Colombia is the third-largest coffee producer in the world with more than half a million families living from its cultivation. In addition to its undeniable relevance for the national economy, coffee is cultivated in some of the most biodiverse ecosystems, linking it to important ecological values. According to the ITC (International Trade Center), the world drinks up to three billion cups of coffee a day, and this consumption is constantly increasing. While this trend should lead to improved market opportunities for its producers, the instability of green coffee prices combined with the environmental challenges derived from climate change, make it much less attractive for younger generations of Colombians to continue producing coffee. The highly complex distribution chains also mean that producers rarely receive the full benefits from the coffee sales. These conditions particularly affect small producers, who constitute more than 95% of coffee farmers in Colombia. In this context, sustainability certification addresses negative impacts of coffee cultivation on the natural environment and maximizes economic benefits for coffee growing communities by improving the competitiveness of coffee products and facilitating access to international markets.

4C certification and improved access to European markets

The 4C audit took place between the 2^nd and 6^th of November 2021 and 437 coffee growers representing 455 small scale farms successfully passed the audit and received the 4C certification. This key result promotes sustainable coffee production in the region, while also raising awareness for the conservation of primary forests and protected areas. It also strengthens the protection of human and labor rights, while fostering more efficient and profitable coffee production. After implementing the improvements to achieve 4C certification, the project beneficiaries were satisfied with the changes they observed on their farms. Walter Guevara, a coffee farmer from Cienaga municipality emphasized: “4C motivates us to conserve the environment and be more organized, which is perhaps something that we have not been doing very much, and above all, it motivates the young people to adopt these practices that are fundamental to conserve nature and to develop ourselves.”

At the beginning of this year, Melitta acquired a first shipment of traceable 4C certified coffee from the beneficiaries of this project at a premium price. Another purchase is expected during the next harvest period lasting from October 2022 to January 2023.  The level of premiums that these sales offer to local coffee growers provides a higher profitability, allowing them to cover their operational costs and generate an attractive income. This also enables them to maintain a high level of environmental protection that secures the future for coffee production in the region. The response of the project beneficiaries following the sale of coffee to Melitta was very positive. Alvaro Serrano, a coffee farmer from Cienaga Municipality, noted that “the price premium that the 4C proposal represents here is not offered by anyone else.”

Increasing the attractiveness of the sector for young adults

An additional focus of the project in 2022 is to improve opportunities in the coffee sector for young people in the community. From the end of March 2022, around 100 young adults will participate in an extensive course on promoting ecotourism activities in coffee plantations. The course is jointly organized with FNC and with the participation of ProColombia – a government agency in charge of promoting Colombian international tourism. It will run for around two months and consists of a series of in-person and online training sessions. Participants will be guided by experts from the tourism industry to acquire the necessary knowledge to develop, adapt and strengthen their own tourism business proposal to attract the interest of international markets. Among others, some topics to be covered are strategic business planning, storytelling, marketing, and costing.

Other activities for young adults are planned for this year and include trainings on barista skills, coffee tasting, and entrepreneurship. Young adults will also be supported financially to enable them to implement the learnings from the trainings. “I really like that 4C is motivating our rural youth who were discouraged from continuing with coffee growing and showing them that coffee can indeed be a profitable alternative, and that we ourselves can find a good price for it with the help of 4C certification,” said Diego Hernandez a coffee farmer from Santa Marta Municipality, located in the project region Magdalena.

4C Services is proud to announce the launch of the new 4C Carbon Footprint Add-On which promotes climate friendly coffee cultivation and supply chains. The Add-On allows system users to calculate their carbon footprint, to identify emission reduction options and to use carbon offsetting for remaining emissions. 

4C partners with JDE Peet’s and DEG to reduce GHG emissions and strengthen climate resilience of smallholder producers

4C Services and JDE Peet’s are proud to announce the start of a joint project on “Reducing GHG emissions and increasing yields from Robusta coffee production by 7,000 smallholder farmers and processors in Tanzania”, co-financed by DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH – with funds of the develoPPP.de program of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), together with funds of JDE Peet’s and 4C Services GmbH.

