In order to identify a sustainable product, there are ecological seals and certifications recognized worldwide or nationally, which guarantee its sustainability depending on the industry in question. To be able to buy these types of products responsibly, it is important to be well informed to be able to recognize and distinguish these seals.
There are also industries in which there is no such endorsement, for this purpose criteria developed by a selection committee composed of experts in different areas who take into account which product provides an environmental or social benefit are used.
Here's a quick guide to seals and certifications, waiting for it to help you choose better.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
BAC Bioagricert – International Certification
Certification Bodies for Organic Agriculture products based in Italy.
It has the accreditation of IFOAM, NOP_USDA the board of EU, JAS, Biosuisse, CAAQ, among others, in addition to having accredited voluntary certification standards for the certification of inputs for organic agriculture. The certifications given cover agricultural products, agriculture, beekeeping, food processes, as well as inputs for organic agriculture.
Bio Susse – International Certification
Organic certification that is normally required by Switzerland to venture into this market. This certification mainly takes into account the organic exploration of the farm as a whole and the creation of surfaces that favor.
CERES Utz Certified – International Certification
Global program of certification and monitoring of responsibly produced coffee where audits of the entire chain of custody are made in the production, processing, exportsof coffee. The components of the certification are: good agricultural practices, critical control points for hazard analysis, integrated crop management, integrated pest management, social responsibility and compliance with national and international laws.
Certimex- Mexican Certification
Mexican certifier of ecological products and processes is a civil society constituted with the purpose of contributing to the development of production through the inspection and quality certification of agricultural, livestock, agro-industrial and forestry processes and products.
GOCA Guaranteed Organic Certification Agency – International Certification
GOCA certification assures the consumer that a product certified by it complies with the U.S. national standard, the 7CFR part 205 National Organic Program. GOCA organic certification is a way for the consumer to ensure that the product they are purchasing and that it is labeled "organic" has been reviewed and verified by a USDA-accredited agency.
IFOAM International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements – International Certification
International agrarian organization that aims to lead, unite and support the organic movement in all its diversity. Among its wide range of activities, IFOAM disseminates an organic agriculture standard as well as a framework that regulates organic certification. Its goal is the worldwide adoption of socially and economically healthy ecological systems based on the principles of organic farming.
OCIA Organic Crop Improvement Association – International Certification
Association dedicated to providing the highest quality organic certification services OCIA is based on the following principle: "Organic certification is an institutionalized trust system, which allows consumers to identify and compensate conscious managers of our natural heritage.
Rainforest Alliance – International Certification
This seal means: Less water pollution , less waste, less soil erosion , reduced threats to the environment and human health , wildlife habitat is protected, and more collaboration between farmers and conservationists.
USDA Organic – International Certification
The NOP-USDA program is the National Organic Program of the United States that standardizes organic production, detailing what must be certified related to plant, animal or processing products to be sold as organic in the United States, develops, implements, and manages the production, handling and labeling for organic products in the United States.
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
C2C Cradle to Cradle – International Certification
The C2C (Cradle to Cradle) "cradle to cradle" seal is awarded to sustainableproducts that use safe and healthy materials for the environment, implement the reuse of materials with the aim of minimizing waste, use renewable energy, make efficient and responsible use of water and implement social responsibility strategies.
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – International Certification
0
It is the recognition by the USGBC (U.S Green Building Council) that they make in reference to the sustainable achievements of certain construction and interior design projects to promote healthier, more productive, efficient and green environments.
FAIR TRADE
C.A.F.E. Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices – International Certification
1
In 2001, Starbucks developed socially responsible coffee purchasing parameters, called C.A.F.E Practices. These parameters are designed to work with producers ensuring high quality in their production and at the same time promote equitable relations with settlers, communities and the environment. The general evaluation guidelines of C.A.F.E Practices are a set of social and economic environmental criteria to evaluate in the management of coffee farms and benefits.
Thanks to this program, Starbucks stores around the world acquire high-quality coffee, produced in a responsible way.
CIM Fair Trade Mexico – Mexican Certification
2
Civil association that regulates and promotes fair trade products and services of small Mexican producers of benefits of their social, economic and environmentally substantiable development, in a relationship of solidarity with consumers.
