Sustainability certification benefits consumers and producers

The actual sustainability of most products currently offered to consumers is highly uncertain. Varying regulations and market realities in the countries involved create a complex regulatory environment that lacks transparency. Many countries lack the regulations and its enforcement necessary to ensure sustainable supply chains. As a result, satisfying the demand for sustainable products at a competitive price without unwanted environmental and societal impacts is challenging for producers.

Sustainability certification intends to mitigate this lack of oversight and regulation. It ensures that only sustainably produced feedstocks are allowed, and sustainability requirements are obeyed along the entire supply chain. Creating a sustainable market niche through certification benefits local producers that otherwise could not compete with unsustainably produced products. Consumers also benefit from being able to purchase a product with confidence that it has been produced and delivered in a truly sustainable manner without undesired negative environmental and societal impacts.

A recent article by Prof. Dr. Gernot Klepper from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy discusses this topic with examples from the coffee sector, in particular from 4C certification experiences.
Please click here to read the full article on „How Certification Meets the Interests of Consumers and Producers“.

4C is committed to perform comprehensive certification impact assessments on a regular basis in the future.