Ethical Sourcing and Green Credentials

In 1953 the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica (CIB) which was set up in 1953 to protect the quality of the coffee and was the first country in the world to establish  a defined geographical location designated to a specific coffee brand, similar to that constructed by the French wine industry with the creation of the Appelation d’Origine Controllee AOC.  The CIB ensured that Blue Mountain Coffee met the highest and strictest standards. Back in 2008 Jamaica signed a multilateral agreement sponsored by the Japanese concerning the testing for pesticide and chemical agent residues to a standard significantly beyond the international phytosanisary levels requested by either the European Union or other European counties such that all green Blue Mountain Coffees are tested to this higher standard so you need not worry about it’s environmental credentials.

The Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) is a statutory body which falls under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF).

It is responsible for the regulation, promotion, standardization and development of the agricultural commodities industry – which includes cocoa, coffee, coconut and the spices (nutmeg, pimento, ginger and turmeric).

JACRA, which commenced operations on January 1, 2018, is an amalgamation of the Cocoa Industry Board, Coffee Industry Board, the regulatory functions of the Coconut Industry Board, and the Export Division of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. It is regulated by the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority Act, which was established on March 14, 2017, pursuant to the Jamaica Agricultural Regulatory Authority Act of 2017.

 

I recently saw an advert for a coffee company selling online. It annoyed me because they went on about how they only sourced from rainforest backed clean soil group approved suppliers  and made lots of “Green” claims etc... to present themselves as ethical. I looked at the price they were selling their coffee at and that said it all to me. I know we pay more for our coffee than they were selling theirs at and they were probably making a good deal of profit too! I know one thing for sure, they can’t be paying the farmers much at all. How ethical is that! It 's standard business practice to drive the suppliers price down maybe, but hardly ethical or very kind to the farmers at the levels they must be paying. Please consider that like fast fashion sweat shops providing cheap, almost disposable, clothing. If you don’t pay very much for an advertised coffee there’s not a hope in hell that they did. Ethically sourced my backside!  

Rant over!