A Nice Cuppa

Last year, Yuban, a coffee company owned by the food conglomerate Kraft, earned their Rainforest Alliance certification. So what does that mean exactly? It means that at least 30% of their beans are grown using ecologically sensitive farming methods. It also means that their farms give steady work, fair wages, health benefits and land-use training to over 46,000 people in both Central and South America.

From Yuban, “Since its formation in 1987, the Rainforest Alliance has invested in the reservation of biodiversity and the quality of life of local people in their environment. Together with Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) partners, the Rainforest Alliance has developed a socio-environmental certification program for agriculture. This certification combines respect for people and their environment with consideration for rural traditions and local cultures and is based on more than 200 criteria.

Each year, a certification audit team visits every farm, large or small, for as long as it takes to see how the farm measures up against the comprehensive social and environmental standards. Made up of local people, the audit teams are able to talk to workers to see how the farm really works and discuss improvements that should be made. No other certification system is both so rigorous and so supportive.

Sustainable development is about balancing the needs of producers and consumers with the long-term health of the environment. Only in this way can future development be safeguarded – and a continuous supply of quality coffee beans ensured. According to the Rainforest Alliance, there are THREE KEY PRINCIPLES of sustainable agriculture:

1. ENVIRONMENTAL
To conserve ecosystems, wildlife, water and soils; to manage waste better (reduce its quantity and reuse or recycle it wherever possible) and limit the use of chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

2. SOCIAL
To reward workers fairly and also to help with access to medical care and education for themselves and their families; to respect their rights (such as freedom of association and opinion – for example the right to form employee groups and to have union representation) and to ensure that local communities are involved in joint projects such as the building of roads and bridges.

3. ECONOMIC
To establish training programs, improve farm management and the quality of the coffee produced. Better quality coffee can be sold at above- market price. More efficient farm management ensures better quality and better producer margins.”

That’s something we can all drink to.

Photos from Yuban.com.