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Knowing everything about organic coffee is good, but knowing everything about fair trade coffee is even better. The "must" is to know what differentiates them, to better identify each other. Let's go through the origins of such names to better understand what they correspond to. In this way, we will be able to better define them individually and the differences will become clearer.
Examples of labels or certifications will allow us to clarify these explanations, and this, to help you to better find your way in the middle of a diversified and sometimes complex market for the non-initiated. Finally, we will see that behind these differences often lies a synergy tending towards an optimal quality of the product.
As is often the case, it is the consumer who has guided the market with his expectations and demands. For a long time, the price was the predominant (almost unique) criterion guiding the consumer's choices. The producers' offer was therefore based on this criterion alone, often to the detriment of other important variables such as :
Without being exhaustive, this list allows us to consider important parameters which, however, were not part of the consumer's choice. Historically, we can understand that at one time, priorities were different. Very often, the level of information available to the consumer was far below the current level.
Fortunately, with the globalization of exchanges and the arrival of electronic and immediate media, the consumer has been able to take a step back on his own choices, but also, and especially, on their indirect consequences. This process has followed a classic pattern, starting from the center (the consumer) and working outwards (the environment).
Not selfishly, but logically, the consumer could begin to judge the vicious effects of price alone as the primary variable in their own choices. Demanding a lower price on coffees suggested, for example, an ever-increasing cultivation through the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, in order to obtain a better yield.
In addition, the taste was gradually denatured and the good aromas of a cup of coffee gave more and more heartburn and digestive disorders. In short, the quality of the products decreased and the consumer realized this. Coffee, which had previously been known for its virtues rather than for its ills, began to take on a reputation as a less virtuous beverage, and caffeine also began to be criticized.
As we will see later, this is the starting point for quality initiatives on coffees and therefore for organic labels.
Then, the consumer, now aware of the stakes and impacts of the quality of coffee on himself and his entourage, began to extend his reflection on all the actors linked to the different direct or indirect phases of his supply of coffee beans:
It is thus from this second time of awareness that the fair trade labels appeared. Because the consumer realized that what was good for him at first was also good at other levels. The virtuous circle could then start at all levels of the supply chain.
Thus, the organic coffee appeared when the consumer demanded the intrinsic quality of the coffee beans he consumed, because the accumulation of chemicals mixed with the daily consumption of his arabica or other type of coffee began to impact his health. The link between over-consumption and poor quality coffee was quickly established, and the choice to demand better coffee, even if it meant paying a little more, was made.
But how to proceed when one lives in regions like Western Europe, while coffee is produced in other regions of the world? This is why organic labels have appeared, such as "AB" or "Biocohérence" for example. An organic label is issued by an organization outside the producer, which verifies that the quality of the coffee consumed complies with the requirements established by a precise set of specifications. These specifications must be respected by the producer and all intermediaries. Only then can the coffee be stamped "organic" on the packaging and display the label logo as a sign of confidence.
This certification is therefore linked to the product. For example, an organic coffee is guaranteed to be free of GMOs, pesticides or unnatural preservatives.
It is once the qualitative approach of the organic type has been concretized that the reflection could focus on the whole chain. Because of the plurality of actors in the same market and the globalization of exchanges, it quickly became apparent to the informed consumer that his choice had a substantial impact on the whole chain.
Thus, it was quickly realized that the sometimes high price of a coffee assured its quality, as long as the organic label was displayed, but that not everyone benefited from this high selling price. As a consequence, many actors (first and foremost the producer) were "left behind" in this market logic.
The consumer then realized that it was becoming urgent to re-establish a balance between the price paid and the fair remuneration of the various actors. A well-paid producer or transporter ensures long-term quality, so that the product retains its level of satisfaction and the consumer finds his bearings.
This was framed by the appearance of fair trade labels such as "Fairtrade", "Fair for life", etc.
It is common to confuse the two notions of "organic" and "fair trade". Firstly, because independently, both justify the creation of labels and requirements specific to defined values. Secondly, because the values of these two notions are often very close and sometimes mixed.
In a word, "organic" and "fair trade" are, at the very least, a complementary synergy, and at best, an association of inseparable concepts.
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