How green is your orange juice?
From next week you can enjoy a new, greener brand of OJ that's been endorsed by the Rainforest Alliance, in recognition of the sustainable methods used to grow the fruit.
Good Natured orange juice comes from The Del Oro Farm, Costa Rica, the first citrus grove of its kind to receive the seal of approval from the conservation charity. In addition to Del Oro using fewer pesticides, turning waste into compost and protecting 7400 acres of endangered forests, the Rainforest Alliance certification ensures that all the workers have good working conditions and are paid a fair wage.
Of course, there's still the carbon cost of transporting all those oranges, but when you want to enjoy products that don't grow in this country you can't have everything! Available now in Waitrose, Tesco and other supermarkets.
One interesting claim made on the Good Natured website is that fruit juice made from concentrate (that's the method that so many pricier brands are proud not to use) is actually greener than producing juice directly from the fruit. I'm guessing this is because larger amounts of fruit are needed to make pure fruit juices, but can't find anything to back this claim up. Can anyone shed any light on this one?
Yes, Good Natured have had some research done by ERM (Environmental Resources Management) which has shown that the carbon footprint of 'from concentrate' juice is some 3 times lower than an equivalent 'not from concentrate' juice for the parts of the product lifecycle that differ. This is due not only to smaller volumes of fruit being shipped but also the increased greenhouse gas emissions associated with the pasteurisation process involved in making 'not from concentrate' juice.
Posted by: Catherine Bull | April 1, 2008 4:01 PM