The project was successfully launched on 09 August 2021. Its main objective is to reduce GHG emissions from Robusta coffee production by smallholder farmers and processors in Tanzania within the JDE Peet’s supply chain by measuring and assessing the carbon footprint of coffee production, implementing mitigation strategies, supporting market uptake of climate friendly coffee and with this, creating positive socio-environmental benefits for the farmers and local communities of the coffee sector in Tanzania and beyond.

Environmental impact of coffee production in Tanzania and how it is addressed by the project

Coffee production has an impact on GHG emissions due to land use change/deforestation, non-regenerative soils which lack the potential to sequester carbon and poor agricultural and processing practices. Coffee cultivation accounts for approx. 90% of the product carbon footprint of roasted coffee. To successfully tackle these challenges, it is crucial to first get an in-depth insight of the drivers of GHG emissions in Robusta coffee production in the region, to then find adequate solutions for reducing these emissions on farm level and throughout the entire supply chain.

In cooperation with the implementing partners Touton S.A. and Karagwe District Cooperative Union (KDCU Ltd.) the project will quantify the carbon footprint of green coffee bean production in the Kagera region in Tanzania and identify potential reduction measures. Such measures will be implemented through the training of master trainers and the set-up of demonstration plots. The measures will be further integrated into the 4C Climate Friendly Coffee Add-on which will also be piloted with the farmers in the region. This will create market opportunities, support farmers in their efforts towards climate change mitigation and adaptation and at the same time facilitate coffee companies to work towards their climate neutrality goals.

“We are very happy to partner with 4C Services, DEG, Touton S.A and KDCU supporting over 7,000 smallholder farmers in Kagera, Tanzania to reduce GHG emissions through sustainable and climate friendly agricultural and processing practices. Tanzania is an important coffee origin that is critical towards safeguarding the rich diversity of coffee.” – Nadia Hoarau-Mwaura, Sustainability Director at JDE Peet’s

“We are very excited that together with our supply chain partners 4C will take action to measure GHG emissions in Robusta coffee production in Tanzania and support 7,000 farmers in the implementation of reduction measures.” – Dr. Norbert Schmitz, 4C Managing Director. “Through this common effort, we want to take the next step to assessing the carbon footprint and making climate friendly coffee supply chains a reality.”

4C partners with Melitta Europa and DEG to foster sustainability of the Colombian coffee production

Magdalena is a Colombian department with a magnificent landscape that stretches from a wide plain in the southern area to the Caribbean Sea in the north. The region is known for the topical humid climate which allows productive activities like palm oil, banana and coffee. It also boasts a beautiful mountainous complex of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta which is the highest coastal mountain on Earth and one of the country´s most biodiverse regions. However, Magdalena is also one of the departments with the highest rates of rural poverty and youth unemployment in Colombia, as well as one affected greatest by the impact of climate change.

Magdalena is the region that was selected for the implementation of a three-year 4C sustainability project.

This project is conducted by 4C and its partners Melitta Europa GmbH & Co. KG and Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) and aims to improve sustainable agricultural management of Colombian coffee growers and market uptake in Europe to contribute to the long-term economic and ecologic viability of smallholder farms, thus, increasing the attractiveness of the sector for young adults.

Decision making supported by remote sensing technology

A balanced combination of remote sensing technologies, market links, local synergies and a baseline study were crucial for choosing the focus region of the project.

Global Risk Assessment Services (GRAS) conducted a “bird´s eye view” analysis and used data on protected areas, high carbon stock areas, potential deforestation, converted grassland and national social indices to define a risk index for each department. For an initial preselection of departments, these results were analysed with Melitta and compared with possible synergies with other similar projects.

Then 4C´s local partners Alliance for Bioversity International (ABC) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIA) compiled key information on the main social, environmental and economic challenges that make coffee production risky and volatile as well as unappealing for young adults. Major challenges for coffee farmers, found by the study, include high costs of coffee production, low productivity, lack of farm and income diversification, risk of deforestation and negative impact of climate change. The identified drivers for young adults to migrate to the cities and leave coffee production were the unattractiveness of the coffee sector due to heavy work, low income and absence of social recognition as well as the lack of access to capital and land.

