GAP Analysis for Sustainable Coffee Production

As the range of sustainability initiatives being developed and implemented within the coffee sector continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly important to develop a clear understanding of the demands being placed upon producers as they attempt to become standards compliant.

IISD, in collaboration with USAID and the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, has conducted gap analysis research in El Salvador, Uganda and Brazil. Our analysis reveals protective equipment, chemical storage facilities, drinking water, toilets and improved management systems were among the largest barriers to accessing sustainable markets facing coffee producers in our case study regions.

The study also found small producers in Uganda face per unit costs that are 35 times those facing larger farmers in Brazil, underlining the importance of seeking strategies for reducing the costs of compliance for smallholder producers in the spirit of a needs-based approach to sustainable development.

Final Report

Closing the Gaps in GAPS: A Preliminary Appraisal of the Measures and Costs Associated with Adopting Commonly Recognized "Good Agricultural Practices" in Three Coffee Growing Regions - DRAFT (PDF - 1.1 mb)
The Main Gap Analysis Report provides an in depth account of the gaps between current practices and "recognized sustainable" practices in Uganda, El Salvador and Brazil case study regions.

The appendices - DRAFT (PDF - 1 mb) to the report provides a matrix of the different standards applied in the gap analysis report as well as a detailed account of the cost calculations for reaching compliance with core sustainable practices.

Contributions

IISD thanks the following institutions for their financial contributions to this activity.

The Sustainable Commodity Initiative (SCI)

The Sustainable Commodity Initiative was launched in 2003 through an IISD-UNCTAD Partnership and has provided a concrete vehicle for SMART project development and implementation. The SCI, now a partnership of IISD-UNCTAD-AidEnvironment and UNCTAD, aims to promote sustainable commodity production and trade by improving awareness of, learning between and appropriate policy responses to voluntary initiatives operative in the commodities sector. To see what the SCI is currently doing and learn more about voluntary initiatives operating in commodity supply chains, please visit the SCI Web site.

Key SCI projects:

Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade (FAST)

The Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade (FAST) is an association of socially oriented financial service providers and other stakeholders committed to promoting improved access to finance for producers of sustainable commodities. More specifically, FAST aims to improve producer access to "small and medium enterprise trade finance" by providing a central point of contact, cooperation and information between financial service providers, producers and related stakeholders in international supply chains. To become a member of FAST or learn more, visit the FAST Web site.

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