Certified Organics and the Environment
Supporting organic food production is recognised by the United Nations as a significant way we can contribute to a healthy environment.
From the 1960s through the 1980s, the organic food industry was composed of mainly small, independent farmers, selling locally. "Organically grown" was a personal guarantee based on a direct relationship between farmer and consumer. Formal organic certification was introduced as a way to extend that trust beyond the farm gate through a third-party certifier.
Third-party Organic Certification has made an enormous contribution to humanity's understanding of the entire food supply chain from producer to final consumer. We know that even though the farmer producing green beans for Montville Coffee is on the other side of the world, she is part of a system of training and farm inspections that guarantees quality, sustainability, organic standards and traceability.
Sumatra Kokowagayo cooperative member picking coffee cherry, Indonesia.
It is tempting to shortcut the Organic Certification system in order to save costs and administrative headaches. Maintaining organic certification is hard but we are contributing to decades of progress in building an extraordinary global system that delivers trust and traceability from farmers to consumers in every corner of the world.
Further Reading: Montville Coffee B Corp for more information about our commitment to transparency through third-party certifications.