Coffee that has passed strict inspections is given the sign of each certification organizations.
RAINFOREST ALLIANCE
。●
This group is an international NPO which has been cooperating with other social or ecological organizations, companies, governments and interested parties, in order to make the guideline about protection of rainforests with the other nine groups belonging to SAN (Sustainable Agriculture Network).
They set protection of biological varieties and maintenance of sustainable
human lives as their mission.
And, they are based on the three columns, that is to say, protection of environment, social fairness and economic competitiveness. The topics which are issued in the inspection for certification contain not only protection of natural resources but also large contents related to natural consideration, such as preservation of soil and prohibition of using genetically modified crops.
In addition, many social topics about economicdevelopment and labor environment
of local people are also contained.
FAIRTRADE
。●
The present system of the global international trade tends to cause expansion of poverty among the people in developing countries, who are economically and socially weaker than others.
Therefore, this trade system encourages buying materials and products of developing countries for the accurate price continuously and promotesimprovement of living and independence of weak producers and labors in the countries.
ORGANIC
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･ECOCERT It is the biggest international organic certification institution in the world that has a base in France and twentieth authorization institutions all over the world.
It acknowledge only a few farm products that were cultivated at the field that was not used agricultural chemical and chemical fertilizer for five years.
And they test soils and pesticide residue once every year.
Genetic modification crops are prohibited of course.
" ECOCERT MARK " put on the production that get certification.
･USDA(Institutution that has unity standard of all American organic authorization)
It was established to unity check standard of origin American several organic authorization by American Department of Agriculture (USDA).
It acknowledge farm productions that cultivated whithout agricultural chemical and chemical fertilizer more than three years.
Then, if is it is organic processed good, authorization condition is organic authorization material are used more than 95％ remove water and salt.
Genetic modification is prohibited of course too.
" USDA MARK " put on the production that get certification.
･Other organic certification institution or organization in the world
･OCIA(It is international certification institution that has a base in America.)
･QIA(American organic certification institution)
･FVO(America)
･CCOF(America)
･SKAL(Kingdom of the Netherlands)
･CFRES(Germany)
...etc.
UTZ。●
This is the international certification program which provides the standard of production management in order to encourage the socially and environmentally responsible production, processing and distribution. This group seeks to create the world in which the sustainable agriculture would be normal.
There are some minimum standards producers have to follow at their first year if they want to sell their coffee and cacao as UTZ certified, and a lot of requirements are added at their second year.
The standards consist of agricultural management as business, good agricultural action, safe working environment and preservation of natural living environment.
BIRD FRIENDLY
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This is the program for protecting migratory birds resting in the tropical forests because they buy the organic coffee which is made by the way of shade-grown, using forests in the tropical zone, for premium price and, as a result, they support farmers and stop deforestation.
The profit generated by the coffee is used as the fund for survey and research
in Smithsonian Migratory Birds Center, the founder of the program, for
the protection of migratory birds all over the world.
There are two big standards they have to follow to get this certification.
One of them is that they have adopted the organic cultivation.
And the other is the original standard of shade-grown for keeping forests natural.
That means shade-trees must cover over 40% of the farm and the shade-trees
must be composed of more than eleven kinds of trees.
CONSERVATION
。●
This is an international ecological NGO which is established for solving environmental problems from the aspect of relationship between natural ecological system and human beings.
Their mission is to realize the society in which rich nature is succeeded
to the new generation and to contribute for happiness of human beings.
Conservation Coffee has contributed for protection of biological variety
in the coffee production areas which are biologically sensitive.
The coffee is certified or evaluated by other external organizations because
it has contributed for protection of the natural environment and been responsible
for society in procedure of productionand selling.
POINT
Coffee that has passed strict inspections is given the sign of each certification organizations.
The main certification organizations are “RAINFOREST ALLIANCE”, “FAIRTRADE”, “ORGANIC” ,”UTZ”, “BIRD FRIENDLY”.
