ethical consumption and certifications

7/29/2019 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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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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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 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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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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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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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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