The taste and smell of coffee invading the mornings is a pleasure that no lover of this drink would exchange for anything. Different levels of toasting, degrees of grinding and origins give each cup unique notes. Have you ever seen the frog stamp on your coffee packaging? You won’t feel the meaning of this icon on your palate, but its impact offers several reasons to prefer it.
The frog seal relates to the Rainforest Alliance certification; an identifier that allows you to recognize and choose products that contribute to building a better future for people and the planet.
Scientists claim that a healthy population of frogs is an indicator of a healthy environment. The Rainforest Alliance chose the red-eyed arboreal frog as its mascot more than thirty years ago, as this bright-eyed amphibian is commonly found in the Neotropics, where the founders began working to protect tropical forests.
Finding the frog seal on the packaging of your coffee or on other products, means that they promote the protection of forests, the rights of producers , workers and help mitigate the climate crisis. It really is a positive finding!
Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná obtain the Rainforest Alliance Certification
More than 150 small coffee producers make up the Cooperativa de Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná. All of them come from 21 different communities located on the slopes of the Tacaná volcano, right on the border between Guatemala and Mexico.
Right there, at a height of 1,500 meters above sea level, are the plantations that constitute a source of income for families. This is also a protected natural area, so the producers have learned to work with techniques that favor the conservation of the environment.
The mission of Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná: Cultivate, produce and offer our clients a high quality organic and sustainable coffee, complying with national and international standards, carrying out agroecological practices, both in the cultivation and in the production process and continue to care for and protect the Biosphere Reserve where we live.
Thanks to its commitment to nature, and to an alliance with Fundación Gigante and Toks in the framework of its productive projects, this cooperative managed in 2018 * to join SAFE platform and Rainforest Alliance – an organization that promotes the sustainable use of land to obtain strong forests and thriving communities.
A total of 38 producers have satisfied the criteria to obtain the Rainforest Alliance Certification, in accordance with the 2017 standard, and will be able to hold the seal that characterizes it from now on.
This is due to the implementation of good practices that were strengthened through training in climate-smart agriculture, within the framework of the initiative “Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets”, that implements Rainforest Alliance in Mexico with the support of USAID; taking care of the social, economic and environmental impact.
The frog seal in your coffee and climate-smart agriculture
In 2020, the Rainforest Alliance launched its new Sustainable Agriculture Certification Program; It aims to create and recognize resilient and future-proof plantations, under the principles of climate-smart agriculture.
It is an approach developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and combines various sustainable methods to address the specific climatic challenges of a community or farming system.
This approach is based on three fundamental pillars:
- Increase sustainable agricultural productivity and income
- Adapt and build resilience to climate change
- Reduce and / or avoid greenhouse gas emissions whenever possible.
Through this approach, the Rainforest Alliance Certification transition from focusing on a general model, to an adaptable approach to the context. That is, it seeks that the implemented practices respond efficiently to the needs of each region or community.
Zero tolerance of discrimination and child labor
Although there has been progress in respecting the human rights of producers and workers, it is still necessary to raise the level to achieve zero tolerance for discrimination and child labor.
The Rainforest Alliance seal on the coffee of small producers in Tacaná reinforces this cooperative that child labor is prohibited, taking care of the integrity of girls, boys and women.
Aware that this is a great challenge, the Rainforest Alliance has built alliances with both the private and government sectors to create policies and regulations in accordance with the Development Goals that all signatory countries are challenged to achieve by 2030.
In addition, non-discrimination and a better price are promoted for those who, with commitment, work in the coffee plantations, making it possible for the highest quality beans to reach the tables of Mexican families.
Shared Responsibility
One of the objectives of the Rainforest Alliance is to build inclusive and sustainable supply chains. Chains in which the responsibility for sustainable agriculture is shared with all parties involved, from the field to the consumer.
For this, a sustainability differential is imperative, which is a mandatory additional payment in cash to certified producers, above the price of the raw material in the market.
In addition, buyers make mandatory sustainability investments, to help producers meet the agricultural requirements of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard.
Conserve biodiversity
Because the Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná work within the Volcán Tacaná Biosphere Reserve, protecting the biological diversity of the region is a priority. With the Rainforest Alliance Certification, the Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná have learned better ways to identify, care for and conserve the biodiversity that exists in their growing areas.
Both plant and animal species in the region are identified and the aim is to avoid hunting wild animals, especially those that are in danger of extinction.
Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná have also identified bodies of water to protect. With this in mind, they keep records that allow them to monitor and reduce the use of this resource in their daily activities.
Sanitary latrines were built to avoid contamination; and filtration pits for the treatment of wastewater and gray water, the result of the domestic activities of each producer. This is to prevent soap or chlorine water from reaching fresh water sources and causing harm to aquatic fauna.
No more deforestation!
The conservation and sustainable use of forests is very important for the Rainforest Alliance and for the Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná. Finding the frog stamp in your coffee means that this product contributes towards this goal.
Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná carry out soil conservation and restoration work to avoid erosion or infertility problems where the coffee plantations are located. They also participate in reforestation activities in conjunction with the Reserve personnel.
In addition to this, the same producers are responsible for preparing organic fertilizers with materials from the region and establishing application schedules to improve soil nutrients and prevent the spread of pests and diseases.
Living income and wages, sustainable livelihoods
Promoting better livelihoods is key to the Rainforest vision that people and nature prosper in harmony. Therefore, its focus is on helping farmers grow their business by making it more profitable and resilient. A mission that in turn is aligned with the vision of Fundación Gigante and with the objectives that Toks pursues through productive projects.
The principles of living income and wages refer to both producers and workers respectively, having access to resources that allow them to ensure an adequate standard of living for all members of their household, covering basic needs such as housing, food, education and medical care, to name but a few.
Having a sustainable livelihood indicates that farmers are also capable of coping with unexpected events, and investing in the development and growth of their business, to ensure a livelihood in the future.
The concept of decent income refers to the economic perceptions that producers receive as a result of the commercialization of coffee; negotiating a fair price and competitive distribution.
At the same time, the wages such producers pay their workers must be considered fair, and ensure that they can meet their basic needs.
Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná have their coffee and tool warehouses, with the order and formats necessary for the development of their work. In addition, they have been trained in occupational health and safety, and have first aid kits to ensure optimal working conditions.
Context matters
The Rainforest Alliance Certification contemplates the flexibility to adapt to the needs in each of the communities in which the producers operate.
With this objective, the organization creates risk maps in which the greatest challenges for producers are identified, thus allowing them to prioritize those that are most pressing.
In Tacaná, for example, a mainly rural area where cooking can be considered to have a high impact on both the environment and the health of its inhabitants, most producers already have ecological firewood-saving stoves.
In the coffee drying process, African sieves and bed dryers were implemented to take care of the integrity and safety of the beans.
The road does not end with certification
As you can see, the frog stamp on your coffee is a great indicator to ensure that each cup you drink in the morning contributes to building a better world for people and nature.
However, sustainability is a constant and permanent path, which does not end with obtaining a certification. That is why Productores Orgánicos del Tacaná adhere to the principle of continuous improvement of the Rainforest Alliance Certification, to continue working tirelessly in the implementation of best practices.
All these efforts are aimed at allowing you to enjoy your coffee every morning with the certainty that the warmth you feel in your mouth and its delicious taste have a secret ingredient behind them: sustainability and love for our planet.
