Sustainable Coffee Certifications A Comparison Matrix Created by the SCAA Sustainability Committee (2009) Certification / Organic Fair Trade Rainforest Smithsonian 4 C Utz Certified Verification Certified Alliance Bird Friendly® Common Code Create a verified Support a better life for Integrate biodiversity Conduct research and UTZ CERTIFIED’s Achieve global sustainable agriculture farming families in the conservation, community education around issues mission is to achieve leadership as the system that produces developing world through development, workers’ of neo-tropical migratory sustainable agricultural baseline initiative that food in harmony with fair prices, direct trade, rights and productive bird populations, supply chains, where: enhances economic, nature, supports community development agricultural practices to promoting certified shade Producers are social and environmental biodiversity and and environmental ensure comprehensive coffee as a viable professionals production, processing enhances soil health. stewardship. sustainable farm supplemental habitat for implementing good and trading conditions to management. birds and other practices which enable all who make a living in organisms. better businesses, the coffee sector. livelihoods and Mission environments; The Food industry takes responsibility by demanding and rewarding sustainably grown products; Consumers buy products which meet their standard for social and environmental responsibility. All markets All markets Global, with special All markets Mainstream and Mainstream market emphasis on N. America, Specialty (ambition: vast majority Market Focus Europe, Japan, and of coffee market) Australia Trace back to 19th century Began as Max Havelaar Begun in 1992 by Founded in 1997 with Begun in 1997 as Begun in 2003 as public- practices formulated in in the Netherlands in the Rainforest Alliance and a criteria based on initiative from industry private partnership England, India, and the US. 1970s. Now the coalition of Latin scientific fieldwork. and producers in project by the coffee First certification 1967. German-based Fairtrade American NGOs, the Operated out of the Guatemala; Utz Kapeh industry and the German History and Labelling Organizations Sustainable Agriculture SMBC office initially, it became an independent development cooperation Development Developed into internationally recognized International (FLO) Network (SAN). First currently involves 14 NGO in 2000. First to initiate a multi- system with production collaborates with more coffee farm certification organic certification certified farms in 2001. In stakeholder dialogue for throughout the world. * The than twenty national in 1996. The Rainforest agencies as the eventual 2008, Utz Kapeh defining a mainstream TM organic coffee sector branches throughout the Alliance Certified managers of the changed its name to Utz code of conduct for world, including program requires that Certified – Good Inside sustainability: The 4C Page 1 Last updated: 4/14/2009 By: Adam Kline Sustainable Coffee Certifications A Comparison Matrix Created by the SCAA Sustainability Committee (2009) Certification / Organic Fair Trade Rainforest Smithsonian 4 C Utz Certified Verification Certified Alliance Bird Friendly® Common Code represented nearly 3 TransFair USA. farms meet program. to encompass more Association was founded percent of the total U.S. TransFair USA has been comprehensive diverse agricultural as an international green coffee imports in administering the Fair standards covering all commodities including membership association 2007* Trade Certified label aspects of production, cocoa, tea, soy, and in December 2006. since 1998. the protection of the palm oil. Operational in market environment, and the since coffee year 07/08 rights and welfare of farm families and their local communities. Certifiers and farmer The first Fair Trade 1980s farm-based A number of scientific Field-based adaptation of Multistakeholder groups began organic codes grew out of research by SAN studies in southern EuropGap standard. Now adaptation of existing certification process Solidaridad movement in scientists and farmers, Mexico, Guatemala and officially GlobalGap codes which resulted in a around 1967.* The Netherlands. FLO, field-testing, and Peru during the 1990s. equivalent plus. ILO baseline Code of the Rainforest Alliance involvement of all Recent studies in Labor standards. Conduct, Rules of and SAN, Social relevant stakeholders. Ecuador and Mexico Participation for Trade Code Founders Accountability support the criteria as and Industry members, a International and IFOAM being highly protective of Verification System, worked together to biodiversity and providing Support Services and a improve social standards refuge for biodiversity. participatory democratic and auditing practices governance structure for decision making. Organic Farming and Economic and Sustainable farm Certification aimed at the Sustainability: Economic Exclude worst practices processing practices. environmental management in most production area of the performance through and continuously sustainability for farmers holistic sense – social, coffee agroecosystem. productivity and farm increase the and their communities. environmental, economic professionalism; sustainability of coffee Minimum price and social and, ethical (Future development of environmental standards production and premium to cover costs improvements are the program may address to preserve flora fauna processing in the Scope of the of production and cornerstones of the the landscape mosaic as shade, buffer zones; economic, social and Program community-elected program. well.) Worker Health and environmental development programs. Safety. dimension. Organic premium for organic coffees. The model empowers small- farmers organized into democratically-run Page 2 Last updated: 4/14/2009 By: Adam Kline Sustainable Coffee Certifications A Comparison Matrix Created by the SCAA Sustainability Committee (2009) Certification / Organic Fair Trade Rainforest Smithsonian 4 C Utz Certified Verification Certified Alliance Bird Friendly® Common Code cooperatives to compete on a global scale. Environmental, farm Social, economic, The Rainforest Alliance Biophysical criteria of the Socially, environmentally, Economic, social and production and environmental, CertifiedTM program is shade component, and economically environmental dimension processing standards. democratic organization based on the provided that the farm is conscious growing of cooperatives. fundamental principles of certified organic. standards. sustainable agriculture including: best Code Elements for management practices; Coffee Production conservation of natural resources, ecosystems and wildlife; workers rights and benefits; and benefits to local communities. Federal standard with Baseline and progress More than 200 criteria Organic certification as a Baseline criteria with 10 Unacceptable practices for producers criteria. Continuous (checkpoints); Field- condition for BF field-tested indicators Practices and 30 and handlers applies to all improvement required tested indicators. Applies certification. Certification and independent, third- Baseline criteria with 90 organic product sold in US. through Progress to farms and coops of all applicable to estate party auditing. Applies to field-tested indicators; Similar but unique Requirements. Applies to sizes. Continuous farms and cooperatives. farms and coops of all Participation possible standards are applied democratically organized improvement required. Inspection linked to sizes. All countries with “average yellow”, internationally. cooperatives formed by organic inspection, but possible. Continuous continuous improvement small-scale farmers. only every three years. improvement required. towards “green” required. Scope of the Code Applies to farms and to production structures of all sizes. Minimum capacity of “4C Unit” = 1 container of green coffee. Every country. “Stepping stone function” to provide easier access to certification/marketing schemes for producers. Page 3 Last updated: 4/14/2009 By: Adam Kline Sustainable Coffee Certifications A Comparison Matrix Created by the SCAA Sustainability Committee (2009) Certification / Organic Fair Trade Rainforest Smithsonian 4 C Utz Certified Verification Certified Alliance Bird Friendly® Common Code Part of many certifiers’ Provided by TransFair Provided by local NGO Continual provision of Provided by the program Support to 4C Units, role. Organic research USA for specific projects partners (Sustainable training workshops to at very low cost to members and other federally and privately through its Global Agriculture Network), organic inspectors, NGO producers in alliance with interested stakeholders funded by non-profits Producer Services extensionists trained by staff, cooperative other initiatives like the through training-of-trainer and NGOs. department, and by FLO the program, and by technicians, and Coffee Support Network workshops, educational (Fair Trade Labelling collaborating institutions. government (CSN). Technical sessions and access to Organizations (TA and auditing are kept representatives. assistance providers are tools & manuals; project Technical SCAN perhaps the most International) worldwide separate.) trained by Utz Certified facilitation; cooperation Assistance and well-known Technical through its Producer and are available world- with other national and Capacity Building Assistance and Capacity provider network – for all