Bringing together local and international partners

In November 2020, 4C brought together 38 participants from NGOs, companies and local coffee cooperatives at an online multistakeholder workshop to present these findings. The workshop was an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the main challenges and possible solutions. Furthermore, stakeholders exchanged ideas on how to better integrate youth in the Colombian coffee sector. Following the initial assessments and the workshop, 4C and its partners identified the department of Magdalena as the one with the greatest need for project intervention and defined the most relevant training topics.

“Through the active participation of various actors from the coffee industry, including coffee producers, traders, roasters, NGOs and research institutions, we are glad to have received a broad input on the main challenges to be addressed within the training program that we are in the process to develop together with FNC, ABC and NES Naturaleza, as well as input on training methodologies to be applied”, highlights Myriel Camp, Program Manager at 4C Services.

In comparison to the other six departments assessed, Magdalena showed low productivity, the highest rates of rural poverty, youth unemployment and lack of rural education. It was also one of the departments affected greatest by the impact of climate change, a risks losing the remaining forest due to deforestation. A decrease of almost 50% in a suitable area for coffee production is predicted. In addition, coffee productivity in Magdalena amounts to 0.71 tons/hectare, which is only half of that of departments such as Antioquia, Huila and Risaralda. Access to international markets for coffee represents only 2% of the total coffee exports from Colombia, in comparison to 10%-18% in the best performing departments.

When it comes to improved attractiveness of the sector for young adults, the baseline study revealed the demand for greater opportunities in terms of employability and strengthening youth initiatives and access to capital for implementing business ideas in the coffee industry.

“Having identified Magdalena as the project implementation region to best achieve impact on the ground and where the most need for intervention exists, fits into our vision, among other things, to support the market access of the farmers of the project. Magdalena is a region from which we source green coffees. Supporting here with our project to improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers and young adults makes us very happy”, says Jan Rischkopf, Sustainability Manager at Melitta Europa GmbH & Co. KG.

Engaging beneficiaries and local actors

In early 2021, the work in Magdalena began. The project was socialized with the coffee growers committee of Magdalena and with their support the target beneficiaries have been identified. Via radio program, SMS, posters and field visits, farmers and young adults are going to be informed about the project objectives and motivated to participate. Field visits to potential project beneficiaries, planned to start mid-March, will be led by experienced agronomists from the region. Measuring the impact is an important component of the project, the field officers will use a phone application developed by GRAS to collect the baseline data of the selected beneficiaries and in this way measure change over the timeframe of the project.

In addition, the project’s training program is currently under development in cooperation with the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC), one of the main implementing partners of the project. “For the FNC it is a commitment to work for the well-being of Colombian coffee growing families and the development of the country, and therefore we are proud to work with allies such as 4C to generate value through the development of projects that increase the opportunities and profitability of coffee growers,” says Diego Robles Marcucci, Sustainable Trade Specialist at FNC. He added: “Through the Comité de Cafeteros del Magdalena, we work in this coffee-growing department, which includes around 5,000 producers to whom we provide services such as technical assistance in cultivation through the Facilitated Extension Service, purchase guarantees, scientific research and the promotion of Colombian coffee.”

Trainings’ topics, identified during the multistakeholder workshop, include, among others, the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and improving marketing and business skills for emerging businesses. The training program is the key component to bring changes in the sector. Different training approaches and methodologies will be applied, ranging from train-the-trainer trainings to demonstration farms serving as training ground and field schools for farmers and young adults. To enable the implementation of the learnings from the training, the project will support these activities with financial contributions for required investments.

“Within the framework of the DeveloPPP project, we will be able to generate important synergies with relevant actors in the supply chain to contribute to the profitability of coffee growing and the well-being of coffee growers”, concluded Diego Robles Marcucci from FNC.

Further information on the project and the results of the baseline study can be found here.

Gevalia, a traditional brand owned by Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) with a 150-year history and the largest coffee roastery in Scandinavia, believes that making delicious coffee must go hand in hand with caring for the planet. To reduce its environmental impact along the bean to cup journey, Gevalia sources 4C certified coffee to support sustainable farming, uses renewable energy, recycles production waste, and re-thinks filter coffee packaging in terms of recyclability and material use in general. This information will soon be included on Gevalia’s coffee packs to enable more visibility and increase awareness of its contribution to sustainable development for the end-consumer.

