Crofter's Organic Commits to Exclusive Use of EcoSocial-Certified Cane Sugar

All Crofter’s Organic Superfruit spreads, jellies, and conserves manufactured after Oct. 1, 2009, will contain EcoSocial-certified organic cane sugar. Look for the IBD EcoSocial claim on jars later this year.

18 Sep 2009 --- Veteran organic jam producer Crofter’s Organic announced its complete conversion to organic cane sugar certified “EcoSocial” by international certifier IBD Certifications.

Brazil-based IBD, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-accredited organic certifier, established its new EcoSocial certification program in 2004 as a complement to organic standards. According to IBD, as noted in its EcoSocial Certification Program, “The planet’s present social and environmental context requires more specific certification tools for auditing social and environmental issues on certified companies, farms and grower groups.”

EcoSocial certification requires satisfaction of all IBD’s main development criteria — which includes fair trade, environmental and social components, plus a minimum of two social and two environmental programs that demonstrate measurable, continuous improvement from year to year. Simply creating a social program to improve the literacy rate of fieldworkers is not sufficient; a company must actually improve the literacy rate, say from 10 percent to 90 percent in a three-year period.

Environmental development criteria for agriculture and wild crop farms include conservation of soil structure and fertility; energy, water and natural resource optimization; and a program to increase biodiversity. Human and social development criteria include programs to improve worker safety and overall well-being, a zero-tolerance policy for any form of discrimination, and the prohibition of any form of forced labor.

“At the end of the day, we’re part of one community,” said Gerhard Latka, Crofter’s Organic founder and owner. “I need to know that my company is helping to make this world a community we all want to live in. IBD’s new EcoSocial certification helps me deliver an affordable quality product to consumers that we can all feel good about.”

All Crofter’s Organic Superfruit spreads, jellies, and conserves manufactured after Oct. 1, 2009, will contain EcoSocial-certified organic cane sugar. Look for the IBD EcoSocial claim on jars later this year.