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Organic coffee, find it on the shelf of a store in Spain
Ecological coffee is also known as organic coffee.
This is a product which is controlled by official rules. That means that coffee is strictly monitored and controlled.
Organic coffee needs to follow tough rules, its production must avoid pesticides, weed-killers and chemical products.
Instead of this, it is used compose done by waste and organic materials. Also, soil conservations services are made.
The biggest guarantee that the customer has about the ecological origin of coffee is checking if coffee has compulsory guarantee stamps (does not matter if it is called organic, ecological, sustainable or shadow coffee).
But, what are these stamps that organic coffee and all of those coffees which come from ecological agriculture need?
These kinds of products use stamps which are called “ecological accreditation stamps”.
In each product we may find one or various stamps from different authorities.
Organic coffee from the European Union is supervised by Referenced Centers of Certification in each estate.
Thus, whether the coffee box is stamped as ecological product means that the product follows the European Rules regarding ecological regulation.
This is the stamp which you need to find in your coffee box, it may be black using a white background; also the green background could be changed for a black one.
If you see this emblem, coffee inside follows the ecological rules.
As you can see, these are logotypes which certificate that the coffee is following the rules which have been set up by the European Union.
Furthermore, these products are controlled in a national level, in Spain this is controlled by the Autonomous Communities.
Hence, whether coffee has been produced in Spain it will be stamped by the Autonomous Community appropriate.
Seeing this stamp we will know that this coffee is organic and packed by an Autonomous Community. All organic coffees must be stamped by the Autonomous Community Governing Council being the community specified.
Normally, Autonomous Community certifications needs: a certification´s name, the code of district entity and the Ecological Agriculture inscription.
There are logotypes variations; these are examples of those that you may find.
Café Sabora organic coffee for stores and for bars and restaurants is stamped with the European Union and with the Galician guarantee emblems.
These stamps guarantee that coffee is organic and follows European rules.
Under the European emblem there is an inscription which says: “Non-European agriculture”.
That means that these coffees have not been cultivated in Europe, because, unfortunately, none of the Spanish regions or the Europeans countries has the needed preconditions to cultivate coffee. Therefore, coffee always will come from a tropical climate country.
In these origin countries organic coffee production is controlled as well.
Additionally, there are private certification stamps that specify some certification aspects.
Sabora´s organic coffee is stamped with international certifications, for instance: Naturland; from Gemany, Imo; from Switzerland, Bird Friendly; which is oriented for a reduced target who asses the production in harmony with birds and, finally, JAS certification; for sales in Japan.
All the production and organic coffee sales are regulated following the rules that involve all organic productions.
In Europe, food classification´s regulations add and protect “eco”, “ecological”, “org”, “organic”, “bio” and “biological” terms.
The Spanish normative prefers to use the term “ecological product” to pack.
Therefore, all coffees made in Spain are tagged as organic.
In order to guarantee the severe European rules in organic production matters, there are different independent and authorized certifications that get controlled all of these aspects as well.
All of this analysis and controls are done periodically during the year, being the customer guaranteed about that his or her purchase is free of chemical components and pesticides by providing an organic quality stamp.
These stamps guarantee transparency to the customer, quality and regulatory compliance which have been established to the organic production in the 834/ 2007 European regulation.
In Spain, the authority which has these competences is the CRAE, Regulatory Committee of Organic Agriculture, assigned by MAGRAMA (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment). Its purpose is advising being the sector meeting forum between customers, Central Administrations and Autonomous Communities.
Market control competences have been transferred to Autonomous Communities. Each Autonomous Community has its Regulatory Committee which depends of its Counseling or Agriculture Department. Hence, Autonomous Communities has direct control competences about production and ecological certifications.
The Regulatory Committee of each Autonomous Community is who inspections companies and takes samples of each stage of the product. It is also the authority which authorizes companies to commercialize a product being tagged as ecological.
Café Sabora has being certified by the Regulatory Committee of Galicia because was there where its head quarters are.
European Union and Autonomous Communities stamps are the single organic coffee guarantee.
Therefore, find in your coffee box the organic EU emblem and the Autonomous Community stamp.
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Do you find the difference between organic and industrial coffee?
Did you know about rules and ecological agriculture stamps?