YONSEI UNIVERSITY

Content Ethical consumerism Organic certification Fairtrade certification

Rainforest certification
Other certifications Final comments

Ethical consumerism Ethical consumerism is a type of consumer activism that is based on 'positive buying' in that ethical products are favoured, or 'moral boycott', that is negative purchasing and company-based purchasing. Positive buying means favoring ethical products, be they fair trade, cruelty free, organic, recycled, reused, or produced locally.

Organic Certification Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, [food] processors, retailers and restaurants.

Organic Certification Requirements vary from country to country, and generally involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include: No human sewage sludge fertilizer used in cultivation of plants or feed of animals, Avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs not on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge;

Organic Certification Use of farmland that has been free from prohibited synthetic chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more); Keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail); Maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products; Undergoing periodic on-site inspections.

Fairtrade Certification

Many farmers in developing countries, despite their hard work, live in poverty. When agricultural products are sold at low prices, farmers earn very little profit and can become stuck in a cycle of poverty, or poverty trap.
Agricultural workers face similar challenges: low wages and difficult working conditions can lead to a cycle of poverty.

Fairtrade Certification Fairtrade is a means for vulnerable producers (farmers and workers) to combat poverty through their own empowerment and development. Fairtrade aims to promote a more just trading system by supporting livelihoods and empowering producers.

Fairtrade Certification The international Fairtrade Standards are known for their rigorous nature and highly credible development process. Regularly consult all stakeholders including farmers, traders, businesses and NGOs to evaluate and update the Fairtrade Standards in an open and transparent process.

Fairtrade Certification Key Standards Fairtrade Minimum Price: a price floor to protect producers if market prices fall; Fairtrade Premium: additional funds for producers to invest in community or business; Democratic decision-making at the producer level; Long-term, stable contracts with buyers; Protection of the environment; Adherence to core International Labour Organization conventions.

Rainforest Alliance The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and improve livelihoods by promoting and evaluating the implementation of the most globally respected sustainability standards in a variety of fields. Help to prevent deforestation, curb climate change, protect wildlife, alleviate poverty and urge companies to do right by people and the planet

Rainforest Alliance Programs Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Forestry, to encourage market-driven and environmentally and socially responsible management of forests, tree farms and forest resources. Rainforest Alliance Carbon Verification, verifies carbon offset projects to standards that address greenhouse gas sequestration, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods.

Rainforest Alliance Programs Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture, oversees the certification of farms that produce tropical crops, including coffee, bananas, cocoa, oranges, cut flowers, ferns, and tea. To obtain certification, farms must meet a set of environmental and social standards, including agrochemical reduction, ecosystem conse rvation, and worker health and safety.

Other Certifications

Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food that may be consumed according to halakha(Jewish law) is termed kosher in English. Many of the certification symbols are accompanied by additional letters or words to indicate the category of the product, according to Jewish law

Other Certifications

all is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. Halal foods are foods that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic Shariah. The criteria specify both what foods are allowed, and how the food must be prepared.

Other Certifications

Final comments Organic certification, as well as fair-trade certification, has the potential to directly and indirectly contribute to the achievement of the MDG targets. With the growth of ethical consumerism in developed countries, imports of eco-friendly and socially certified produce from the poor in developing countries have increased, which could contribute towards the achievement of the MDGs