Fairtrade International has updated its Coffee Standard guidelines, requiring certified producers and traders to strengthen deforestation prevention, monitoring, and mitigation to reduce environmental degradation.
The Fairtrade Standards Committee has approved the update, which was made in accordance with the European Union’s Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) that went into effect in June 2023.
The updated Coffee Standard will take effect in 2026, providing a transition period for producers and traders.
“There is no denying we are living in an era of climate crisis,” says Fairtrade International Senior Advisor of Climate and Environment Juan Pablo Solis.
“For farmers and workers, the frequency and severity of climate variability means high exposure to human and environmental risks that jeopardise their livelihoods.”
The updated Fairtrade Coffee Standard sets the deforestation cut-off date at 1 January 2014, meaning that no coffee should come from land deforested after that point. It also requires that all farms have recorded geolocation points, and farms larger than four hectares must have polygon maps.
“It is no secret that climate change directly impacts smallholders’ future, hence a significant change in our global food system is paramount,” says Solis.
The Standard requires coffee cooperatives to develop a prevention and mitigation plan, as well as enforcing a conduction of deforestation monitoring that will be facilitated by a satellite platform provided by Fairtrade.
By updating the Coffee Standard, 600 Fairtrade coffee cooperatives, representing 870,000 Fairtrade coffee farmers cultivating 1.1 million hectares, would have the guidance and tools to meet the EUDR.
