Coffee and Sustainability
Concern for future generations
Sustainable Coffees
conscious consumption
With each passing day, the concept of sustainability is strengthened, not only in Brazil but in much of the world, increasingly concerned with creating and promoting sustainable practices and conscious consumption. There are several definitions, in fact, sustainability, but the simplest and most direct of them is:
”Meeting current needs without compromising future generations!”
Thus, with regard to coffee and its production, there are social, environmental, and economic aspects that must be taken into account. Sustainable coffees can achieve higher prices and better remunerate producers and the entire chain, distinguished by their value and quality.
Among the coffee-producing countries, Brazil is in a relevant position regarding the concept of sustainability, presenting norms that cover the correct and safe use of phytosanitary products, prohibition of the use of child labor, worker safety, and rights, recycling of chemical packaging, correct use of water for irrigation and limits on deforestation.
Requirements
Social, Environmental and Economic
Social
There must not be any type of child labor on the property. The producer must register its workers in accordance with the regulations and comply with all labor laws.
The producer must ensure the safety of the worker and subcontractors with the use of personal protective equipment.
Workers must have the right to dignified housing, transportation, an adequate place for meals, sanitary conditions and ongoing training.
The producer must be concerned with the education of employees and their children.
Environmental
The property must only use pesticides registered for coffee growing.
Organic and chemical fertilizers must be properly stored to avoid contamination of water resources.
Water sources must be protected and preserved.
Deforestation of native flora must be minimized, conserving wild plants and animals and endangered species.
There must be a safe waste management system.
Economical
The social and environmental aspects directly depend on the economic situation of the activity.
Therefore, the income of the coffee sector must be seen as the main issue for the implementation, maintenance and evolution of a sustainability program in coffee growing to be possible.
Better remunerate producers and the entire chain, for differentiating coffees, for their value and quality.
Allow re-investment in the sector and the entire production chain and guarantee the development of families.
Cooperatives and Associations
Benefits ffor the entire production chain
Agricultural cooperatives serve to manage, in the best possible way, agricultural production. A coffee producer, for example, can sell his entire production to a cooperative of coffee producers, without worrying about looking for buyers and setting prices for his products. Purchase prices practiced by cooperatives are usually fair. In addition to other benefits such as:
Technical assistance
There is technical assistance provided by a team of technicians, specialists, veterinarians and agronomists, to provide full support to producers, guaranteeing greater and better productions.
Services provision
There is provision of services for the producer, such as the selection, classification and processing of coffee, pasteurization of milk, packaging and storage of products.
Labor guarantees
The cooperative brings guarantees to the relationship between workers and landowners, remuneration consistent with the reality of the labor market, benefits, support such as medical and educational assistance.
Coffee, which Brazil is the biggest producer and exporter of, also has its history linked to football. The Cafés do Brasil brand, the symbol of the Brazilian bean, emerged during the 1982 World Cup in Spain when it was created to indicate the sponsorship of the Brazilian Coffee Institute (IBC) to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). Registered as an official brand in 2000, at the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), by ABIC (Brazilian Association of the Coffee Industry).
Our Certifications
On this page we show the main seals and certifications on the market, so that you can influence the purchase and promote social, environmental and economic sustainability.
It does not mean, however, that all our coffees or our company have these certifications.
Each farm undergoes specific certifications for its planting and product processing practices (described on the farms page), and we indicate in coffee (on the coffees page) the certification, seal or award that the specific coffee lot acquired or the which it was submitted.
Today, Jardins Café already has certifications and alliances with ABIC (Associação Brasileira da Indústria do Café), with BSCA (Brazil Specialty Coffee Association) for coffee and roasting, and the Rainforest sustainability seal with permission to use its brands in packaging and communications.
Seals and Certifications
the assurance of quality
Recognized worldwide as one of the most active entities in the coffee sector, the Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Café – ABIC, an entity created in 1973 and which develops a work that integrates industries, retail, and points of consumption. It carries out numerous programs and certifications, always aimed at promoting domestic coffee consumption by improving quality and adding value to the beverage. Some of the entity's attributions include:
Ensure level and consistency of product quality through certification programs.
Continuously encourage the development of new products, processes, and services with a focus on the production chain.
Develop the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of companies and rural producers.
There are several stamps nowadays that attest to the quality and sustainability of coffees and their producers. An example of them is UTZ Certified. This seal appeared in 1997, aiming to guarantee sustainability and better opportunities for those who produce, for their families and also for the planet. The program's proposal allows for "Better crops, more income and better opportunities by preserving the environment and protecting the Earth's natural resources"
The Fair Trade seal (fair trade system) contributes to sustainable development deals with better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in developing countries. With the seal, you have the power to change the world every day. With simple shopping options, you can get a better deal for farmers. And that means they can make their own decisions, control their future and lead the dignified life everyone deserves.
The Rainforest Association is a non-profit network that aims to preserve biodiversity and communities and ensure sustainable development through rigorous environmental and socioeconomic criteria.
The Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA – Brazil Specialty Coffee Association) aims to bring together specialty coffee producers, disseminate the production of Brazilian specialty coffees, and encourage constant technical improvement and greater efficiency in services related to the commercialization of these coffees.
Among the Brazilian seals, the Selo de Pureza ABIC (Brazilian Association of the Coffee Industry) stands out, which certifies the purity of the coffee. There are more than 2 thousand samples collected and analyzed per year with the objective, from the beginning, of the continuous monitoring of the brands, in order to inhibit the action of companies that adulterate their products. ABIC also has the Coffee Quality Seal, which creates three categories of products based on quality levels, Traditional, Superior and Gourmet, with the aim of adding value and expanding consumption based on the continuous improvement of coffees. It is the only known program in the world that evaluates the quality of roasted and ground coffee (the other certifications only evaluate green coffee).
More specifically, we also have the Cerrado Mineiro Denomination of Origin seal. The national coffee already has four Indications of Origin (IP) - granted in 2005 to the Cerrado de Minas product - but this new registration is the first that proves the link between coffee and the environment in which it is produced. According to the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property), a geographical indication means that a certain region has specialized and has the capacity to produce a different article of similar quality.
Certify Minas Café is the Certification program designed by the Government of Minas Gerais, executed by IMA, Emater-MG and Epamig-MG, all linked to the State Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Seapa).
The Program's main objective is to implement good production practices in order to increase visibility and competitiveness in national and international markets.
4C certification applies high standards in economic, social and environmental conditions for coffee production and processing in order to establish sustainable, reliable and fair supply chains
4C compliant coffee is coffee produced in accordance with the 4C Code of Conduct, a set of sustainable baseline practices and principles for the production of green coffee beans. With a mission to guide a coffee industry to place integrity at the center of its efforts to improve economic, social and environmental conditions in coffee production and processing.