Tracing Quality
Posted - September 1, 2005
Quality Matters More than Price:
Nature & More Makes Clear the Life of an Organic Product from Farmer to Consumer
By Wolfgang Dannebaum - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
Consumer-awareness of the quality of organic products matters more than price. To that end, so-called trace-and-tell systems, which give customers historical information about organic products, could be good news for the growth of companies in the sector.
The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture recently awarded a prize to recognize Eosta v.b. for creating a system that traces organic products from their origin and ranks the quality of them. Praised for its corporate social responsibility, the Netherlands-based trader of organic fruits and vegetables won the honor for the innovative program called “Nature & More”. The system makes clear the “life” of a product, from farmer to consumer, helping shoppers to make more informed buying decisions, said Volkert Engelsman, managing director of Eosta. It helps to fill an information void in the organic market.
The key to boosting sales in the market ¾is communicating a strong message about quality to the right consumer and not lowering prices, said Engelsman, who created the system to appeal to what he calls “concerned consumers”.
“Statistics in Germany and the UK demonstrate that concerned consumers are highly educated, urban, early adopters or first movers who are not necessarily rich”, said Engelsman. “These concerned consumers account for 30% of the population. This is where the growth potential for organic is”.
The main obstacle in a free trade environment is the uninformed or misled consumer, said Engelsman, who noted that anonymity in the market creates opportunity for environmental and social exploitation. “Nature & More helps us to break through the anonymity in the marketplace and to communicate the ecological and socio-cultural uniqueness of a product or certain region”, he said.
Eosta’s system rates products according to how well they meet three standards: Were the products created using outstanding organic agricultural methods? Did the creator employ socially responsible business practices? Have the products been comprehensively analyzed, including residue testing and assessment of nutritional values?
“A market can only be considered ‘free’ as long as the costs of food-related diseases, environmental pollution and social exploitation are accounted for in the final price of a product, emphasized Engelsman.
Eosta supplies certified organic produce to wholesalers and retailers in organic and conventional markets all over Europe with daily deliveries. The firm is leading exporter of organic greenhouse crops to the United States and the Far East from its pre-packing facility.
Eosta is an approved SKAL/EKO and Demeter distributor, and a corporate associate of IFOAM, among other organisations.
Chile
Posted - September 1, 2005
Latin America, a Different Approach:
Raising the Local Market
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
The organic sector in Latin America has developed into a source of raw materials for international processors. Latin American suppliers are missing value-added gains, because of the difficulty their products have in meeting the quality and regulation standards of the export markets.
Attracted by the premium prices paid by foreign traders , local producers focus on exports rather than developing their own market. But not Valles y Montanas del Sur. This young enterprise took the risk and embarked on an ambitious project of selling organic certified products under its own label to the domestic market in Chile.
The company has been selling a line of coffee, mate, and green, black and red tea since 2001. Customers, who are drawn to the quality and attractive packaging, include gourmet stores, hotels, bakeries and end consumers. “The future of the organic market is here”, said managing director Ruben Martinetto. “We want to bring back the emotional connection people have with food. The pleasure of enjoying the aroma of a cup coffee from the moment it is ground until it is served, is added value too.” And sensitive consumers, whether in Europe or Chile, will be willing to pay the premium price for such an experience. Valles y Montanas also started the first association of organic consumers in the country.
“The organic sector needs to build a strong network from producer to consumer, and the possibility to share information” said Mr. Martinetto. “Teach a person where the coffee comes from, and how he is helping farmers and the environment, and they will support the cause”. Mr. Martinetto will introduce his line to Falabela, Chile’s largest department store, this fall and is looking to expand his line into the cosmetic sector. And the export markets? He is considering it.
Bee Propolis
Posted - September 1, 2005
The Buzz about Crops and Human Health:
Watch Out for Propolis
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
Bees have been around for millions of years. They have adapted to many habitats. They have outlived the dinosaurs and survived the Plague. However, the bee population is shrinking.
