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Definitions of Certifications
::Organic
:: “SHADE” COFFEE:
:: FAIR TRADE
:: RAINFOREST ALLIANCE:
ORGANIC:
Certified Organic Coffee is coffee that has been determined
to be produced according to sustainable practices, without
the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or other
harmful agrochemicals.
All our coffees are certified organic by independent
certifying agencies that inspect every farm, every year and
manage the audit trail. All stages of production are
monitored for adherence to sustainable agricultural
techniques and ecologically sound methods of processing.
In order to be labeled "organic", coffee must adhere to
rigorous standards in agricultural production, handling, and
roasting. The "Organic Foods Production Act" of 1990 is the
federal law which governs U.S. organic food standards and
labeling. This regulation declares that organic foodstuffs
must be grown and processed according to two basic
principles; no prohibited substances can be used, and a
sustainable organic plan must be implemented. The myriad of
details that constitute the regulations have been developed
by the organic community over many years of exhaustive,
expert debate.
The prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers
and pesticides. This is especially important in less
developed countries where there is little or no protection
for the farmers who apply the pesticides. As a matter of
fact, many of the pesticides used are banned in developed
countries. Unfortunately, damage to the environment and
people is hard to calculate. We can say with certainty,
though, that these materials are not only toxic but can also
be mutagenic and increase immune deficiency, even at low
doses. When synthetic pesticides are prohibited, it allows
for the development of bio-rational controls such as
commercial insectaries that rear a wasp parasite that
controls coffee borer (broca). This is very different from
so called "green seals" which allow an undefined
"restricted" use of synthetic pesticides.
The organic farm plan consists of an organic management
system. In the case of coffee, this system would include the
use of shade grown trees that provide ecological niches for
beneficial insects, nitrogen for the coffee, and erosion
control to name just a few benefits. Under organic
management, all the coffee cherries would be composted along
with other agricultural waste. Ideally bananas or other food
crops would be inter-planted with the coffee. The role of
the organic inspector is to see that the organic plan
outlined in the application is implemented on the farm. In
succeeding years, improvements in the management system will
be expected.
The certification agent based on the handling plan presented
by the importing coffee companies must also verify the
transport, handling, roasting, and packing of the coffee.
The organic seal guarantees that the coffee was grown
according to ecological principles and its integrity
protected en-route.
Certification ensures organic authenticity from Tree to Cup!
Elan is a certified organic broker and trader. We have dual
certification from both QAI and OCIA. The coffees we
represent are certified by a variety of legitimate
certification entities including NASAA, BCS
OkoGarantie,Naturland, Inkacert, Mayacert, and EcoCert.
Note: Elan is certified Organic by QAI. They are our
“umbrella” certifier. QAI stands for
 QualityAssurance
International.
BIRD FRIENDLY
or “SHADE” COFFEE:
Elan Organic Coffees supports shade-grown coffee as a
means to improve the income and diet of poor coffee farmers
and restore habitat diversity in tropical forests that are
endangered by development.
What exactly constitutes a coffee plant grown in shade? And
why is it more ecologically beneficial than sun-grown
coffee?
Coffee is commonly grown in two different ways: in shade or
in full sun.
Sun-grown coffee is produced on hybrid bushes that grow in
direct sun without any protection from taller trees. Growers
must supply these plants with agrochemicals (pesticides,
fertilizers, etc.). Consequently, most farmers who produce
sun-grown coffee are large growers with ample capital for
costly inputs. Those costs are offset by a more intense
production and higher yields per hectare than for
shade-grown coffee.
Shade-grown coffee bushes grow under shade trees (vegetative
coverage). This process is a less-intensive, lower-yielding
form of cultivation than sun-grown coffee and may be divided
into three forms:
a) Conventional shade-grown coffee, which uses
agrochemicals.
b) Natural shade-grown coffee, which uses neither
chemicals nor any specific technique to improve the
plant condition nor the environment. It is simply left
to grow as it may without any attention.
c) Organic shade-grown coffee, which does not use any
type of synthetic chemical, but is cultivated using
special techniques. There are different stages
throughout the process and each stage employs a special
technique, such as improvement of the soil, treatment
for the plant, pruning of the plant and vegetative
covering, etc.
