Certifications & Licenses

	• OCIA		• Coffee Kids
	• The Smithsonian Institute		• TransFair USA
	• Swiss Water Decaffeinated		• Specialty Coffee Association of America

OCIA

Association and Independent Third Party Inspection.

OCIA is a farmer-based, "grass-roots" organization, where decision making emanates from the bottom up. The formation of local farmers associations (Chapters) is strongly encouraged.

There are at present 58 chapters totaling over 4,500 grower members throughout the world. Member processors, traders and manufacturers, have to abide by the same rules and code of ethics and have to be part of the control process. Thus, there is a guarantee that consumers can count on products grown and handled under these uncompromising standards.

The guarantee is accomplished through OCIA's program of organic certification. OCIA is committed to a demonstrably independent and neutral third party system. They insure that certified members adhere to a unified set of stringent production and handling standards, backed up by an audit trail through which a product can be traced from the final consumer, back to the farmer and field. Certification inspectors are supported in their work by a strong system of peer evaluation in local groups. The ongoing Crop Improvement activities of the local chapter works to provide monitoring and educational as well as technical assistance to the farmers for crop improvement.

^ top

TransFair USA

What is Fair Trade?

• Creates direct trade links to farmers and their cooperatives, bypassing exploitative middlemen.
• Pays farmers a fair price for their harvest to guarantee them and their families a decent living wage.
• Provide access to affordable credit, helping farmers stay out of debt to local moneylenders.
• Promotes sustainable farming practices, such as organic farming, that help protect the environment.
• Helps U.S. consumers gain convenient access to high quality, fair trade product through mainstream retailers.

^ top

Specialty Coffee Association of America

The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is a non-profit trade organization comprised of Retailers, Roasters, Roaster/Retailers, Producers, Exporters, Importers, Green Coffee Brokers, Manufacturers of Coffee Processing-Roasting-Brewing Equipment and other Allied Products. The Mission of the SCAA is to serve the specialty coffee industry through the development and dissemination of information that fosters coffee excellence within the trade.

^ top

Coffee Kids

Coffee Kids has been established to improve the quality of life for children and families who live where coffee is grown. By supporting self-directed development projects and educating coffee consumers and businesses, Coffee Kids works to improve the economic dynamics of the coffee industry. In doing so, Coffee Kids works to enable small coffee farmers to participate more equitably in the coffee industry while at the same time respecting the integrity, independence and self-sufficiency of indigenous cultures and communities with which Coffee Kids works.

^ top

The Smithsonian Institute

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC)
"Bird Friendly"

In December 1998, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center set forth the criteria for “Bird Friendly TM” coffee approval and licensing. These criteria are based on 12 years of Neotropical study of domestic and migratory birds and their environment.

The strict set of criteria and standards for “Bird Friendly TM” coffee were designed to save the domestic and migratory birds and to protect them from the loss of their habitat due to cutting of shade trees to plant new hybrid – technified coffee trees which require chemical fertilization. The SMBC recognized the need to preserve the forest shade canopy with traditional coffee trees that need the shade and that organic certification was the key to accomplish this as well as the independent third party certification needed for “Bird Friendly TM” to be validated as “shade coffee”. The organic inspectors conduct annual inspections to qualify the coffee farms, examining for primary and secondary shade trees, diversification of the environment, accommodating habitat for domestic and migratory birds, as well as percentage of shade and vegetation and their characteristics.

Roasters interested in roasting and selling Smithsonian “Bird Friendly TM” coffees will need to have a licensing agreement and are encouraged to contact OPTCO or the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center for more details.

^ top

Swiss Water Decaffeinated

Your Quality Is Assured From Start To Finish

Producing the best tasting cup of decaf is more than selecting the finest coffees for the patented flavor protection process. The commitment to quality and consistency is of equal importance and built into every step. Below are the quality assurance checks they perform on every batch of beans, designed with the sole purpose of delivering customers outstanding coffee taste, cup after cup.

Before the Coffee Is Decaffeinated

They perform an initial moisture analysis and cup the coffee to ensure that it meets our taste standards.

The beans are screened and cleaned to remove any dust or foreign material.

While The Beans Are Being Decaffeinated

The coffee is continuously monitored for caffeine levels to ensure that the amount of caffeine extracted meets our strict specifications. Coffees are certified 99.9% caffeine free.

After The Coffee Has Been Decaffeinated And Dried

The moisture level of the decaffeinated beans are checked again to ensure minimal moisture loss during drying. This is done to ensure optimal roasting performance. The caffeine content is tested again to ensure caffeine removal specifications have been met.

After The Beans Have Been Screened And Polished

They visually examine the appearance of the coffee and cup it again to make sure it is of a quality and taste that you would be proud to serve your customers.

^ top