Coffee farmers are beginning to see the benefits of becoming fair-trade certified by international organisations. Through coffee societies, farmers such as those from central Kenya have been seeking certification of their coffee through several schemes as a way of guaranteeing foreign markets and boosting earnings.
Western consumers are paying more for such 'certified' or 'organic' products, which impose rules on the entire chain of production aimed at improving prices paid to farmers, as well as environmental and labour standards. The largest groups involved in Kenyan coffee certification include Holland's UTZ certified, and the German-based Common Code for the Coffee Community (4Cs).
Several societies, including Rumukia Coffee Society in Mukurweini and Gikanda Coffee Society in Mathira have been paid premium prices by millers since they achieved certified status, said Kandia Carlo, a field officer with Socfinaf, a miller that has already joined the certification movement. Mr Kandia said coffee from Tambaya factory and Rumukia Society, which has Fairtrade certification, fetched $411 per 50kg bag, significantly more than the average uncertified price of $250 at the auction.
The regional manager of the Coffee Board of Kenya in the Mt Kenya area, Richard Wahome, explained that certification required audits of various players in the production chain. "It starts right from the farmer to the factory, the miller, the agent and ends up with the supermarkets, hotels and cafés that sell the coffee in Western countries," he said.
All players must undergo initial and then regular follow-up audits by the certifying body that can be demanding for local producers. Farmers must meet required quality standards and keep proper records such as costs of production to help establish a price for their coffee. Most rules also stipulate levels of pesticides and fertilisers farmers must use to minimise impacts on the environment.
Coffee millers also must meet standards. "The millers have to account for everything including the by-products they get from coffee like the husks," said Kandia. Socfinaf is paying millers for the husks, which can be burnt for energy production, though they have usually been treated as a waste-product.
But the certification bodies also require millers to pay farmers on time and to support farmers so as to achieve the high quality required by the market. Kandia says they are a key player as they are the ones who determine how much farmers receive for their work. Millers that get certified can in turn benefit from increased deliveries from farmers attracted by transparency and increased earnings.
Even agents that sell coffee at auctions and directly to foreign markets must meet auditors' requirements on their earnings and record keeping. "If they earn high amounts, this money must filter back to the farmer through premiums," said Mr. Kandia.
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