Barista Magazine

AUG-SEP 2013

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sumers who are more conscious of social and environmental issues and make purchasing decisions accordingly. The demand for certified coffees provides a tangible motive for producers to either attain or maintain their certifications as long as it remains profitable to do so, and the small-scale growers in particular know that certifications have provided them with market access that they otherwise may not have found. Let me sketch out what might happen to some of these coffees if certifications never existed. Small-scale farmers who don't belong to cooperatives or producer groups, who aren't lucky enough to deliver to a quality-minded mill and get paid a premium, or whose coffees are undiscovered by foreign buyers often have no other choice than to sell their production to intermediaries (such as the oft-maligned coyotes in Latin America). Coffee usually is the only cash crop they grow, and by the end of the harvest they are strapped and in need of quick income. The middlemen who roam the countryside buying parchment on the spot from individual farmers almost certainly aren't assessing quality, but instead are taking whatever they collect to a local mill to be blended and sold off as conventional coffee, even if it was grown organically. As we all know, great coffee simply gets lost when mixed with mediocre or defective coffee. Detractors have said that producers don't need certifications and that they could sell their coffee directly at a higher price if it's of a certain quality. I suppose that's possible for the growers who are lucky enough to have repeat buyers, but small-scale farmers not only need someone to mill their parchment, they also rely on the cooperatives to provide them preharvest financing, manage the shipment and exportation, and maintain communication with buyers. Belonging to a cooperative also provides farmers with some insurance, especially when a crop doesn't come in as well as anticipated and expected buyers flee in search of better quality. Estates often have the advantage of more resources and infrastructure compared to small-scale farmers, but certifications have helped the little guys to distinguish themselves and receive recognition for their efforts at promoting sustainability on their farms. For producers of all sizes, certifications undoubtedly are an expression of personal values—a commitment to employees, the community, and the environment. The certification process is not an easy path, and the producer has to believe in the principles of the certification to want to go through the effort. For buyers, certifications can serve as an indicator of good farm management, as they set standards for producers that may not have existed without a market for certified coffees. Ultimately, producers—whether a large estate or a single smallscale farmer—need to decide what makes sense for them. If they have long-term relationships with buyers and those clients don't require any certification of the growing practices, then the producers may not see the need to pursue the extra seals. 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. Rather, the value of certifications is to be recognized for meeting established standards and hopefully receive a price premium for that achievement. Certifications have helped to create sustainable supply chains linking producers with importers, roasters, and retailers, and in the cases where the coffees are exceptional in the cup they have proven that certifications and high quality can coexist. Even if the end consumer never sees a logo or seal anywhere on the packaging or signboard, certifications as a business model are relevant and do matter. The Barista Camp by Fritz Storm & Kentaro Maruyama $ XQLTXH *OREDO WUDLQLQJVSDFH IRU EDULVWDV URDVWHUV DQGJURZHUV :H KDYH WKH NQRZOHGJH WKH FRIIHH DQG VNLOOV QRZ ZHKDYHWKH³VSDFH´7RJHWKHUZHZLOOVKDUHRXUYLVLRQVDQG NQRZOHGJHWRPDNH\RXEHFRPHHYHQEHWWHU &RPLQJ;&DPSVLQ; &RORPELD; 6HSWHPEHU &KLQD; 2FWREHU -DSDQ 1RYHPEHU )RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQRUVLJQLQZZZWKHEDULVWDFDPSFRP www.baristamagazine.com 51

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