What Is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is a social consumer movement that helps farmers and producers in developing countries. Fair Trade goods are certified by Fair Trade USA (or FLO in Europe) to meet standards of fair pay, sustainability and development, in order to benefit disadvantaged farmers. Consumers of Fair Trade certified products know that they are contributing to the social and economic development of people through their purchases.

How Is Fair Trade Different?

The goal of the traditional business model known as "free trade" is to maximize profit for shareholders. In a supply chain, the goal of a business may be at odds with both suppliers and consumers. As a result, in developing nations, farmers who are already living marginally are driven out of work by unfair business practices. In some cases, child laborers are forced to work long hours under harsh or dangerous conditions. In the 1990s both Nike and Wal-Mart faced scandals when it was discovered some of their products were made by children in sweatshops.

Social consumerism (also known as ethical purchasing or ethical consumerism) is not a new phenomenon. In America, in the early 1800s, the Free Produce Society fought slavery through an economic boycott of slave-made goods. At the same time in Britain, the Rochdale Pioneers started the first consumer-based cooperative and opened the first co-op shop. Consumers want to know that their purchases are ethical, and that they make a difference in the world.

How Does Fair Trade Help?

Fair Trade helps farmers and communities in many ways. Fair Trade guarantees fair minimum prices for producers. It encourages sustainable, organic farming practices. And Fair Trade returns a premium to the farming community itself, via farming cooperatives, for improvements.

The ten principles of Fair Trade, as described by the World Fair Trade Organization, are:

1. Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers
2. Transparency and accountability
3. Fair trading practices
4. Payment of a fair price
5. Ensuring no child labor and forced labor
6. Commitment to non-discrimination, gender equity and freedom of association
7. Ensuring good working conditions
8. Providing capacity building
9. Promoting fair trade
10. Respect for the environment (maximize use of local, sustainable raw materials)

How Does Fair Trade Benefit Consumers?

When consumers see the Fair Trade Certified mark, they know their purchases go directly to help farmers and communities in developing nations. Beyond simple ethical goals, Fair Trade certification creates sustainability, high-quality goods, stabilizes the market with fair prices, and reduces shortages. Fair Trade is an excellent way consumers can affect the global marketplace through their day-to-day purchases.

Companies like Spicely® Organic Spices, Starbucks and Nestle are taking initiative by offering Fair Trade Certified products. Look for the Fair Trade Certified and Global Fair Trade logos on all your purchases. For more information, visit Fair Trade USA's website at http://www.fairtradeusa.org.

What Does "Gluten-Free" Mean?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat. Nearly 1% of Americans are allergic to gluten. Products labeled as GFCO certified gluten free contain less than 10 ppm gluten.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and other grains. Gluten is called a storage protein because it is found in the seed of the plant and stores nutrients. Since gluten can removed from wheat easily, it is widely used as a source of protein or thickening agent in prepared foods.

Celiac Disease

According to a recent study done at the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, 1 in 133 Americans suffer from a gluten intolerance known as celiac disease. Celiac is a genetic disease that causes an abnormal immune system reaction in the small intestines. Due to damage to the walls of the small intestines, celiacs may suffer from malnourishment or vitamin deficiency. The only treatment for celiac disease is a permanent gluten-free diet. Celiacs must also find alternate sources for the thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and other vitamins normally consumed with wheat products.

Gluten Free Lifestyle

We take the ability to eat bread, cake and pizza for granted. But celiacs must be very careful in their dietary choices. Gluten can be found in breads, pastas, cookies, cakes, soups, sauces, salad dressings, beer, processed meats and other foods. Gluten can also be found hidden in lipstick, lip balm, toothpaste and medication.

Celiacs may be exposed to gluten through cross-contamination. Cross-contamination can occur when a factory makes gluten and non-gluten foods together. Or it can also occur in the kitchen through cookware. Gluten from wheat pasta is sticky and difficult to wash off.

GF Certification, Labeling and Proposed FDA Regulations

Many countries have rules for gluten free labeling. In 2009, the European Union's Food Standards Agency announced new stricter standards for GF labeling which limit the amount of gluten to less than 20 ppm (parts per million). That is a tenfold increase over the old standard of 200 ppm, made possible because of improved testing methods.

At the time of this article, there are no national standards for gluten free labeling in the U.S. Gluten is considered by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be GRAS ("generally regarded as safe"). Products containing gluten aren't required to list it on the label. (For example, as a thickener in beef gravy.) The FDA is currently at the end of a long approval process to establish U.S. gluten labeling standards comparable to those in Europe.

