Coffee: Consumers seek ethical choices
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STANDARDS

4C Services (4C)

Fairtrade International (Fairtrade)

IFOAM Organics International (organic)

Rainforest Alliance (RA)

UTZ
Combined global certified area
minimum of 1.6 million hectares, global share of 14.5%; assuming no double certification: maximum of over 4 million hectares, global share of 35.6%
Minimum certified area growth
2017–2021, -32.8%
2020–2021, -2.5%
Largest certified area
Fairtrade International, 1.2 million hectares, global share of 10.2%
Highest growth
2017–2021, Rainforest Alliance, 41.7%
2020–2021, Organic, 24.6%
High-income countries lead sustainable coffee consumption
European retailers Lidl, ALDI and Sainsbury’s developed private labels that comply with VSSs, such as Rainforest Alliance/UTZ and organic, boosting retail sales in the region
Over 40% of American coffee drinkers say that environmentally or socially responsible coffee options influence their product choice
New consumers: younger generations in Colombia and Indonesia
Domestic consumption rates are growing exponentially thanks to younger consumers with higher disposable incomes and educational initiatives promoting ethical consumption
Colombian and Indonesian VSS coffee markets are growing as consumers ‘trade up’ for higher quality
What is restricting growth?
Certified coffee is not labelled as such, so farmers miss out on premium prices and struggle to maintain certifications
A general lack of knowledge about VSS-compliant coffee and purposeful ‘greenwashing’ confuse consumers
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