“JDE is proud of the long-standing partnership we have with 4C, this collaboration with Gevalia demonstrates our commitment to responsible sourcing and supporting sustainable coffee farming,” – says Nadia Hoarau-Mwaura, Sustainability Director at Jacobs Douwe Egberts. The launch of the new claim on-pack was included in the agenda of the JDE Online Trade Event with the focus on sustainability where JDE presented its coffee brands and sustainability undertakings to a versatile group of Scandinavian retailers. 4C participated in this event to introduce the 4C standard, its requirements, and the latest developments, including innovative solutions such as satellite images to support risk assessment during the certification process as well as the 4C Climate Friendly Coffee concept. “4C is pleased to support Gevalia in its sustainability efforts and hopes that responsible sourcing trends will increase in the coming years on a global scale,” – adds Norbert Schmitz, Managing Director at 4C Services GmbH.

The Partnership for Gender Equity (PGE), with the support of a group of coffee and cocoa partners including 4C, aims to develop and launch a new tool called the “Gender Equity Index”. It will support companies and organizations which provide services and technical expertise to farmers and farmer groups, enabling them to effectively reach more women.

Over 70,000 women cultivate and process 4C certified coffee around the world. The 4C standard prohibits discrimination on a gender basis and ensures that the procedures to act against discrimination and harassment are in place. To strengthen its work on gender equality, 4C has partnered with PGE to support the development of the “Gender Equity Index”.

Starting from November 2020, 4C has been working on the development of verifiable criteria on gender equality in coffee production to be added to its core certification on a voluntary basis. These criteria will be applied to identify gender inequalities at farms and create action plans, following the continuous improvement framework of the 4C standard. Participating 4C System users will also be able to make credible claims with regards to sustainable 4C certified coffee products which promote gender equality, thus, highlighting their efforts in this area.

The purpose of the “Gender Equity Index” of PGE is to evaluate the design and implementation of advisory and extension services, helping provider organizations to integrate and expand the topic of gender equity in their programs. The “Gender Equity Index” diagnostic will offer recommendations and resources to assist service providers as they prioritize action to address identified gaps.

“Although the 4C Code of Conduct already has a strong linkage to UN SDG 5 on Gender Equality (ITC 2020), we see further potential to deeper address the existing disparities and promote women empowerment on a global scope,” – said Norbert Schmitz, Managing Director at 4C Services GmbH. – “We are hopeful that with this partnership we can contribute to the development of the Gender Equity Index and obtain learnings to strengthen the 4C sustainability standard in terms of gender equality and empowerment of women in the coffee sector.”

Kimberly Easson, CEO at PGE said, “The development of the Gender Equity Index will benefit from input and experience of the 4C team. Their in-kind and financial contribution reflects an understanding that sustainability projects must consider gender in order to drive impact.”

Greg Meenahan, Co-Developer of the Gender Equity Index said, “This represents the first commitment from a sustainability certification organization.  It’s a recognition that gender equality needs to move past specific “gender projects” and become seamlessly woven into all sustainability projects and investments.”

4C talked to “Coffee and Tea in Russia” and shared some insights into the 4C standard, its history, and how 4C works towards more sustainability in the coffee sector.

Being one of the global leading systems for certification of sustainable coffee cultivation and processing, 4C plans to strengthen the involvement of market participants in protecting nature, strengthening labor rights, and supporting stable incomes. In her interview for “Tea and Coffee Magazine in Russia”, Valeriia Bogomolova talks about how 4C works and what benefits it creates.

For many participants in the Russian market, 4C may not be very familiar. We have heard of such systems as Fairtrade, UTZ, and Rainforest Alliance, which work in all commodity categories, including coffee. Can you tell us where 4C started?