“Beekeeping used to be part of a farmer’s activities”, says Peter Davis, of Organic Honey Kangaroo Island in Australia. “But with the growth of industrial-scale farming, this important tradition has been forgotten”. It’s more than the lack of bee-keeping, too. Crop disease and heavy pesticide use by conventional farmers, who use bees as agricultural tools, also threaten bee populations, the 2002 Princeton report found.
Kangaroo Island off Australia exemplifies bees’ importance. The island is home to the only remaining pure strain of the Lingurian honeybee. Between 1798 and 1826, crops on the island were weak and malnutrition was common. Bees repaired the damage when they were introduced to the island. Bees’ pollination process, to which they owe part of their evolutionary success, not only helps ensure robust crops, it balances ecosystems everywhere, explains Davis. Thinning populations of pollinating bees could mean leaner harvests.
Meanwhile, the honey, beeswax, venom, propolis, pollen, all by-products of pollination, are said to soothe minor health maladies, although¾and royal jelly few studies by the scientific body verify these claims. Of all by-products of the bee, propolis is the most important defense against pathogenic microorganisms. The honeybee collects propolis, which is a mixture of beewax and resins from plants, particularly from flowers and leaf buds. Ancient people used it as a remedy because of its antibactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties.
The brownish resinous substance acts as the bee hive immune system, explains James Fearnley of BeeVital in the UK. “Propolis is of vital importance for the survival of the bees”, said Fearnley, who has studied propolis for 15 years, and designed methods to facilitate the economic collection of propolis. “It is a natural antibiotic that protects them against diseases, wind and cold”.
Not only do bees protect themselves, but they benefit humans, so long as you don’t get one buzzing angrily around in your pantleg. Propolis is considered an important part of dietetics and has been used to make throat lozenges, cough syrups, toothpastes, mouth rinses, lipsticks and cosmetics. But there are different varieties of propolis, warns Fearnley. The composition depends on the type of plants accessible to the bees and used for the collection.
“Honey is classified by content of bioflavonoids, but there are no standards for propolis”, said Fearnley. BeeVital, in cooperation with Strathclyde University Glasgow, UK embarked in a four-year research to establish a bioactivity standard for propolis. Consumers will be able to buy a product that has a guaranteed level of bioactivity, Fearnley predicts. “Clinical trials for treatment of skin, respiratory and dental problems using propolis with a known chemical profile are on the way”.
BeeVital also supports AIDS/HIV programs in Africa and is currently assessing the value of propolis in conjunction with Anti Retroviral Drugs. In the meantime, populations of both bees and beekeepers continue to fall, putting in peril the security of crops, and possibly, the development of a propolis-related panacea of the future. For the sake our diets and health, bees need to remain abuzz around the world, as they have for the past 125 million years.
Water Panel
Posted - September 1, 2005
Water: Drink to your Health with Spring-like Water
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
At BioFach 2005, water experts and researchers gathered at Organic & Wellness News’ panel discussion: Which is the best water? The panellists shared their findings, methods and products and an insight into how, with state-of-the-art but affordable water purification technologies, tap and waste water could be restored into its natural pure quality, structure and taste. The speakers compared bottled and tap water, glass and plastic containers and discussed how to read the labels and select a quality bottled water.
Since it is not considered a product, water is exempt from organic certification. It is interesting to note that most products have at least 50% water content. Organic fruit and vegetable producers and food processors would benefit from learning about the properties of water and how technologies are capable of turning this precious liquid back to its highly energised natural state. The shelf life of food, cosmetics and other processed goods could be further increased without the addition of preservatives. The panellists showed how their knowledge of water and their innovative technologies and products assist in food traceability, the treatment of diverse common ailments such as psoriasis, and the growth of healthier, stronger and disease-resistant crops and livestock.
