- Green Lifestyle
Let’s talk about the impact of organic labels.
If, like me, you’re in the green eco-bubble, it’s sometimes hard to imagine that the benefits of organic labels are so little known.
Babette Lichtenford
“It’s all just marketing.” “Doesn’t do anything anyway.” I hear these and similar comments time and time again. And I want to put an end to that now. Let’s take a look at the two best-known labels: EU organic label versus Naturland. What should consumers know about them? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Here are the answers.
In principle, organic is better for the climate.
So, let’s start at the beginning: Every form of organic farming is fundamentally more climate-friendly than conventional farming. Why? Organic farms produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. On the one hand, because they use less energy (keyword: fertilizer), and on the other, because the cultivation methods build up more humus and thus bind CO2.* How high the proportion is depends on the food category (e.g. plants or meat) – and on the strictness of the guidelines according to which the crops are grown.
Minimum standards? Or as strict as possible?
In order to be able to answer and evaluate this question, we have focused on the carbon footprint. It is one of the most important factors for climate protection and is therefore essential for all of us.
One of the decisive aspects for more or less greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture is nitrogen fertilizer. Its production is very energy-intensive. Added to this are transportation, logistics, etc. (leaving aside the effects of nitrate formation, over-fertilization, water pollution, etc.). So, if less nitrogen fertilizer is used, less CO2 is emitted – logical, right? So, how do the two labels address this topic?
The EU label allows the purchase of up to 170 kg of additional nitrogen per hectare, while Naturland stops at 40 kg per hectare per year.** Naturland farmers must also produce at least 50% of their own feed, which also saves energy and transportation.
The EU directive does not stipulate this, so you can also buy in soy from overseas as long as it is certified organic. It’s not hard to imagine what that means.
And the permission granted by the EU label to convert a farm to organic only in certain areas – e.g. conventional livestock farming, organic arable farming – means that feed and fertilizer are not produced around the corner but are often transported over long distances. A logistical effort that can have a massive impact on the CO2 balance. Incidentally, this also applies to the disposal of surplus manure on other areas. If you then add to this the higher so-called “animal stocking density” (how many animals are allowed to be kept on a specific area), you can understand why critics refer to the EU organic label as “organic light”. And what about Naturland?
Better, but more expensive?
The Naturland label goes well beyond the EU standards in many respects and places a stronger focus on climate protection and sustainability – including biodiversity, soil protection, social standards, and animal welfare. For example, the livestock density for Naturland is lower than for EU organic, which increases land consumption but at the same time reduces pressure on the soil and the need to import feed.
Another exciting aspect is the additives in processed products: The EU allows 53 additives (such as sodium nitrite in sausage), while Naturland only allows 22.
Are there any disadvantages to Naturland-certified products?
Well, they are more expensive, which is not really surprising. Products with the EU label are usually around 15% cheaper and also more widely available. So perhaps it’s more a question of appreciation than a disadvantage.
Conclusion: The Naturland label is a premium standard but has its hurdles due to the higher prices. The EU organic label makes compromises (especially when it comes to fertilizer) but has a broad impact and may make it easier to get started with organic.
However, anyone who values the smallest possible ecological footprint and few additives when shopping is definitely better off with Naturland products.
What does all this have to do with our coffee?
Naturland’s strict requirements for environmental protection, biodiversity, and social aspects are in line with our principles at Mount Hagen. That is why we have consciously opted for Naturland and Demeter certification. Making the world a little better every day is our motivation – and the reason why we have been promoting enjoyment and sustainability in the industry with our coffees for over 30 years.
The effort behind this is huge, because it not only costs time, but also money. And this applies to every single step – from coffee cultivation to roasting and packaging. It probably does not come as a surprise that this ultimately affects the price. But who likes the taste of coffee that causes rainforests to be cleared or prevents a farmer from feeding his family? We don’t.