The Common Code of Coffee Community (4C) was created as a result of extensive multi-stakeholder consultations of global coffee business participants back in 2003-2006. First, it was launched in a form of the 4C Association, declaring the need to introduce basic values into coffee production that would help preserve nature and spread sustainability along the entire chain. The 4C Association worked on several different sustainability topics. One of the key things was the creation of a traceable and independent verification system for coffee which represented the principles stated in the Code of Conduct. The logical outcome of this work was the eventual transformation of the 4C Association in 2015-2016: the 4C Code was operated by Coffee Assurance Services (CAS) while other pre-competitive activities were handed over to the Global Coffee Platform (GCP). In 2018, CAS was acquired by MEO Carbon Solutions and transformed into an independent 4C certification system, operated by 4C Services GmbH.

How does 4C differ from other certification systems?

First of all, we focus exclusively on coffee. This allows us to look deeper into the problems of the coffee industry and quickly find better solutions to meet our stated goals. Furthermore, one of the main environmental criteria for us is the protection of primary forests and areas of high biodiversity. In addition to environmental and social principles, we also put stress on farmers’ economic viability, including principles of business management, capacity development, access to services and market information, and traceability.

Let’s understand how it works. Why does a farmer need this certification?

Participation in our system is a classic win-win situation. Coffee producers are certainly interested in increasing their income and develop their business more sustainably across three well-known dimensions. We make it possible with the help of the criteria laid down in the 4C Code of Conduct, which addresses a large variety of sustainability challenges. That is, coffee certified by 4C, as a rule, costs more than alternatives. The certification procedure itself is not complicated. Any producer can apply for 4C certification and certify their farm in compliance with strict sustainability criteria of the 4C Code of Conduct. Independent auditors conduct on-site audits and evaluations to conclude with issuing a certificate or not. The cost of participating in the 4C certification system for the farmer comes down to the audit price negotiated between the farmers or their cooperative and the independent auditors. For example, in Ethiopia, the cost of the initial audit of one farmer can be 3,200 Euro, but in Brazil, it will be some other price. But I want to point out that this is the amount that the farmer pays to the auditing company, not to us.

Is it that simple?

Obsivously, not everyone who comes to us initially meets the criteria of compliance Level 2 or Level 3+. That is why we have a system of continuous improvement plans, through which farmers increase their sustainability performance step by step. We are constantly monitoring the development and, thus, encourage coffee producers to improve their farm management methods and take care of people and the environment, which results in a more sustainable and profitable business and increased farmer confidence in the future.

You mentioned that you charge no certification fee. How are your operations financed in this case?

We receive payments from companies that source 4C certified coffee. There is a calculation formula, which is tied to physical volume. We keep a record of all the coffee that passes through our system, which ensures high traceability of 4C certified coffee beans.

So 4C gets its funds from traders and roasters?

Not exactly. 4C gets the financial means from the roasters, coffee brand owners, retailers, etc. Traders only have to be registered on our platform and regularly enter data on 4C coffee purchases to improve supply chain traceability. 4C’s uses its revenue primarily to improve the standard and support farmers through projects on the ground and only partially for marketing and advertising. The companies sourcing 4C certified coffee thereby contribute to a common cause and spread sustainable coffee which is grown following high standards. This is important for them because in many economically developed countries consumers are paying more and more attention not only to the quality of the product but also to the environmental and social responsibility of all those involved in its production chain. The 4C logo appears on the packaging of the finished product, and consumers can see what they support with their small contribution when they buy such a product. So, in a sense, for the image of many market operators who sell the finished product, working with such coffee is gradually becoming something of a must-have.

What is the reach of the 4Cs today? How many countries do your certified farmers work in?

We work in 23 countries. But to give you a better idea, let me give you some other figures. There are nearly 400,000 farmers around the world growing 4C certified coffee working on over 850 hectares of land. And most importantly, it’s more than 26.6 million bags of coffee a year, which is about 15-20% of world consumption.[1] Now we are actively working on increasing recognition of 4C on the consumer markets, especially the developing markets. We have corresponding programs, and we hope that Russian consumers will also soon become part of the supply chain of organic coffee, which has a high social responsibility.

You can find out more about how 4C works and what benefits the coffee sector can get by visiting the organization’s stand in the Coffee Tea Cacao Russian Expo virtual pavilion from March 11.

[1] The figures refer to the year 2019. Click here to see the latest information.

