies, like Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Grinders Coffees, Lipton and others, earn the right to use the seal on their products because they can demonstrate that they are buying from certified farms.
As Chief of Sustainable Agriculture, Chris Wille, puts it: “The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ programme is a sustainable farming programme with a focus on how farms are managed and how to teach farmers to farm smarter – becoming more efficient, reducing their costs, increasing their productivity and ability to negotiate in the global marketplace and, ultimately, becoming more sustainable.”
To earn the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal of approval, farms have to meet a set of independent standards set out by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN). As part of the certification process, farmers have to make positive changes to their farming methods.
These include conserving and protecting water quality, soil quality, and biodiversity; planting trees and protecting native forests; reducing the use of chemicals; improving working conditions, including providing access to education and healthcare for farm families; reducing and recycling waste; and improving quality, productivity and the long term economic viability of farming communities.
Certified farms are audited annually by locally based auditors and surprise audits can also take place to ensure compliance with the standards is maintained. Farms in the programme also commit to continuous improvement. The standards themselves are reviewed and revised every two to three years to ensure that as better, more sustainable, farming practices, such as new alternatives to agro-chemicals, come to light the standards reflect those improved practices.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ programme works with farms of all shapes and sizes from vast tea estates in Kenya to small, family owned coffee farms in Peru. And the programme applies not just to coffee but to a wide range of crops including tea, cocoa, bananas, pineapples, citrus fruits, vanilla, mangoes, grapes and now sugar cane.
A recent independent study in El Salvador demonstrates that this focus on improved farm practices really delivers benefits for farmers, farm workers and communities. The study tracked 200 farms during 2007-2008 and found that Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms had, on average, a 76 per cent higher yield compared to the 22 percent increase in yield of the control group. In addition, farms in the programme reported earning US$321 per hectare more thanks to a combination of improved price gained through recognition of their certification plus the higher yields. To become certified the farmers had invested about US$70 per hectare on certification improvements about half of which was on environmental measure like soil and water conservation and half on social improvements such as potable water and improved worker housing.
You and your readers can access the standards here: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture.cfm?id=standards and learn more about the broader work of the Rainforest Alliance here: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org
Some farmers have chosen to be certified to more than one standard and there are a few that meet the criteria necessary for both faritrade and Rainforest Alliance certification, and some that meet these standards and are also organic. Currently there are few products in the Australian market that are from dual-certified origins.
Anita Neville
Communications Advisor
Rainforest Alliance
Thank you for your input. I will ammend the original article shortly to improve its accuracy.
Hi Reinaldo,
you said : [i]’You mention that FT and RA complement each other. Does this mean that some products could qualify for both certifications or would that just cost too much money?’ [/i]
It’s a good point. I know that some farms have multiple certifications -e.g. both RA and FT. There are also farms that are Organic certified in addition to RA or FT.
You’re right that multiple certifications put a burden on the farms- in addition to the schemes mentioned above some retailers and companies have their own audit processes which take up time.
Business using the established independent certification schemes ((like FT and RA) and increased co-operation on the ground between those schemes would be good for the farmers..
Hi Reinaldo,
you said : [i]’You mention that FT and RA complement each other. Does this mean that some products could qualify for both certifications or would that just cost too much money?’ [/i]
It’s a good point. I know that some farms have multiple certifications -e.g. both RA and FT. There are also farms that are Organic certified in addition to RA or FT.
You’re right that multiple certifications put a burden on the farms- in addition to the schemes mentioned above some retailers and companies have their own audit processes which take up time.
Business using the established independent certification schemes ((like FT and RA) and increased co-operation on the ground between those schemes would be good for the farmers..
I have been to your site half a dozen times now, and this time I am adding it to my bookmarks 🙂 Your discussions are always relevant, unlike the same-old stuff on other sites (which are coming off my bookmarks!) Keep it up!
Green Tea is great! But for me it is important that I drink it with ginseng, real sugar and in a glass bottle. I feel it is at its purest and most beneficial form that way.
Green Tea is great! But for me it is important that I drink it with ginseng, real sugar and in a glass bottle. I feel it is at its purest and most beneficial form that way.