COFFEE WORLD 9
INTERNATIONAL
Certification bodies issue joint statement about harmonisation
Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ CERTIFIED have issued a joint statement in which they say they "share the goal of transforming the world’s produc- tion systems and value chains to make them more sustain- able." The shared statement also addressed the issue of competition between certifica- tion schemes and calls for them to harmonise. "Our common concern is the
urgent need to transform agri- culture and we share the belief that certification by credible sys- tems such as ours helps with that transformation," they said. "We respect each other’s mis- sions and the unique focus each brings. We appreciate diversity in our approach, which enables producers, buyers and consumers to make a choice as to which certification best helps them meet their goals. We respect the complementary aspects of our work in moving towards sustainable agriculture and trade around the world. We believe we all have a task to fulfil and that together we work towards tackling unsustainable production and market prac- tices, which we consider to be our main competition. We also share a commitment to high standards in our work, which is why we are all members of ISEAL, the global association for social and environmental stan- dards which works with compa- nies, non-profit organisations and governments to support their use of voluntary standards." "Some argue that the exis-
tence of various sustainability initiatives and labels within the field of agricultural certification results in perceived inefficien-
cies such as increased costs for farmers and confusion for con- sumers. This has led some peo- ple to call for ‘harmonization’ between the different labels." "However, the existence of dif-
ferent programmes has also been a driver for us to continual- ly innovate and in fact increase their effectiveness for our respective clients and produc- ers. A variety of complementary approaches gives producers and buyers alternatives and the opportunity to select the system - or combination of systems - that best suits their interests and needs. The challenges faced by millions of farmers and their communities as they strive to improve their livelihoods while conserving the natural resources and the ecosystems upon which they depend are complex, diverse and ever-changing; there is no single solution." "We accept that there is mar-
ket competition between us, not least because we are different and as long as this is healthy competition we welcome it," they said. "In order to create more efficiencies and clarity for pro- ducers Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ CERTIFIED are working together to reduce the level of complexity and costs for farmers. We are developing tools and materials to enable adherence to multiple stan- dards. We share a commitment to independent third party certifi- cation and to increasing efficien- cies in auditing. We are commit- ted to seeking further co-opera- tion in the field to benefit farm- ers." "Together with other partners
we are engaged in a project to create common training materi- als for West African cocoa farm- ers. The project is called Certification Capacity Enhancement (CCE) and is managed by GTZ. A successful outcome of this project will pave the way for further collaboration in this area."
INTERNATIONAL Coffee stocks may have further to fall
Coffee stocks, already at the lowest levels since the ICO began keeping records in 1965, may fall further, ICO Chief Economist Denis Seudieu said recently. “Next year opening stocks may go down unless we have huge production somewhere," he told the Reuters Global Food and Agriculture Summit, noting high prices meant farmers were keen to sell coffee rather than rebuild stocks. In March the ICO estimated opening stocks in exporting
countries at the start of the 2010/11 crop year were just 13.0 million bags, down from 20.5 million at the start of the prior season and 55.1 million a decade earlier. "Exporters are using even part of their working stock to con-
tinue to maintain a fair flow of coffee," Reuters reported Mr Seudieu as saying. He noted that the market had comfortably absorbed a large
Brazilian crop last year of about 48.1 million bags while 2011 will be an off-year in the biennial crop cycle. Brazil’s crop sup- ply agency Conab estimated in January that the forthcoming 2011 harvest would be 41.9-44.7 million bags. "This year Brazil has produced a huge volume of coffee but
this hasn’t impacted negatively the price. Next year will be an off-year," he said. Describing price trends, he said: "I think there will be some
downward correction but the main trend will be around US$3.00 (per lb) for Arabica."
COLOMBIA FEDECAFE sees "very good’ crop in main areas
FEDECAFE says Colombia should see a good year-end harvest
Colombia, the second-largest Arabica producer, says flower- ing in recent weeks in major growing areas will ensure a "very good" year-end harvest. According to a Reuters report, year-end production will
rebound in the most important provinces of Antioquia, Quindio, Caldas and Risaralda, ensuring that the annual har- vest will surpass last year’s 8.9 million bags. The report quot- ed Colombia’s National Federation of Coffee Growers.
May 2011 C&CI
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