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Wake up and smell the certified coffee! Governments and industry must help consumers make a sustainable difference

Consumers International (CI) and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) are calling on governments, retailers and the mainstream coffee industry to support the growing consumer demand for certified coffees such as Fair Trade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance and Utz Kapeh.

The call comes ahead of a joint research publication demonstrating how certification schemes can provide a partial solution to the volatility of the international coffee market, alongside significant social and environmental benefits for producers in the developing world.

The publication, From bean to cup: how consumer choice impacts upon coffee producers and the environment, finds that consumers face a number of barriers when purchasing certified coffees. These include product visibility, uncertainty over quality, and confusion about what certification labels actually mean. It argues that consumer support is essential to the development of the certified coffee sector.

The report will be launched at the International Coffee Organization’s London headquarters on 8 February. It looks at coffee production in Brazil and Vietnam and consumption patterns in Europe and North America and finds that certified coffee initiatives benefit both producers and consumers. The report sends a compelling message to the mainstream coffee industry that there is a growing business case for adopting more socially and environmentally responsible practices.

Richard Lloyd, CI Director General said:

‘More and more consumers want to know where their coffee is coming from and want a better deal for developing world communities. Consumer country governments and the big players along the coffee commodity chain must respond to this demand by raising public awareness about the range, purpose and high-quality taste of certified coffee products.’

Camilla Toulmin, IIED Director said:

‘Case studies of coffee producers in Brazil show that sustainable initiatives make a real difference to the environmental and social conditions of coffee farmers and the wider local community. Consumers want to support these schemes and should be given every opportunity to do so.’

View full report - From bean to cup: how consumer choice impacts upon coffee producers and the environment (PDF 2.9MB)

Note for editors

Consumers International (CI) is a federation of consumer organisations dedicated to the protection and promotion of consumer's rights worldwide through empowering national consumer groups and campaigning at the international level. It currently represents over 230 organisations in 113 countries. www.consumersinternational.org

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is an independent international policy research institute working for more sustainable and equitable global development. IIED works through a wide range of partnerships - from local communities to global decision making bodies - and focuses on five key themes – human settlements, climate change, governance, natural resources and sustainable markets. www.iied.org

Launch event

The launch of the report will take place at 11am, 8 February at the International Coffee Organization, 22 Berners Street, London. Please contact Luke Upchurch on +44 7887 677 930

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