Vivatap
Posted - September 1, 2005
Wanted: Chlorine-Free Water, VIVATAP Offers an Option
By Johanna Olarte - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
Chlorine in tap water is dangerous, researchers worldwide agree. The chemical, which is added to drinking water to kill bacteria, is linked to cancer, birth defects and low sperm counts in men.
According to ongoing research, trihalomethanes, a group of chemicals formed in drinking water during treatment by chlorine, which reacts with acids present in naturally- occurring organic material such as leaves, algae and aquatic plants, may be responsible for the health side - effects.
In one study, Dr. Per Magnus, a Norwegian scientist and researcher, found that the risk of birth defects increased 14 percent in areas with chlorinated water.
“We were in a unique position in Norway to make these observations because, in some areas, our water comes from the mountains and doesn’t require cleaning with chlorine”, said Dr.Magnus. “There are chemicals released by the action of chlorine on organic particles at treatment plants”, he said. “We observe mutations in these chemicals that seem related to mutations that are found in babies”.
Dr. Niels Skakkebaek of the University of Copenhagen found that chlorine can also lower sperm counts: “Among Danish men, sperm counts dropped by an average of almost 50 percent because of man-made chlorine found within human tissues and breast milk”.
As year after year more research points to the dangers of chlorine, market demand for water-purification and decontamination products is growing. One solution to the problem of chlorinated water, for example, is Vivatap®, a product that removes chlorine, reduces the number of e.coli bacteria, adjusts the water’s pH level to 7.5 and adds minerals to the water. Fittingly, a Norwegian naturopath and homeopath invented it: Glenn Ager-Wick.
Trials to evaluate the effect of Vivatap® among patients with psoriasis, have shown promising results, said Ager-Wick.
Meanwhile, chlorine and trihalomethanes are just the tip of iceberg. Herbicides and pesticides are also commonly found in tap and drinking water.
Unfortunately, the standards for measuring water-toxicity are based on the potential effects on healthy adults (not children or older people who are more vulnerable to harmful effects), and the false assumption that water exposes us to only one chemical at a time.
Gran Canaria
Posted - September 1, 2005
Gran Canaria Targets Health-Tourism Niche
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
The tourism board and the local business community in Gran Canaria have created the Gran Canaria Spa and Wellness Association, in an effort to massage a growing niche of tourism: guests, who are looking for more than just “beach and sun”. This initiative aims to gain footing in a robust local tourism market.
Tourism on the island has grown to eleven million annual visitors from fewer than 100 visitors a year at the end of the 1800s. The recently developed association revolves around a handful of four- and five-star hotels on the island. Each hotel is equipped with wellness and spa centers that offer detox and relaxation treatments.
Trendy new treatments focus on customers’ absorption of antioxidants through two ingredients that are normally part of a romantic evening at home: wine and chocolate. In wine therapy, customers soak up antioxidants from grape seeds, skins, and stalks, all of which are applied directly to the skin. Chocotherapy, meanwhile, consists of a cocoa-and-cocoa-butter massage. Thalasso, presso and thermotherapies are among other treatments available at locations throughout the island.
Between getting algae wraps and sea mud treatments, spa and wellness visitors will take in Gran Canaria’s idyllic surroundings. Located between the African and Spanish coasts, it offers pristine beaches and unspoiled mountain landscapes, and it flourishes with exotic plants and flowers. The island, which is 47 kilometers wide, was born of long-ago volcanic eruptions.
Health and wellness travel, especially for people with respiratory, nervous and rheumatic ailments, has attracted tourists to the island for more than 100 years. In the 19th century, Europe’s great spas were destinations for the wealthy, who went there to “take the waters.” Water treatments are still considered the heart of the spa experience in Europe.