In the U.S., voluntary certification organizations such as Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO), run by the Gluten Intolerance Group, exist which test and certify products as gluten free. The GFCO Certified Gluten Free label that appears on Spicely® products certifies that our products contain no more than 10 ppm gluten, well above the proposed new standards.

Facing the Challenge

Although there is no cure for celiac disease, there is hope for celiac sufferers. With strict adherence to a gluten-free diet, damage done to the small intestine is repaired. There are many support groups. The Internet is full of resources. The FDA's new labeling standards mean greater understanding of food allergies and the problems faced by celiacs.

USDA organic logo

Introduction

Organic foods are food products that are certified by the USDA to meet the regulations of the National Organic Program. The NOP logo assures consumers that the organic foods they purchase are consistent with federal standards. Farmers and food producers who don't meet the USDA's standards may not use the logo.

Diet and Health

Diet and nutrition are closely linked to health. Poor nutrition can lead to chronic health problems due to vitamin deficiency. A healthy diet is important for lowering health risks like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.

The Green Revolution

Although we have enough food in America, millions of people worldwide die each year from starvation. In the 1940s - 1960s, Norman Borlaug, an agronomist with DuPont, led the "Green Revolution" by developing high-yield methods of crop production. Borlaug is credited with saving over a billion people from starvation in India, Asia and Africa. He received a Nobel Prize for his work.

Borlaug's methods greatly increased food production in third world countries. Critics of his methods point to heavy use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides associated with higher cancer rates. In addition, damage to surrounding ecosystems (fish, plants and animals) is caused by pesticide runoff. Borlaug once called his critics "fashionable elitists."

OFPA and NOP

Testing A Sample

In 1990, the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) established a new USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to set uniform, national standards for the production, handling and processing of organically grown agricultural products. Foods that carry the NOP organic logo on their label "use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole." (USDA)

The OFPA and NOP are intended to assure consumers that the organic foods they purchase are produced, processed, and certified to be consistent with national organic standards.

NOP Standards

The organic standards (found in Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations) describe the specific requirements that must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before products can be labeled USDA organic. Overall, organic operations must demonstrate that they are protecting natural resources, conserving biodiversity, and using only approved substances.

Organic farming systems rely on ecologically based practices which include cultural and biological pest management, exclusion of all synthetic chemicals, antibiotics, and hormones in crop and livestock production. Organic food production prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and certain other practices.

The National Organic Program establishes three types of organic labeling: "100% organic," "organic," and "made with organic products." One hundred percent organic products must contain all organic material. Products labeled as "organic" must contain at least 95% organic material. And products labeled as "made with organic products" must contain at least 70% organic material.

Farmers who wish to call their products "organic" need to be certified by the USDA or an authorized agency. Farmers must comply with the organic standards, maintain extensive paperwork and be certified annually. A farm's soil must remain free from prohibited substances for a period of years before it can produce organic food. (Such farms are referred to as "in transition.") Farmers and food producers who don't follow the USDA organic regulations may not use the organic label on their products.

Is Organic Food Better For Us?

Few scientific studies exist regarding health benefits of an organic diet. A study published by the National Research Council in 1993 determined that for infants and children, the major source of exposure to pesticides is through diet. A recent study in 2006 measured the levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure in 23 schoolchildren before and after replacing their diet with organic food. In this study it was found that levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure dropped dramatically and immediately when the children switched to an organic diet.

Ecologically, organic farming is sustainable, and less harmful to the environment than heavy use of synthetic fertilizers. Another consideration for some people is the ethical treatment of livestock required by the National Organic Program.

The Argument For Organic Food

In the old days of small farms and markets, the consumers' motto was "know your farmer." In our modern world, the USDA's NOP regulations for safe, ethical, sustainable methods of food production and labeling assure consumers of quality control and food safety. Each step of the production process, from soil and seed to label, is inspected and regulated by the USDA and its agents.

According to the USDA, "the food production and handling practices prescribed by the USDA organic regulations are deeply rooted in environmental stewardship and resource conservation."

Further Reading

• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
• Organic Foods Production Act of 1990
• USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Organic Standards
• Should I Purchase Organic Foods? (USDA National Agricultural Library)
• Benefits of Organic (Organic Trade Assoc.)

Portions of this article are non-copyright from USDA website.