Add-On Certification
Advancing Equity, Empowering Women
Empowering Women and Strengthening Gender Equity in the Coffee Sector
Over 70% of labour – planting, picking, processing, sorting – is done by women.
Women play a significant role in the coffee industry. In some regions, over 70% of labour—such as planting, picking, processing, and sorting—is carried out by women. Despite this, they often have limited involvement in farm decision-making processes and lack access to fundamental rights and essential resources, including land use, finance, and education. This has implications not only for the income, health, food security, and education of coffee-growing families, but also for coffee yields and quality.
The 4C Code of Conduct has one of the strongest linkages to UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality (ITC, 2020). However, 4C recognises further potential to more deeply address existing disparities and to enable 4C-certified farms to promote women’s empowerment on a global scale. Gender equality can be seen as the ultimate goal, achieved through the implementation of gender equity measures that respond to specific needs and circumstances in order to create a level playing field for all genders.
Scope and Target Groups
- The GE Add-On presents a broader scope of application which, in addition to coffee farmers and processing service providers, also includes their children and other immediate family members.
- The gender equality and fundamental rights criteria explicitly address permanent, temporary, and migrant workers.
Therefore, 4C has developed specific gender criteria, reviewed by external gender experts, and compiled them in the 4C Advancing Equity, Empowering Women Add-On.
Objectives
- Increase awareness of the mutual benefits of gender equality within coffee communities for all – women, men, boys, and girls.
- Identify prevailing gender gaps, discrimination, and violence, and pave the way towards their eradication.
- Sharpen the lens for an intersectional approach by acknowledging the realities of vulnerable groups among the coffee producing communities, especially those suffering from multiple discrimination.
Applying for the 4C Advancing Equity, Empowering Women Add-On
Main conditions
- A valid 4C certificate demonstrating compliance with the core 4C sustainability criteria, or the intention to obtain one in combination with the 4C Advancing Equity, Empowering Women Add-On certification.
- A commitment to analysing and closing gender gaps, or confirming their absence, through credible third-party certification.
Process
The Advancing Equity, Empowering Women Add-On presents a deeper integration of gender issues into the 4C certification system. Once a Managing Entity of a 4C Unit* submits an application to participate in this voluntary extension of the 4C certification, it becomes part of the 4C Unit’s established certification and audit procedures, including onsite audits, annual updates, and improvement plans.
The following diagram illustrates the incremental journey over time that Managing Entities and their 4C Units undertake once they apply for the 4C Advancing Equity, Empowering Women Add-On.
*In 4C terminology, 4C Units are 4C certified coffee-producing groups managed by Managing Entities. For complete definitions, please consult our glossary here.
Coffee Producers and Managing Entities
What are the benefits for Coffee Producers and Managing Entities?
Improved farm management practices by enabling women working on farms to access information on good agricultural practices.
Increased farm resilience and profitability thanks to women participating in training on business management, diversification, and leadership.
Rights, resources and representation. Enhanced access to fundamental rights, resources and representation for all coffee producers and their workers – irrespective of their gender.
Use of the Add-On as a diagnostic tool to identify gender equality gaps and define gender equity action strategies.
A 4C Advancing Equity, Empowering Women Add-On certificate, which entitles holders to make credible claims regarding sustainable certified coffee that promotes gender equality.
Highlighting the individuality of their coffee and exploring opportunities to sell it in new markets and/or at a premium price.
Read more about some of the female coffee farmers who have benefited from the implementation of the 4C Advancing Equity, Empowering Women Add-On.
I am a conscious roaster- how can I get involved?
Promoting women’s empowerment is a commitment that not only advances the UN Sustainable Development Goals but also paves the way for a brighter future for generations to come.
Purchasing coffee with the 4C Advancing Equity, Empowering Women Add-On certification – or supporting your suppliers in obtaining it – represents a powerful tool for meaningful participation.
Such engagement enables an agile response to consumer demand for sustainably certified coffee while demonstrating advanced corporate social responsibility by credibly strengthening gender equality.
Join us in the journey to gender equality
Further Information