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4 Accreditations
What is Fair Trade?
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Fair Trade is a movement that was started to ensure farmers of certain products in disadvantaged communities receive a fair price for their goods. It seems that Coffee was the first commodity for which this concept was applied, however, there are an increasing number of chocolate manufacturers who advise they source raw materials in a Fair Trade manner. |
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Xocolat Amante will endeavour to provide information about which products fall under this category to enable chocolate connoisseurs to purchase products where growers in disadvantaged communities are ensured a fair price. We will also endeavour to provide information about producers that are not listed as Fair Trade but have fostered lasting and ethical relationships with growers.
According to Oxfam; the term Fairtrade refers to an independently audited product certification and labelling system that ensures those who grow and produce coffee get a fair go. It does this by:
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1. Paying farmers and workers a fair price for their work |
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2. Helping them gain skills and knowledge to develop their businesses in the global economy |
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3. Providing a certification and labelling system to ensure Fairtrade standards are met and that the benefits of Fairtrade get back to the farmer who produced the product |
Fairtrade also means farmers and communities can:
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1. Use improved environmental methods |
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2. Establish democratic associations or co-operatives to start local community development projects from the proceeds of Fairtrade |
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3. Have access to low-cost credit and technical assistance |
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4. Receive a social premium that supports community projects |
According ot Wikipaedia, “Fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers - especially in the South. Fair trade organizations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.”
What is Organic chocolate?
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Organic food is grown and manufactured using a set of standards that ensure no conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, sewage, ionizing radiation, artificial food additives, antibiotics, growth hormones or genetically modified organisms are used in its production. |
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To ensure that foods labeled Organic meet these criteria (and other more specific criteria) there are a number of organic food certification organisations around the world. In Australia alone there are seven organisations: The National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA); Australian Certified Organic (ACO); Demeter Bio-organic Research Institute; Organic Growers of Australia (OGA); Tasmanian Organic-Dynamic Producers (TOP); Organic Food Chain (OFC); and, Safe Food Queensland (SFQ). Of these, the largest is ACO (the certification arm of the Biological Farmers Association (BFA)), which is estimated to have certified up to 60% of all certified Australian organic operations. Each requires their own standard. At the very least, these standards provide consumers with a guarantee that the organisations that produce the food did so in accordance with a standard designed to ensure the products are of the highest quality in terms of food safety.
Proponents of organic foods advocate health benefits from the consumption of these foods. They say that as no harmful pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used in production organic foods contain less contaminants and more nutrients essential to healthy living. They also contend that organically grown foods are grown in a sustainable way.
Xocolat Amante will endeavour to advise which chocolate bars are certified as organic and if possible the code to which they adhere. This will allow you to make your own decision about their quality.
For more information see also: