4C Services announces first Global Sustainability Conference

The Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C Services) will host its first Global Sustainability Conference in Berlin, Germany on 6 June 2019. 4C Services says the conference will provide comprehensive insights into sustainability certification, its current and future practices, and highlight the latest changes to the 4C scheme. 4C Services has also announced its acceptance as a member of the German coffee association Deutscher Kaffeeverband (DKV), official from 1 May. DKV represents the interests of the German coffee sector and counts more than 250 members. 4C Services aims to move the entire coffee sector towards sustainability. The 4C certification system includes requirements for economic, social, and environmental conditions for coffee production and processing in order to establish credible sustainable and transparent supply chains for the coffee sector. Independent certification bodies verify compliance with the 4C requirements. In a recent case study, 4C Services demonstrated how its certification process has aided more than four hundred smallholder farmers in the municipality of Jardin, Colombia. They area’s De Los Andes Cooperative has been involved with 4C Services since 2014. Maria Hernandez, Project Director at the De Los Andes Cooperative, says the farmers are proud to participate in the international sustainability certification program. “4C makes the farmers more aware that they have a business which needs good administration and improvement plans to comply with market requirements. Also, 4C is demanding in terms of training, not only for the owner or manager of the farm, but also for workers and the staff on the farm,” Hernandez says. “De Los Andes is looking forward to further deepening its cooperation with 4C to improve the living conditions of farmers by helping them to increase yields and income and at the same time safeguarding biodiversity and carbon stock. This will go along with developments of partnerships for gender equality and empowerment of women in rural areas.” The event is free of charge. For more information, click here. For more information on DKV, click here.