Comments on: Bookmark Cafe http://greenlagirl.com/bookmark-cafe/ Urban environmental lifestyle blog in Los Angeles Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:11:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gernot http://greenlagirl.com/bookmark-cafe/comment-page-1/#comment-4307 Gernot Thu, 18 May 2006 09:13:36 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/05/15/bookmark-cafe/#comment-4307 sorry, Mrs or Mr priorities - organic is not some bonus or luxury for those who can afford (organic is costly? ask a "conventional" farmer about costs, ask what fairtrade-certification costs), organic is the fundamentally different way of producing food and not a matter of costs! but as you said empowerment - every(!) farmer or campesino can farm organic, if knowledge is provided and for organic food they will get a decent price - that's empowerment for me (btw. there are no fairtrade strawberries available from California and there will never be - due to the fairtrade-system) but go to flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonreg/) and you will see, that I am trying to promote fairtrade the best I can peace to you! @ siel: it's no wonder, because if one cares one won't be satisfied with "either...or", only with "both...and"! you are doing a great job! sorry, Mrs or Mr priorities – organic is not some bonus or luxury for those who can afford (organic is costly? ask a “conventional” farmer about costs, ask what fairtrade-certification costs), organic is the fundamentally different way of producing food and not a matter of costs! but as you said empowerment – every(!) farmer or campesino can farm organic, if knowledge is provided and for organic food they will get a decent price – that’s empowerment for me (btw. there are no fairtrade strawberries available from California and there will never be – due to the fairtrade-system)
but go to flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonreg/) and you will see, that I am trying to promote fairtrade the best I can
peace to you!

@ siel: it’s no wonder, because if one cares one won’t be satisfied with “either…or”, only with “both…and”!
you are doing a great job!

]]> By: Siel http://greenlagirl.com/bookmark-cafe/comment-page-1/#comment-4198 Siel Tue, 16 May 2006 18:28:58 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/05/15/bookmark-cafe/#comment-4198 Luckily, at least with coffee, it's generally not an either or situation. Over 80% of fair trade certified coffee brought into the US is also organic :) Luckily, at least with coffee, it’s generally not an either or situation. Over 80% of fair trade certified coffee brought into the US is also organic :)

]]> By: priorities http://greenlagirl.com/bookmark-cafe/comment-page-1/#comment-4197 priorities Tue, 16 May 2006 17:24:13 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/05/15/bookmark-cafe/#comment-4197 organic production is costly for farmers. if they're not able to get a guaranteed floor price for their beans that allows them to feed their family, send their kids to school, and sustain their farms, then what's the point? without taking care of the family there's no farm, no organic, etc. if you think fair trade certified is only about trade, please do a little research (http://www.fairtrade.net/sites/standards/sp.html)-there's a lot more to the label than just the fair price (check the banned pesticide & agrochemicals list, the labor standards, farmer organization, etc.). the fair trade system also offers an economic incentive to go organic (a higher floor price) and what's the point of buying organic coffee if it comes a source that exploits farmers & farm workers? would you be comfortable buying organic strawberries that were picked by mistreated migrant workers in california? of course taking care of the land matters greatly, but at the cost of farmer empowerment? organic production is costly for farmers. if they’re not able to get a guaranteed floor price for their beans that allows them to feed their family, send their kids to school, and sustain their farms, then what’s the point? without taking care of the family there’s no farm, no organic, etc. if you think fair trade certified is only about trade, please do a little research (http://www.fairtrade.net/sites/standards/sp.html)-there’s a lot more to the label than just the fair price (check the banned pesticide & agrochemicals list, the labor standards, farmer organization, etc.). the fair trade system also offers an economic incentive to go organic (a higher floor price) and what’s the point of buying organic coffee if it comes a source that exploits farmers & farm workers? would you be comfortable buying organic strawberries that were picked by mistreated migrant workers in california? of course taking care of the land matters greatly, but at the cost of farmer empowerment?

]]> By: Gernot http://greenlagirl.com/bookmark-cafe/comment-page-1/#comment-4196 Gernot Tue, 16 May 2006 15:04:35 +0000 http://greenlagirl.com/2006/05/15/bookmark-cafe/#comment-4196 Well, if it is organic, then it is fine with me! In the growing trend of rating "labels", I have to put organic in first place. So I am not really comfortable with e.g. fairtrade-coffee if it isn't organic too. The "organic" approach is more fundamental to agriculture (the way we treat the soil, the land, the animals and therefore the people), whereas the fairtrade approach deals mostly with trade. And I have to tell that I am a fan of fairtrade - it is just a matter of priorities (in case of one has to decide). Well, if it is organic, then it is fine with me!
In the growing trend of rating “labels”, I have to put organic in first place. So I am not really comfortable with e.g. fairtrade-coffee if it isn’t organic too.
The “organic” approach is more fundamental to agriculture (the way we treat the soil, the land, the animals and therefore the people), whereas the fairtrade approach deals mostly with trade.
And I have to tell that I am a fan of fairtrade – it is just a matter of priorities (in case of one has to decide).

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