The CIM seal guarantees: that the consumer is acquiring a product with certified quality, that the small producer is receiving a fair price for his product and that this product is elaborated taking care of and preserving nature.
FLO Fairtraide Labelling Organization – International Certification
3
FLO is the organization that coordinates the fair trade sealing FAIRTRADE internationally. The main objectives of the Fairtrade criteria are:
(a) invest in projects that enhance social, economic and environmental development
(b) ensure that producers receive prices that cover the average costs of sustainable products
(c) facilitating long-term business relationships and allowing product associations to take greater control over the marketing process.
(d) clearly establish minimum and progressive criteria to ensure that the conditions of production and trade of all certified products are socially, economically and environmentally responsible.
Mexican Coordinator of Small Fair Trade Producers – Mexican Certification
Governing body of the fair and organic trade movement in Mexico, its main objective is to develop a democratic economy that facilitates sustainable development and equitable benefits for small producers in Mexico.
ECOTOURISM
AMTAVE Mexican Association of Adventure Tourism and Ecotourism – Mexican Certification
4
Civil association that brings together the main companies dedicated to operating and promoting adventure tourism and ecotourism in Mexico, contributing to the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the country and integrating local communities to the development of the activity.
CONANP Comisión Nacional de Aéreas Naturales Protegidas – Mexican Certification
5
Federal agency whose main objective is to conserve Mexico's heritage through protected areas and other conservation modalities, promoting a culture of conservation and sustainable development
Green Globe – International Certification
6
Body that certifies businesses and companies in the tourism industry.
The certification is done through the evaluation of 248 standards related to energy, water, waste management, social responsibility, corporate and conservation
Standard NMX-AA-133-SCFI-2006 – Mexican Certification
Standard that makes the recognition worldwide in the function of certification in the sustainable performance of the tourism sector highlighting the "recommendations to governments for the support and creation of sustainability certification systems in tourism"
Clean Beaches SMADF – Mexican Certification
Standard NMX-AA-120-SCFI-2006: Mexican standard that includes environmental measures for the protection of the environment, on the tourist beaches of Mexico, in terms of water quality, solid waste, coastal infrastructure, biodiversity, safety and services, environmental education and noise pollution.
Rainforest Alliance – International Certification
7
The Rainforest Alliance works with the tourism industry:
(a) encouraging tourism entrepreneurs to conserve their environments and contribute to local livelihoods, while improving their profitability.
b) Training tourism companies to adopt more sustainable practices
c) Educating travelers to look for legal eco-friendly options.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
FIDE Energy Saving Trust – Mexican Certification
8
It is awarded to products that prove to FIDE, through technical documentation and test reports issued by accredited laboratories (national or foreign), that their products are outstanding in the efficient use of electrical energy, or that due to their properties or attributes they help to reduce its consumption.
TIMBER PRODUCTS
FSC Foresty Stewardship Council – International Certification
9
FSC forest certification is an innovative initiative, which involves the forest products industry in the fight for forest conservation, and provides consumers with the possibility to identify those products that come from forests whose exploitation has been done in a rational and sustainable way.
VIBO Fundación Vida para el Bosque – Mexican Certification
Organization with the aim of promoting and promoting the protected natural areas of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the state of Durango. The VIBO Foundation is an organization accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as a certifier of good forest management, under the accreditation number No. FSC-ACC-018.
Rainforest Alliance – International Certification
0
The Rainforest Alliance certifies forestry operations under THE standards of the FSC World Forestry Council which ensures that forests are managed to conserve biodiversity and support local communities, while constantly striving for more sustainable practices.
RECYCLING
Recyclable- International Certification
1
Seal that identifies the products that have been used for the first time and that can be recycled at some point, is that waste that has the technology, infrastructure, mechanism and knowledge to be classified, collected and processed within a productive cycle.
Recycling- International Certification
2
Seal that identifies products made with something that has already been used, in this way the same material can be used many times without the need to resort to new material, it is the waste that is incorporated into the respective cycle.
Related Posts:
- Criteria for Ecolabels in the European Union
- Organic Jamaica in Mexico
- Summary ecological news week 30
- ECOCERT Ecological Certification
- Ecological Jewelry
Authors: Santiago
