{"id":1694,"date":"2021-09-02T08:19:57","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T13:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cf.iisd.net\/ssi\/?post_type=blog&p=1694"},"modified":"2021-09-02T08:23:06","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T13:23:06","slug":"coffee-growers-livelihoods","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/ssi\/blog\/coffee-growers-livelihoods\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Ways to Protect Coffee Growers’ Yields and Livelihoods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Intense market competition, price fluctuations, and climatic instability are just three examples of the challenges facing many coffee producers across the globe. Moreover, roughly\u00a080% of the 12.5 million farms<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0the global coffee sector are smallholder operations in developing countries where the income generated in the coffee industry can be critical to families, communities, and governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of our\u00a0advisory services work<\/a>\u00a0for developing country policy-makers, IISD\u2019s State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) team looked at how three major coffee-producing nations are finding ways to protect farmers\u2019 livelihoods and adapt to climate change. By identifying successes in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia, we aim to help other governments tackling similar challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The income generated in the coffee industry can be critical to families, communities, and governments”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Protecting Farmers\u2019 Livelihoods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Coffee is one of the world\u2019s most heavily traded commodities and provides jobs for over 125 million people worldwide<\/a>. Certain practices can help farmers improve their chances of selling their products and secure a stable income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building coffee brand recognition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Strong branding and marketing can help sustainable coffee products stand out from cheaper alternatives on the supermarket shelf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Colombia, the non-profit organization Federaci\u00f3n Nacional de Cafeteros<\/a> has played an instrumental role in raising the profile of Colombian coffee<\/a>. They first garnered widespread attention after creating the character \u201cJuan Vald\u00e9z<\/a>,\u201d the archetype of a Colombian coffee grower that has become an internationally recognized icon for the \u201cCaf\u00e9 de Colombia\u201d brand<\/a>. Colombia now has such a solid reputation for high-quality coffee production that protected \u201cgeographical indications\u201d<\/a>\u2014labels that use a product\u2019s geographical origin<\/a> as proof of its quality\u2014have been established to differentiate Colombian coffee from its competitors in saturated markets, such as the European Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complying with voluntary sustainability standards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Voluntary sustainability standards<\/a> (VSSs) set a series of requirements that farmers must follow to ensure their products meet various social and environmental performance criteria, such as protecting biodiversity and ensuring workers\u2019 safety. As demand for sustainable coffee grows in places like Europe<\/a> and the United States<\/a>, complying with VSSs can help farmers access new markets\u2014often with the promise of earning higher prices and premiums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many VSSs operating in the Ethiopian coffee sector<\/a>. Results can vary, but several studies show how VSSs can help Ethiopian farmers earn better incomes. For example, one study estimated that Fairtrade-certified farmers and cooperatives received a total of nearly USD 30 million<\/a> in premiums in 2015 to invest in community projects. Another found that Rainforest Alliance or joint Fairtrade and Organic certification helped increase Ethiopian farmers\u2019 incomes and reduce poverty<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As demand for sustainable coffee grows in places like Europe and the United States, complying with VSSs can help farmers access new markets”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Diversifying farm businesses through agrotourism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Agrotourism can offer coffee farming communities a way to diversify their income sources and thus reduce their vulnerability to market instabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, coffee farms such as\u00a0Caf\u00e9 de Monteverde<\/a>\u00a0in Costa Rica offer educational tours and tasting experiences for tourists. Studies show that agrotourism ventures have helped Costa Rican farmers secure more\u00a0stable livelihoods<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0better adapt to external stresses<\/a>, such as declining crop prices and climate change. Furthermore,\u00a0a study carried out in the village of Mastatal<\/a>\u00a0found that agrotourism had not only increased local revenue and food security but also fostered more environmentally sustainable farming practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Climate change is impacting agricultural yields the world over. The following examples demonstrate how farmers can prepare and adapt amid changing weather patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adopting climate-resilient farming practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Climate-smart farming practices range from crop diversification to forest conservation. Some countries have also made them a significant component of their climate adaptation strategies<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Ethiopia, farm-level adaptation measures such as irrigation, mulching, terracing, and pruning<\/a> can help maintain coffee yields despite rising temperatures and erratic rainfall. Tree shade management can contribute by lowering temperatures and protecting crops from extreme weather<\/a>. The Ethiopian government is helping communities plant shade trees and regenerate forests as part of their Climate Resilient Green Economy strategy<\/a>. Shade coffee certification schemes have also proven to be effective<\/a> in incentivizing Ethiopian farmers to protect forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing coffee pests and diseases<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pest control measures and resistant coffee varieties can help producers cope with the growth in pests and diseases caused by climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coffee farms in Colombia have seen a proliferation of pests, such as the coffee rust fungus and borer beetles<\/a>. To stop these pests from destroying their crops, farmers are experimenting with different pest-control measures, such as releasing a predator of the coffee rust fungus\u2014the Beauveria bassiana fungus<\/a>. Through their Cenicaf\u00e9 research centre, the Federaci\u00f3n Nacional de Cafeteros has also spent years developing coffee varieties that are resistant to rust and diseases<\/a>. Furthermore, the Colombian government has invested over USD 1.4 billion<\/a> in loans and other measures to replace coffee plants with rust-resistant strains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reducing carbon emissions in agriculture <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lowering or even eliminating carbon emissions in coffee production is crucial for the sector\u2019s long-term sustainability. It can help farmers build a competitive advantage too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Costa Rica is a pioneer in carbon-neutral coffee production. It was the first country to introduce a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action<\/a> plan to help coffee farmers reduce their emissions. Furthermore, the Costa Rican cooperative Coopedata<\/a> was the first coffee company in the world to be certified for carbon neutrality<\/a> by an internationally recognized standard\u2014Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2060. As well as contributing to the country\u2019s goal to become carbon neutral<\/a>, building this reputation will likely give Costa Rica an edge in international coffee markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Lowering or even eliminating carbon emissions in coffee production is crucial for the sector’s long-term sustainability”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

While many hurdles remain, these examples demonstrate some of the unique and effective solutions that are contributing to a more sustainable coffee industry. The SSI team identified these practices to advise other countries facing similar issues\u2014please visit our website for more information on our advisory services offered<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog was written from research conducted by Vivek Voora and Sara Elder. The author would like to thank Cristina Larrea, Sara Elder, and David Perri for their valuable feedback on earlier drafts of this blog.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coffee is one of the world\u2019s most heavily traded commodities, but climate instability and price fluctuations are putting farmer livelihoods at risk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":1695,"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-1694","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/ssi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/1694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/ssi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/ssi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/ssi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/ssi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/ssi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}