How Effective is Multiple Certification in Improving the Economic Conditions of Smallholder Farmers? Evidence from an Impact Evaluation in Colombia’s Coffee Belt
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20304352 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thomas Dietz (0000-0002-3041-3127, University of Münster, corresponding author), Andrea Estrella Chong (University of Münster), Janina Grabs (0000-0002-1630-5672, University of Münster), Bernard Kilian (0000-0002-9145-6980, INCAE Business School, Alajuela, Costa Rica) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 56 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 1141-1160 |
| Publication date | 2020-06-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Development Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0388 • E-ISSN: 1743-9140 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00220388.2019.1632433 |
| OpenAlex | W2957741570 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 16 |
| References cited | 27 |
Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in the coffee sector have become a popular tool to improve the livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers. As third-party and company-led VSS have proliferated, an increasing number of producer groups are turning toward multiple certification to diversify their export channels. Yet, each certification requires added efforts and expenses, both at the farm and the organisational level. Hence, it is important to evaluate the additionality of multiple certification in bringing benefits to smallholders’ farm economy. This study addresses this research gap using a sample of over 600 coffee farmers from two Fairtrade-certified cooperatives in Colombia’s coffee belt to assess the additional economic impact of Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices, Nespresso AAA, 4C, and the combination of Rainforest Alliance/Nespresso AAA certification. In examining coffee gross profit and household income, we find limited gains from the addition of industry and company-led standards to the Fairtrade certification. Evaluating pathways to improved economic performance, gross profit improvements appear most likely if higher average prices are combined with lower production costs. Finally, we show that the majority of farmers are unable to break even, irrespective of their certification status. This alarming result illustrates the need for further intervention in the coffee value chain
Agricultural economics · Agriculture · Business · Certification · Economic growth · Economics · Livelihood · Profit (economics) · Sustainability · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development · Organic Food and Agriculture
Global governance through voluntary sustainability standards
The voluntary sustainability standards and their contribution towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
Decoding the coffee supply chain
Diversified certification and ESG performance
Impact pathways of voluntary sustainability standards on smallholder coffee producers in Honduras
How do governance mechanisms between farmer and traders advance sustainability goals and enhance the resilience of agricultural value chains
The ambiguity of transparency in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector of Tanzania
SDGs trade‐offs associated with voluntary sustainability standards
Explaining compliance with voluntary sustainability standards
How do coffee farmers engage with digital technologies? A capabilities perspective
With and beyond sustainability certification
Shaping the future of coffee value chain
Resilience of what and for whom? Climate change mitigation and adaptation in the global, Ethiopian, and Tanzanian coffee sectors
Is sustainability governance abetting inequality? Reflections from the South African wine value chain
Understanding compliance with voluntary sustainability standards
Potential of coffee tourism for rural development in Ethiopia
Do farmers benefit from participating in specialty markets and cooperatives? The case of coffee marketing in Costa Rica 1
Matching on the Estimated Propensity Score
The Emergence of a Standards Market
Fairtrade and Labour Markets in Ethiopia and Uganda
Walk the Talk
Fair Trade and Free Entry
Fair Trade organic coffee production in Nicaragua — Sustainable development or a poverty trap
The effect of specialty coffee certification on household livelihood strategies and specialisation
Fair Trade/Organic Coffee, Rural Livelihoods, and the “Agrarian Question”
The Economics of Smallholder Organic Contract Farming in Tropical Africa
The Ambivalent Impact of Coffee Certification on Farmers’ Welfare
The Impact of Fair Trade Certification for Coffee Farmers in Peru
The Economic Sustainability of Certified Coffee
Linking Globalization to Local Land Uses
Food Standards, Certification, and Poverty among Coffee Farmers in Uganda
Smallholder Farmers in the Speciality Coffee Industry
Decoupling Standards from Practice
Measuring the impact of fair trade on development
| Unique citing works | 16 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3.2 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 16 |