The increase in environmental awareness on the part of Brazilians in recent decades has influenced the market in the search for solutions that reduce the impacts generated in the production, consumption and disposal of products.
To assist consumers in choosing good quality coffee with a reliable socio-environmental history, the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards - ABNT created the specific Environmental Labeling procedure for the agricultural products sector across the country.
Environmental labeling is based on considerations about the product's life cycle, establishing criteria that ensure that products with a lower environmental impact are available on the market in a different way from competing products.
In 26 years, the ABNT program has certified more than 2,7 products in various categories, such as automotive, civil construction, domestic equipment, office/furniture, office supplies, cleaning products, paper products, personal hygiene, cleaning , textiles and clothing.
To obtain the Type I label, known as the Brazilian Coffee Green Seal, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), in partnership with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTIC) , recently launched the Operational Manual that guides the steps to obtain the ABNT ecological label, Beija-flor, towards a Low Carbon Economy.
Certification is voluntary and is granted by ABNT Certification, a third-party entity, ensuring impartiality and attesting to the credibility of the label placed on products or services.
In South America, ABNT is the only full member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), a global non-profit entity that represents the largest type I environmental labeling institutions in the world. “Participation in GEN enables cooperation and exchange of information between members, stimulating the development of programs and opening new markets for companies”, says the president of ABNT, Mario William Esper.
According to him, the attribution of the Ecological Label (Green Seal) is similar to an award, since the criteria are developed aiming at environmental excellence for the promotion and improvement of products and processes. “Its efficiency and credibility are due to the fact that it takes into account impacts throughout the entire life cycle of products, unlike other environmental certifications. In the ABNT process, the reduction of negative impacts is verified from the extraction of raw materials, through processing, transportation, use and up to the final destination of materials and products”, highlights the president.
In addition to environmental issues, the program also establishes criteria for suitability for use, to ensure that products have the quality necessary for their use, in addition to being environmentally responsible, and also some criteria that are focused on social aspects.
The criteria that a product must meet to obtain the ABNT Ecological Label are available on the ABNT Sustainability Portal and are available for public consultation at the time of its preparation and review, demonstrating the transparency and credibility of the process.
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