4C partners with Melitta Europa GmbH & Co. KG. – Division Coffee – and DEG to foster sustainability of the Colombian coffee production

The baseline study of the develoPPP project on improving working and living conditions for coffee smallholders in Colombia has been finalized, having identified Magdalena as one of the departments with the greatest need of intervention to improve productivity and living conditions, especially when considering economic opportunities for rural youth, gender balance, productivity, access to markets and adaptation to climate change, as the baseline study conducted by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (ABC) revealed.

Why the department of Magdalena?

The department of Magdalena is located in the north of Colombia, with more than 4,000 coffee growers, many of them belonging to indigenous communities. Coffee producing areas in Magdalena are located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, where the department has ecosystems and climatic conditions suitable for coffee. On average, the coffee farms have a planted area of 2.76 hectares, with an average age of coffee plantations of twelve years and an estimated proportion of 4% of coffee growers under 30 years of age.

Magdalena has been identified as the department with some of the highest rates of rural poverty, youth unemployment and lack of rural education in comparison to the other six departments assessed (Antioquia, Caquetá, Cauca, Huila, Meta, Risaralda) as well as one of the departments affected greatest by the impact of climate change, facing a high risk of deforestation of the remaining forest area.

A decrease of almost 50% in suitable area for coffee production is predicted, whereas all other departments assessed were facing losses in suitable area of around 6-28%. The need for climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies and preventive measures to avoid expansion into forested or protected areas is needed, as the forested area under deforestation risk was identified to be more than 63%.

Coffee productivity in Magdalena amounts to 0.71 tons/hectare, with which it is only half of that of departments such as Antioquia, Huila and Risaralda, where the yields per hectare are above 1.4 tons. At the same time, access to international markets for coffee produced from Magdalena lags behind those of most of the other departments, representing only 2% of the total coffee exports from Colombia, in comparison to 10%-18% in the best performing departments.

“Having identified Magdalena as the project implementation region to best achieve impact on the ground and where most need for intervention exists fits perfectly into our vision to support the market access of the farmers of the project, as Magdalena is a region of high commercial interest to us. Supporting here with our project to improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers and young adults makes us very happy”, says Jan Rischkopf, Sustainability Manager at Melitta Europa GmbH & Co. KG.

The baseline study and its findings

The baseline study started with a risk analysis based on remote sensing technologies powered by Global Risk Assessment Services (GRAS) for 15 relevant coffee departments to allow for a pre-selection of higher risk regions for the in-depth baseline study. For this, data on protected areas, high carbon stock areas, potential deforestation, converted grassland and national social indices was collected and processed. A pre-selection of the above mentioned seven regions took place, based on the results of the GRAS risk assessment, as well as potential sourcing regions of Melitta and possible synergies with other similar projects.

Within a multistakeholder workshop conducted by 4C, the findings have been presented and discussed. Challenges and improvement areas for coffee farmers and possibilities to better integrate young adults into coffee production were further elaborated and important issues to be addressed in the training program of the project were identified. Major challenges within the social, economic and environmental dimension included among others high costs of coffee production, low productivity, lack of farm and income diversification, risk of deforestation and negative impact of climate change as well as reduction in biodiversity, soil fertility and inadequate agricultural practices. The main drivers identified for young adults to migrate to the cities and leave coffee production were the unattractiveness of the coffee sector due to heavy work, low income and absence of social recognition as well as the lack of access to capital and land.

Magdalena’s demand for greater opportunities

Looking again into the department of Magdalena and especially the needs identified for the rural youth, the baseline study revealed the demand for greater opportunities in terms of employability, participation in projects for the creation and strengthening of initiatives and access to capital for implementing business ideas related to the coffee industry.

“Through the active participation of various actors from the coffee industry, including coffee producers, traders, roasters, NGOs and research institutions, we are glad to have received a broad input on the main challenges to be addressed within the training program that we are going to develop together with the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC), ABC and NES Naturalzea in the coming months, as well as input on training methodologies to be applied”, highlights Myriel Camp, Program Manager at 4C Services.

Further information on the project and the results of the baseline study can be found here.

Further Information – Downloads and Links

• Press Release: Magdalena to be the department for project intervention to improve working and living conditions for coffee smallholder
• Improving working and living conditions for coffee smallholders in Colombia