Approximately 80 percent to 90 percent of coffee comes
from small farmers who cultivate shade-grown bushes on one
to three hectares (about 2.5 to 7.5 acres) of land. This
means that most of the coffee we consume every day comes
from very poor people with small farms. By diversifying the
shade-tree canopy, farmers can enjoy a richer production
from their land and the canopy becomes a more diverse
habitat for insects, plants and migratory birds.
Coffee producers throughout Latin America use shade. There
are different types of shade. In Mexico, for example, a
great majority of coffee plantations have a single type of
shade tree (called monospecific shade or monoculture) using
Inga spp., locally called Chalum. In Guatemala, Chalum
shades are used as well as another type called gravilea.
Many Latin American producers plant other types of trees
among the shade trees, including banana, lemon, orange,
avocado and other fruit trees for personal consumption and
for sale; this type of shade is called commercial
polyculture.
Farmers find many good reasons for using Inga spp. (Chalum).
The tree develops rapidly and its plentiful leaves
contribute as a natural fertilizer when they fall to the
ground. Its shade is non-intense, permitting some sunrays to
enter. Its broad canopy shades a large area.
Most small coffee farmers in Latin America begin production
by clear-cutting land, usually forest or jungle, and
planting corn for personal consumption and sale. After two
or more years of corn production, they plant coffee because
it is a relatively good-paying cash crop that will earn them
a profit. While growing their corn crop, these farmers
prepare the coffee bushes and Inga spp. trees for later
planting, resulting in growth of the same shade tree
throughout their groves.
Throughout our years of contact with these farmers, we have
noticed that this monospecific shade is not the best shade
for coffee plantations and that harvests are better with
another type of shade, which is diversified. The concept of
diversified shade uses two or more layers or levels of shade
trees and different species of trees.
When small farmers first began using organic production
techniques and including them in the regulations for their
cooperatives, there was little emphasis on the type of shade
trees that should be used. Nevertheless, some small farmers
have improved the diversity of the shade of their coffee
groves, but this takes years. This has come from the
personal initiative of the farmers and from people and
agencies providing technical assistance, rather than through
regulations established through the organic certification
process.
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FAIR TRADE:
Elan's Fair Trade Coffee
Elan Organic Coffees have been planet and people conscious
since our first day in business. We have implemented social
programs that help improve living conditions in
coffee-producing regions. Proceeds from each pound help fund
programs, rural improvements, modern roads, health and
education. We make a difference through fair-trade practices
and long range business relationships.
Fair Trade Coffee helps small grower communities improve in
many ways. It pays our farmers a decent living wage for
their harvest even when they market is low as it has been
for the past year. It creates direct trade to small coffee
growers and their cooperatives. It provides access to
affordable credit, helping farmers stay out of debt to local
coyotes, and it promotes sustainable practices, such as
organic farming, that protect our environment. Because all
these practices Elan Organic Coffees was one of the first
coffee developers / importers to sign up for the TransFair
USA license and we have been a strong promoter since then.
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RAINFOREST ALLIANCE:
The mission of the Rainforest Alliance is to protect
ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them
by transforming land-use practices, business practices and
consumer behavior. Companies, cooperatives and landowners
that participate in our programs meet rigorous standards
that conserve biodiversity and provide sustainable
livelihoods.
Based in New York City, with offices throughout the United
States and worldwide, the Rainforest Alliance works with
people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them
transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host
travelers. From large multi-national corporations to small,
community-based cooperatives, we involve businesses and
consumers worldwide in our efforts to bring responsibly
produced goods and services to a global marketplace where
the demand for sustainability is growing steadily.
We set standards for sustainability that conserve wildlife
and wildlands and promote the well-being of workers and
their communities. Farms and forestry enterprises that meet
our comprehensive criteria receive the Rainforest Alliance
certification seal. We also work with tourism businesses, to
help them succeed while leaving a small footprint on the
environment and providing a boost to local economies.
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