Dairy Foods Magazine
Author: Richard Mitchell
Authenticate the actions from farm to table
Verifying that operators are indeed incorporating proper sourcing measures is becoming more important because of the threat of greenwashing — where companies falsely portray their production practices are sustainable and ethical, says Linnea Halter, marketing coordinator for Global Organics Ltd, a Cambridge, Mass.-based ingredient supplier that sources products from certified organic farms and Fairtrade cooperatives to support sustainable agriculture consumer and fair labor practices.
She notes that while Global Organics audits its suppliers to ensure compliance with ethical standards and uses traceability systems “to track the journey of ingredients from farm to table,” certifying the authenticity of supplier claims can be challenging, particularly in regions where there is a weak regulatory framework.
It also can be difficult for operators to compare and understand how parties are addressing supply chain issues because Fairtrade certifications focus on various aspects of fair trading, says Cynthia Morphet, Global Organics QA certification and customer support manager.
“The various Fairtrade and ethical certifications would ideally work toward harmonization, much as the organic certifications worldwide have already done, rather than competing with each other and dividing focus and effort,” she states.
