Why Organic & Fairtrade Often Go Hand in Hand
Last month the UK’s leading farming charity and organic certification body, the Soil Association pulled off another impacting Organic September, with the campaign receiving over 21,000 features across social media and reaching 20.5 million people worldwide!
In addition to social media, several significant publications including the Telegraph and the Guardian picked up on the organic movement, further increasing the public’s awareness.
For many the #organic conversation centred around the positive environmental and health benefits.
“Organic September was set up by the organic certifying body the Soil Association in an attempt to debunk some of the myths around organic – highlighting how it is healthier and better for the planet and it is not just a marketing ploy to get people to part with more money – and encourage conscious consumers to think about where their food, especially, is really coming from.” Evening Standard
Thanks to campaigns like #OrganicSeptember many more conscious consumers will be on the lookout for organically certified produce, driving up sales and contributing to a more sustainable food supply system.
While this is an extremely positive trend, as grower representatives, we feel that it’s also essential to consider Fairtrade in the mix to increase sustainability.
Why Organic & Fairtrade Often Go Hand in Hand
According to a leading certification body IFOAM, at the heart of organic production are four key pillars: health, ecology, care, and fairness.
We are now more aware than ever of the positive impacts of choosing organic on our health and the environment, but ‘fairness’ is one of the lesser known pillars of organic agriculture.
Fairtrade is more widely known for its focus on ‘fairness’ in trade, but it also encourages organic and sustainable practices, which often lead to organic certification, this is why more commonly now, organic & Fairtrade certifications go hand in hand.
“Fairtrade Premiums are often used to train producers in organic and sustainable techniques like composting and using recycled materials, which can help them to convert to organic production in the future.” Fairtrade Foundation
We are seeing a growing number of producers around the world choosing to combine the organic certification with Fairtrade to further enhance fairness and overall sustainable production. According to the Soil Association, ‘it is estimated that 51% of Fairtrade farmers also hold organic certification.’
Organic & Fairtrade Growers
Working alongside producers for over 12 years we have seen first-hand the increased adoption of organic and Fairtrade certifications and the positive impact they have on the ecosystem and people.
“As people are increasingly looking for ethical and sustainable products, organic and Fairtrade certification strengthens that relationship, creating trust through transparency.” Soil Association
A shining example of the development from organic to organic Fairtrade is our leading Mexican banana producer, Coliman.
In 2010 Coliman made the strategic decision to convert all banana production to 100% organic and later in 2013 shipped their first organic Fairtrade bananas to the UK, Europe, Canada, and the Southern US.
For Coliman, loyalty, responsibility, and reliability have been at the heart of their core values since 1963, which is why the brand is now synonymous with sustainable, high-quality, organic bananas.
Likewise, for Mexican lime growers Inverafrut. They are building on their existing core values and aims for sustainability by obtaining Fairtrade certification.
When customers buy Inverafrut limes, they are contributing to the growth of the people but also supporting organic farming and fairness as part of the Fairtrade directive.
As Grower Representatives, we aim to educate our customers and partners. Helping them to understand the positive impact of choosing organic and Fairtrade varieties and while some products may only be exclusively Fairtrade or organic – the two certifications share the same aims for sustainability and must equally be supported.
