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UTZ Certified: Originally called Utz Kapeh, UTZ-certified centers around a code of conduct that producers of specific products pledge to follow. The code is based on social and environmental criteria and allows for continuous improvement, meaning that producers initially must meet the basic standards but gradually can work toward full compliance. Bird-Friendly: The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC), based at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., devised this certification in the late 1990s to recognize coffee producers who maintain habitat for migratory birds and practice sustainable farming. The standards are quite strict and relatively few producers (both cooperatives and estates) are certified, yet it was one of the first certifications to appear in the U.S. market. Now, moving on to the myths… Myth #1: Certified coffees cannot be high quality. I'd like to think that most roasters and retailers know this is not true, yet I have overheard more than a few conversations that have alluded to mean coffees that score 80 to 82 or 82.5 points.) Depending on who's buying them, these coffees can be used as blend components or sold as single origins. Just as the specialty industry has matured over the past 10 or so years, the market for certified coffees has become segmented as well. Some roasters merely need the certification(s) but are price-sensitive, whereas others are willing to shell out top dollar for the best certified coffees. Myth #2: Direct trade is better than certifications. I often hear comparisons drawn between direct trade and a certification (usually Fair Trade), and in most cases direct trade is painted as being superior. The truth is that the two models are not mutually exclusive. Roasters who are not licensees of Fair Trade USA or FLO might purchase from the same Fair Trade–certified cooperatives year after year and pay at least Fair Trade minimum prices, yet describe the relationship as direct trade. Some even have developed long-term relationships with individual producers within a certified cooperative. I fully support roasters doing what works best for them and their customers, and I respect the innovation that direct trade has brought to coffee procurement. At the same time, however, the spirit of direct The point of certifications isn't to put producers in a situation in which they're losing money or spending a lot of time and effort on something that isn't delivering some kind of value to them. this myth. What the doubters (and haters, even) might not know is that some of the coffees they claim are superior without a label very well may have come from certified producers. Since the certifications normally require licensing fees, roasters can elect to not pay those fees and therefore forfeit the right to sell the coffees under certification. At the same time, those roasters still can purchase coffees that were imported under certified terms. The retailer or end consumer may never be aware that those coffees were certified, though, because the roaster would not have labeled them as such. Certified producers have come a long way in being recognized for the quality of their coffees. Ever hear of Ethiopia Koke and Dama? They're some of the best washed Yirgacheffes available, and they come from base cooperatives belonging to the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) which is, yes, a Fair Trade– certified group. They're also certified organic. I'm not claiming that certifications are a perfect system for roasters and retailers who place a high premium on quality. I'll be the first to admit that there is quite a bit of average certified coffee out there that qualifies as specialty grade. (When I say "average," I 50 barista magazine trade can be achieved by working with certified producers. One important consideration is that direct trade on its own is not a certification, nor does it represent an established set of standards or norms. Rather, direct trade is a general concept that is open to different interpretations. A small group of roasters has invested significant time, effort, and resources into determining criteria for traceability, pricing, quality, etc., that are as comprehensive and thorough as some globally recognized certifications because they are independently audited. I also have seen roasters describe their coffees as "direct trade" when, in fact, the importer did all of the sourcing, price negotiation, farm visits, and quality control. Anyone can claim that a coffee is direct trade because there is no set definition as to what it really is, nor is there a third-party organization that is recognized as the sole arbitrator of direct trade. Myth #3: Certifications are a waste of time and money for producers. Whether or not you support them, it's obvious that a large market exists for certified coffees in North America and Europe. The certification organizations have accumulated a fair amount of demographic data on con-