Download - Ethical Consumption and Certifications
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YONSEI UNIVERSITY
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Content
Ethical consumerism
Organic certification
Fairtrade certification
Rainforest certification
Other certifications
Final comments
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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-basedpurchasing.
Positive buying means favoring ethical products, be
they fair trade, cruelty free, organic, recycled, re-
used, or produced locally.
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Organic Certification
Organic certification is a certification process forproducers 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.
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Organic Certification
Requirements vary from country to country, andgenerally 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;
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Organic Certification
Use of farmland that has been free from prohibitedsynthetic 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.
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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 difficultworking conditions can lead to a cycle of
poverty.
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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 systemby supporting livelihoods and empowering
producers.
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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 FairtradeStandards in an open
and transparent
process.
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Fairtrade Certification Key Standards
Fairtrade Minimum Price: a price floor to protectproducers 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.
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Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance works to conservebiodiversity 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
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Rainforest Alliance Programs
Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Forestry, toencourage 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.
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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 ofenvironmental and social standards,
including agrochemical reduction, ecosystem conse
rvation, and worker health and safety.
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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
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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 thefood must be prepared.
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Other Certifications
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Final comments
Organic certification, as well as fair-tradecertification, 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
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