Certifications

A project specification is a document that must be followed during the design phase of a project. When integrating a certification, various aspects can be covered, whether environmental, social, or economic. In the coffee sector, sustainability is addressed within existing certification systems that cover both mainstream and specialty markets. However, niche coffees are often excluded from these systems because their product quality allows them to command higher prices than those typically offered by certifications. Each certification system in the coffee sector has its own objectives, procedures, and market position. Note that coffee can also be certified under two or more certification systems, thus covering more than one market segment. The main coffee certification systems are:

1. Rainforest Alliance (UTZ)
2. Organic (ECOCERT)
3. Fairtrade
4. 4C (mainly Europe)

It is therefore important to have a variety of certifications to ensure that the maximum number of issues related to coffee cultivation are covered (biodiversity, carbon neutrality, social factors, etc.).

Biological

First, let's start by breaking down the biggest certification: organic. People often assume that "organic" is simply a marketing term, but it's also a term with different legal definitions. Products bearing the organic seal are verified by government-accredited inspectors and require that the farm in question does not use synthetic pesticides, has a plan to prevent excessive erosion (a real problem with coffee plants), and is sufficiently spaced from non-organic farms so that non-organic fertilizers and pesticides won't drift through the air.

Fair

Only the full phrase " Fairtrade Certified " carries weight; "Fairtrade" alone, without the mark of an organization like Fairtrade International, is meaningless. Fairtrade International is composed exclusively of small-scale producer cooperatives. The minimum price per pound for the farmer is $1.40 USD for non-organic products, $1.70 USD for organic products, plus a community development premium of 0.20 cents for each.

Rainforest Alliance

Rainforest Alliance Certified is a certification provided by an NGO of the same name. Its objective is ecological, focusing on the presence of shade (it's worth noting that all coffee trees are more productive in the shade, so it's quite rare to find plants without shade, as the tree would produce 30-50% fewer coffee cherries), clean waterways (without managing the sorting center's water), and a few other initiatives to minimize negative environmental impact. It also offers fairly decent protection against child labor. The problem is that, while Rainforest Alliance is a legitimate certification with real requirements, its standards aren't very… strict. Sometimes, only 30% of the coffee in a package needs to have passed the gathering process for the package to be legally certified. This certification also doesn't require a minimum purchase price for the coffee, nor anything to guarantee fairer wages for farmers. Rainforest has therefore been widely criticized, but all things considered, it's better than nothing.

Other significant factors

We must be careful and ensure we optimize our choices, even for non-certified purchases. For example, the carbon footprint associated with transportation is not taken into account by the various certifications we mentioned earlier. This is why at FARO, we prioritize importing coffee from Latin America.

We also really enjoy working with Colombian coffee because of the FNC. Founded in 1927, the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (also known as the National Federation of Coffee Growers, hence the abbreviation "FNC") is an NGO that provides a wide range of services and support to the country's coffee producers, regardless of the size of their landholdings or production volume. The FNC's marketing arm develops campaigns to promote not only the international consumption of Colombian coffee, but also, more recently, the domestic consumption of Colombian specialty coffees. The creation of the "persona" Juan Valdez in the 1950s is the clearest example of the outward-facing publicity that has built the FNC's reputation. The FNC also guarantees a purchase price for all coffee grown in Colombia, providing farmers with a degree of financial security: they can find private buyers or access specialized markets, or they can offer their coffee to the FNC and receive a relatively stable price. The organization's scientific arm, Cenicafé, is dedicated to research, development, dissemination, and support throughout the country. A large extension service employing over 1,500 field agents is deployed to meet with and consult with farmers on soil management, processing techniques, variety selection, disease prevention and treatment, and other agricultural aspects of coffee cultivation. A tax is levied on all coffee exports to fund this work and the other provisions and protections offered by the FNC, regardless of a producer's participation in or use of FNC services, markets, and programs.

At Faro, we also collaborate with one of the world's best coffee cooperatives: Costa Rica Coope Tarrazu . They have developed systems that reduce water usage by 95% for washed coffee processing (fermentation). The farmers also own the sorting center, a grocery store, pick-up points, gas stations, and a restaurant in the production area.

And what about innovation in all of this?

Why are the best coffees (generally) not fair trade, organic, or Rainforest certified? The answer to this question is quite logical and stems from an economic mechanism: small farmers who invest in their coffee plants, in processing the coffee (after harvesting), and who produce high-value coffee don't need the structures created by various certifications because they far exceed—by 100% to 1000%—market values. In fact, these farmers don't even consider the market when setting the price of their product.

Direct purchase

Direct trade is not a purchasing model regulated by a certifier, such as Fairtrade certification. It's a term used by coffee roasters to describe purchases made by visiting green coffee processing facilities and coffee cherry farms. Direct purchases allow them to build relationships with local communities and ensure access to a range of unique products.

Beware, the label "Direct Purchase" means nothing unless you actually do it!