4C Certification System is widely recognized by actors from both inside and outside of the Coffee sector. Below you can find a few examples.
Recognitions
GCP’s Baseline Common Code
The 4C Code of Conduct is recognized as equivalent to the Global Coffee Platform’s Baseline Common Code.
ITC’s Sustainability Map
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC’s mission is to foster inclusive and sustainable economic development and contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. ITC works towards creating a ‘trade impact for good’. Under ITC, Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) is a partnership-based program which helps businesses, regardless of their position in the value chain, chart their path to more sustainable trade by better understanding the sustainability initiatives landscape and to connect with business partners.
4C is listed under T4SD’s new platform, Sustainability Map, which integrates the already well-established tools such as Standards Map and SustainabilityXchange and compares various sustainability standards.
FSA-SAI Silver Level
The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform and 4C Services, the operator of the 4C Certification System, declared a joint conclusion of a benchmarking process where the 4C Code of Conduct achieved ‘Silver’ equivalence with SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA). The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform is the primary global food & drink value chain initiative for sustainable agriculture. By facilitating the recognition of the standard at the level of different market actors with their varying social codes and expectations, the benchmark broadens market accessibility for 4C Certification System operations.
IEH’s Ethical Trade Principles
Following consultation with the Ethical Trading Initiative Norway (IEH), the 4C Code of Conduct is considered to be in line with IEH’s Ethical Trade Principles.
Stiftung Warentest
Stiftung Warentest is a foundation. This reliable organization helps consumers by providing impartial and objective information based on the results of comparative investigations of goods and services.
Several coffee brands are frequently evaluated by Stiftung Warentest, including sustainability claims. 4C Certification System is referred in reports produced by Stiftung Warentest.
Memberships & Partnerships
Sustainable Coffee Challenge
4C is a partner in the Sustainable Coffee Challenge. This strengthens and confirms 4C’s commitment to promote deforestation-free coffee supply chains and to support initiatives to mitigate the climate change impact.
The Sustainable Coffee Challenge is a collaborative effort of companies, governments, NGOs, research institutions and others to transition the coffee sector to be fully sustainable. Challenge partners are actively working together to increase transparency, align around a common vision for sustainability and collaborate to accelerate progress towards those goals. The Challenge is facilitated by Conservation International, with the agenda and actions led by Challenge partners. Together, these change-makers work to find solutions for the coffee community.
Global Coffee Platform
4C Services is a member of the Global Coffee Platform (GCP).. The GCP is a multi-stakeholder sustainability platform which aims to create an enabling environment for members (producers, international roasters, governments, traders, donors, and NGOs) to collectively define a shared vision, act on national priorities, closely cooperate with governments, improve the effectiveness of sustainability programs, and contribute to greater impact at farm level.
Additionally, 4C Services is a member of the Technical Committee of GCP and contributes to the Global Coffee Platform with technical input from a certification perspective to processes such as standard development and/or revision and interpretation.
DKV – German Coffee Association
4C Services is a member of the German Coffee Association (Deutscher Kaffeeverband – DKV). The German Coffee Association represents the interests of the German coffee sector and counts more than 250 members. The overarching goals of the Association are the achievement of positive conditions for the coffee industry, the competent support of its members and the promotion of a positive image for coffee in Germany.
4C joined the Partnership for Gender Equity (PGE) to support the development of the “Gender Equity Index”. This index will support companies and organizations which provide services and technical expertise to farmers and farmer groups, enabling them to effectively reach more women.
PGE is creating common tools and methodologies to support the coffee and cocoa industries’ engagement and investment in gender equity across the value chain. These tools will serve to improve the livelihoods of producers and enhance the sustainable supply of quality coffee. Their evidence-based approach comprises three core elements: a validated set of tools, a common language for gender equity and a platform for action that supports scalable investments and action across the sector.
Food for Biodiversity (FfB) Association
As a member of the FfB Initiative, 4C Services promotes the implementation of a jointly developed basic set for biodiversity criteria within the scope of 3 pilot projects. Members of “Food for Biodiversity” contribute to the achievement of the association’s goals by improving biodiversity-friendly conditions on coffee farms as well as good agricultural practices. With the practical application of the Biodiversity Performance Tool (BPT) on 4C certified coffee plantations in Vietnam , 4C has already implemented its first pilot within the scope of FfB (download here general info about this pilot or visit this link for more detail) .
Please feel free to contact 4C if you are interested in a joint pilot project.
If you are interested in the recognition of other standards, schemes and systems by 4C Services, please do not hesitate to contact us directly for further information.