Why Fair Trade and Organic?
Why fair trade you ask?
Coffee that is labelled as “fair trade” has been certified by a third party to ensure that the workers that farmed the coffee are given a fair wage for their product. By paying these farmers a fair price for their product their standard of life increases and they care for their crop better so they can maintain their fair trade certification. It’s a win-win situation for all.
“Fair Trade is an international system of doing business based on dialogue, transparency and respect. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions for producers and workers in developing countries. Behind the principles and goals of Fair Trade is a rigorous international system of monitoring, auditing and certification.” Source: http://www.transfair.ca/
Why organic?
Choosing organic is simple. Although it is sometimes cost prohibitive and sometimes hard to find, The Green Grind will make it easy by charging comparable prices to other cafes but only serve organic food and drink.
There are benefits of eating organic for you and the planet. All of the chemicals that have been sprayed onto non-organic food can have negative health effects on the individual. They can also have negative health effects on the farmers and workers that handle them. They also have negative environmental effects on the farmland where they are used.
“Several surveys and studies have attempted to examine and compare conventional and organic systems of farming. The general consensus across these surveys is that organic farming is less damaging for the following reasons:
- Organic farms do not consume or release synthetic pesticides into the environment — some of which have the potential to harm soil, water and local terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.
- Organic farms are better than conventional farms at sustaining diverse ecosystems, i.e., populations of plants and insects, as well as animals.
- When calculated either per unit area or per unit of yield, organic farms use less energy and produce less waste, e.g., waste such as packaging materials for chemicals.
“Even when pesticides are used correctly, they still end up in the air and bodies of farm workers. Through these studies, organophosphate pesticides have become associated with acute health problems such as abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, as well as skin and eye problems. In addition, there have been many other studies that have found pesticide exposure is associated with more severe health problems such as respiratory problems, memory disorders, dermatologic conditions, cancer, depression, neurologic deficits, miscarriages, and birth defects.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_food
