There are certifications on food issued by various organizations that carry weight, and then there are words like "organic" and "green" that don't in themselves necessarily have any value. How do you know the difference?
The main way today big retailers ensure that their supply chains actually supply the green products they say they do is through third-party sustainable certification. So food products certified by the Rainforest Alliance, an international certification body, for example, all carry that organization's small green frog seal.
Alex Morgan, manager of the United States and Canada for the Rainforest Alliance, points to increased demand globally for sustainable foods, as the main reason certification is on the rise.
"There is an increased focus on transparency of supply chains and traceability back to farms," said Morgan. "Particularly through the recession we found companies placing increased emphasis on 'knowing' their supply chains to ensure long-term supply and eliminate high risk areas."
Rainforest Alliance certification covers three "pillars" of sustainability--economic viability, environmental protection and social equality. The program is rooted is the Sustainable Agricultural Network (SAN), an international alliance of locally-based non-governmental organizations focused on conservation and social justice.
There is also Fair Trade certification through Fair Trade USA, a non-profit 501 ( c ) 3 third-party organization which audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies and international suppliers to guarantee that farmers and workers producing Fairtrade certified goods are paid fair prices and wages, work in safe conditions, protect the environment and receive community development funds to empower and uplift their communities. Fair Trade USA is a member of the Fairtrade Labeling Organization International (FLO).
The 4C Association (common code for the Coffee Community) certification is a coalition of producers, trade, industry and NGOs who help farmers lower costs, improve quality and efficiency, and again access to markets. Since May 2010, up to 12 million bags of coffee--10 percent of global supply--have met 4C standards.
It is important to note the difference between organic and sustainable food. Rainforest Alliance Certification, for example, is a comprehensive set of sustainability standards designed to address environmental, social, and economic issues. There are 94 criteria to the standards, and they cover a large variety of issues on farms, including pesticide usage. The principle covering the use of agrochemicals is one of 10 principles of sustainable agriculture. Organic certification only deals with agrochemical usage, and does not deal with habitat protection, wildlife protection, labor issues, or community issues.
Kraft Foods
Among food producers and big retailers that have made sustainability an integral part of business due to increased demand are Kraft Foods Inc. and Whole Foods Market.
"We know customers want to do business with partners who support sustainability. Consumers want to buy products from companies that 'get it,'" says Phil Hodges, senior vice president for the Supply Chain, Kraft Foods Europe. "If a product has more sustainability attributes than another, and all else being equal, it can be a tie-breaker. So it's definitely to our advantage to promote products that have a sustainability advantage without compromising its other advantages."
"For the 2010-2015 timeline, our expanded goal is to increase sustainable sourcing of agricultural commodities by 25 percent through certification groups like Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and 4C."
According to Hubert Weber, president, Coffee, Kraft Foods Europe, all of Kraft's European coffee brands have committed to sustainably source 100 percent of their coffee by 2015.