Credible Edibles: catering local, fair trade, organic food in Ottawa

Credible Edibles: nutritious, delicious, environmentally conscious

What We Do

Good Food | Responsible Food | Ethical Food | Environmental Food | Nutritious Food

Responsible Food

As consumers we make many choices every day of our lives. Some choices are only made occasionally such as which car to buy or where to take a vacation; other choices are made on a daily basis. The more frequently we make a choice, the more potential impact it has on the planet. The food we buy and eat is one of the most frequent choices we make, normally three or more times a day. So, just as we want to choose responsible options for those less frequent choices, so too we should seek out those foods which reflect our values and priorities. Luckily for us, responsible food is not only better for the world but it is better for our health as well.

Fair Trade

By responsible food, we mean food that has been produced by people who receive a fair wage and work in decent conditions. The concept of “fair trade” has been around for a long time and is gaining momentum today.

Fair Trade is an international system of doing business based on dialogue, transparency and respect. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions for producers and workers in developing countries. (www.transfair.ca) TransFair Canada is a Canadian non-profit organization set up to promote fair trade principles and practices. They have created a unique and easily identifiable logo, the black and white “fair trade certified/certifié equitable” logo. In Canada, you can find the label on select brands of coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, fruit (bananas and mangos), cereals (rice and quinoa), spices, cotton garments, wine, roses, and sports balls. Similar organization exist in the USA (www.fairtradefederation.org), the UK (fairtrade.org.uk), internationally (www.fairtrade.net) and in many other countries.

Buying fair trade certified food and beverage products such as tea, coffee, chocolate, bananas and so on is an excellent and responsible choice when local equivalents are not available. Since most fair trade products are only grown in tropical or southern climates, seeking out fair trade options ensures that some of the profits on these items is shared with the farmers and processors in developing countries.

In addition to ensuring economic justice, fair trade certified products are often produced in much more sustainable ways such as being organic or, in the case of coffee, shade-grown which reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides and provides excellent habitat for birds and insects (www.coffeeresearch.org).