EU Supplements
Posted - September 1, 2005
EU Food Supplements Directive on the Spot:
Natural Supplements in Danger
By Lucia Lorente - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
Since October 2003, a group of consumers, practitioners, retailers and food supplement companies has been challenging in European Courts a remarkable case against the European Food Supplements Directive (FSD). Called the Alliance for Natural Health, the campaign by this group has demonstrated that when organized, informed citizens fight to protect their rights, they can positively influence legislation even at EU level. Thus, the European-based ANH has established an important precedent for the consumers to be active and aware of protecting their rights.
The FSD was approved on 1992. It is one of a group of EU directives that regulates the availability and dosage of food and supplements. The directive establishes a “positive list” of vitamins and minerals that can be used to produce food supplements. It also disallows many food-state nutrients like vitamin E, selenium yeast, calcium and potassium. The directive also expected manufacturers to provide scientific evidence about the benefit of their supplements. But the high costs involved would have left small companies out of business and a limited variety of supplements available to the consumer.
Many people, including well known scientist and researcher Dr. Robert Verkerk PhD, were concerned that this directive threatened the natural health care sector. Dr. Verkerk started the ANH in 1992. The alliance pushed the case through several courts before the directive could be legally amended.
On October 13, 2003, the ANH, filed the first stage of its legal challenge against the FSD. In January 2004, the English High Court referred the ANH/Nutri-Link case to the European Court of Justice(ECJ), in Luxembourg. This court heard the case Jan. 25, 2005. In April the Advocate General said in his advisory opinion that the FSD infringed basic EU principles. Although the court in Luxembourg ultimately upheld the directive on August 12005, important gains have been made to protect the availability of food supplements through clarification and narrowing of the Directive’s scope. Now the ban will not affect all vitamins and minerals normally found in or consumed as part of the diet.
The Alliance for Natural Health is a professional, European-based campaign organisation, with members from over 40 countries, around 30% of the United States. Its purpose is to safeguard the leading-edge in natural healthcare worldwide. Its supporters include many of the world’s leading experts in complementary health and nutrition. Currently, the ANH is working with other organisations globally, to influence proceedings in Codex Alimentarius, the United Nations guidelines which relate to foods and food products including dietary supplements.
For more: www.alliance-natural-health.org
Cachaca
Posted - September 1, 2005
Organic Cachaca Encourages Quilombos to Depart Poverty
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
Cachaca, Brazil’s most popular alcoholic drink, could be a flagship of social and economic development for impoverished African-Brazilian Quilombos settlements. Fazenda Vaccaro, a producer of the Serras das Almas brand of organic cachaca, will be recruiting sugar cane farmers from the Quilombos, surrounding its plant in Rio de Contas in the Brazilian state of Bahia. It will begin working with growers in two such settlements, next year, said Herbert Rugel, a co-managing director of Fazenda Vaccaro.
The company already augment its production with a number of similar working relationships. “We encourage small shareholders near the Fazenda to harvest sugar cane on their own land, under the guidelines of organic production”, said Marcos Vaccaro, the other co-managing director of Fazenda Vaccaro. “We transfer the know-how and technology to them”.
The cane is transported to Vaccaro for grinding, fermentation and distilling. The Fazenda puts 60% of the capacity of its stills at the disposal of its partners, and finances bottling, quality control and marketing. The company takes 10% of the gross sales price for these services. Training in organic agriculture and project management is free of charge. As long as companies do not exploit local growers, this type of project shows that business and social development can go hand-in hand with the environment.
“We expect to include other crops and diversify into other organic liquors, jellies and dried fruits”. Brazil produces 1.3 billion liters of cachaca annually. But only 1% of that is exported, mostly to Germany, the United States and Japan. The Quilombos were established in the 1600s when African slaves rebelled. In August 2004, the Brazilian government began securing ownership to more than 1,000 of these settlements, with the goal of raising living standards there with a series of public projects targeting improvement in sanitation, education, health, housing and family agriculture.
Cosmetics
Posted - September 1, 2005
Are Natural Cosmetics ‘Natural’?
