Celebrating Non-GMO & Fair Trade Month in October
October is Fair Trade and Non-GMO month, an internationally recognized occasion to celebrate and raise awareness about the huge benefits and necessity of Fair Trade and Non-GMO products and practices.
Why Fair Trade
Every purchase matters in the lives of others, being Fair Trade Certified™ means we support: safe working conditions, environmental protection, sustainable livelihoods, and community development funds. Fair Trade is a way to make a conscious choice for a better world, it is a choice to support responsible companies, empower farmers and workers, contribute to the development of rural communities and protect the environment. Fair Trade is a world-changing way of doing business.
Our Work and Mission
As a mission-driven company, becoming Fair Trade Certified™ was an easy choice for us, and supports our mission to empower, uplift, and improve the livelihoods of our partnering smallholder farmers in Nicaragua, where almost half of the population lives off less than $1 a day. The scarcity of jobs and education, combined with the inability of smallholder farmers to compete globally, has perpetuated a cycle of poverty in many farming communities. However, Sol Organica aims to break this cycle by providing financial training workshops, helping farmers and cooperatives to open bank accounts, paying above-market prices for crops as well as a Fair Trade premium, and creating job opportunities for single mothers in rural communities.
Environmental Protection
In recent years, due to the effects of climate change causing extreme weather events, many farmers have seen cataclysmic results, and we have seen mass migration of farmers leaving the fields and heading to the cities or other countries in search of opportunities to just survive. The ability of the land to provide livelihoods for farmers, their families, and their workers is directly linked to the long-term environmental impacts of farming practices. Responsible management and good production practices can reduce negative environmental impacts and improve the resiliency of the global production system.
Sol Organica’s solution to this is regenerative organic agriculture, which we have been pioneering since 2017. Regenerative agriculture regenerates and improves the earth's soil health. Healthy soil retains moisture due to its high level of carbon, which water bonds to naturally. Nutrient-dense soil is generated through microbial growth which flourishes in moisture-rich soil. The nutrient-dense soil feeds the plants, which are then healthy and resilient to climate change. By providing resources for farmers to improve their soil health, Sol Organica helps farmers improve their livelihoods and remain on their land, dignified in the work they love - feeding the world.
Sol Organica has continued to increase the acreage of Regenerative Organic Certified® farms and now partners with over 400 Regenerative Organic Certified® Nicaraguan smallholder farmers, improving soil health, sequestering more carbon in the soil, and motivating farmers to continue their proud work.
Why Non-GMO
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, which in agriculture relates to plants that have been subjected to biotechnology to modify their DNA. Toxic chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides are used to treat GMO crops. These often reside on the crops and end up on the food on our plates, with the unfortunate consequence of affecting our health. GMOs have been linked to various health problems due to treatment with these chemicals, antibiotics, and growth hormones. It is detrimental to us, ecological harmony, and biodiversity.
GMO-based agriculture has weakened the soil and biodiversity. Pesticides kill beneficial soil organisms and useful insects we need for healthy crops. The soil is healthier and more nutrient-dense than non-GMO crops, where these chemicals are not used. The toxic chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides used in GMO agriculture are on the crops, in the soil, water, and ultimately our food. These chemicals can be harmful to our health and also negatively impact the landscape's biodiversity. By switching to non-GMO products, we can reduce our negative impact on the earth's precious resources and living species.
Implementing regenerative agriculture fully supports our mission to produce non-GMO products that are top quality, nutrient-rich, and 100% natural and delicious, just as nature intended.
Our Story Becomes Your Story
By purchasing our Non-GMO and Fair Trade Certified™ foods, you are supporting local family farmers, improving livelihoods, investing in the community, supporting sustainable farming, protecting the environment and millions of species, helping to fight climate change, and building a legacy for generations to come. Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us create a brighter, fairer, and more sustainable future.