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
Controversy about standards is on the rise in the fast-growing natural cosmetics sector. The question: How can customers know which cosmetics and care products are truly all-natural.
The answer: They cannot.
Guidelines for “all-natural” care and cosmetics products exist in the industry, but there are no binding rules that force a company to adhere to them. In 1997, BioFach developed a set of rules in accordance with guidelines issued from Natural Cosmetics Working Group of the Bundesverband Deutscher Industrie und Handelsunternehmen. Products that contain substances such as EDTA complexing agents, formaldehyde or formaldehyde separators, for example, are not accepted as natural personal care products. Synthetically produced fats, aromatic amines, musk compounds, petroleum derivatives and halogen organic compounds also disqualify a product from bearing a natural label.
While no hard standards exist to determine whether cosmetics can be called all-natural, consumers make assumptions about the ingredients in their make-up, said Rainer Plum, pioneer of the organic movement in Germany and founder of Tautropfen Naturkosmetik GmbH.
They think all-natural means that the products have been organically certified, are pesticide-free and have not been tested on animals, Plum explained. They also believe these products contain no artificial preservatives, fragrances, coloring agents, petroleum derivatives or animal content have been added.
But do cosmetics in natural and organic stores meet those requirements? Shampoo and sun protection lotions, for example, do not, Plum said. Yet, these products are available in natural and organic stores.
Meanwhile the industry is growing rapidly. So many new companies have entered the sector in the last five years that in 2006, BioFach will launch an expanded fair for despite the fact that there is still no way to¾natural cosmetics guarantee that the products shown at this event are entitled to bear the quality distinction natural personal care.
Consumer groups have smartened up and demanded that clear standards be applied to determine which cosmetics are genuinely all-natural. German Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture Renate Kunast agreed with them. Last year, he said that natural cosmetics must be identified with - the same as all organic certified foods - the national BIO seal and that cosmetics must meet certain criteria to receive that seal.
Tautropfen would be one of the few that would meet the standards but surpass them, Plum said, noting that Tautropfen is the first natural cosmetics company that is Demeter-certified.
More than 50 % of the current lines would need to be removed from the shelves, if such a law were put in place. The natural cosmetics sector will face the challenge of finding alternative formulations that allow them to be certified as natural, Plum said.
Currently, several cosmetic products with certification seals provided by established agencies such as Ecocert, the Soil Association or AIAB refer to the content of an organic ingredient in the amount specified by such agency. The label not necessarily refers to all ingredients and definitely not to the formulation or procedure that took place to obtain the final product.
Although the sector for natural cosmetics has made more progress in removing toxins from its products than the conventional cosmetics sector, there is still a long way to go. Few companies, so far have earned the right to honestly claim to sell all-natural cosmetics.
Wellness Hospital
Posted - September 1, 2005
The Farm at San Benito:
Philippines “Wellness Farm” is Hospital of the Future
By O.W.N. News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2005
The hospital of the future: A medical facility in a beautiful setting in an exuberant jungle, staffed with medical doctors and health specialists in nutrition, traditional chinese medicine and other natural therapies.
Actually this “hospital” exists, currently. The Farm at San Benito, located in the Philippines, is it. The farm, with its five in-house doctors, was accredited in 2003 by the Department of Health and the Department of Tourism and situated in the middle of a virgin oil coconut plantation.
“Hospitals are the most depressing places and less appropriate for a convalescent person”, said owner Eckhardt Rempe. “In an environment like the Farm, the healing process is much faster. Hospitals should offer a welcoming atmosphere and helpful professionals that allow the patient regain confidence”.
One way the Farm speeds the healing of its patients is by serving a raw diet that consists entirely of organic foods. It also provides detoxification regimens because fewer toxins in the body lead to faster convalescence.
The Farm was nominated for six awards at the Spa Asia Crystal Awards 2005. The Awards are granted by The Spa Asia Media Pte Ltd. an authority in the topic of wellness destinations in Asia.
