More sustainability schemes align with the Coffee SR Code
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Five more sustainability schemes have been recognised by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) as equivalent to the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code (Coffee SR Code), another push from the platform to drive critical sector alignment to the principles and practices of coffee sustainability.
GCP has recognised 4C and the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard as equivalent to the Coffee SR Code, 3rd party assurance, and ECOM’s SMS Verified, Enveritas’ Enveritas Green and Sucafina’s IMPACT as equivalent to the Coffee SR Code, 2nd party assurance. The number of sustainability schemes fully recognised by GCP now amounts to 19, further expanding the critical mass to advance and accelerate coffee sustainability.
Sector alignment for coffee sustainability
Since GCP released the Equivalence Mechanism (EM) 2.0 in November last year – a process which saw the tool being strengthened with stricter sustainability and operational criteria – schemes have been aligning their systems to become equivalent to the Coffee SR Code. This code is a sector-wide reference on the foundations of sustainability in economic, social and environmental dimensions for green coffee production and primary processing worldwide. GCP’s Equivalence Mechanism also entails assessment against a set of operational criteria that ensures a credible and effective system for implementation and includes governance, standard-setting, assurance, data and claims requirements.
According to Annette Pensel, GCP executive director, the Global Coffee Platform “applauds the action by these GCP Members to step up and align their sustainability schemes through the Coffee SR Code and GCP Equivalence Mechanism.”
“This commitment to the use of a common language and the increasing openness to transparency is a critical feature to understand, advance and accelerate coffee sustainability.”
For the assessment of the sustainability schemes, GCP partnered with the International Trade Centre, which, as GCP implementation partner, assessed the schemes against the principles and practices of the Coffee SR Code and the operational criteria of the EM 2.0 ensuring the integrity of the recognition process.
List of sustainability schemes recognised by GCP
3rd party assurance:
- 4C
- Certifica Minas
- Fairtrade
- Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard
- Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. Practices
2nd party assurance:
- ECOM’ SMS Verified
- Enveritas ‘ Enveritas Gold and Enveritas Green
- Exportadora de Café Guaxupé’s Guaxupé Planet
- LDC’s Responsible Sourcing Program Advanced
- Mercon’s LIFT
- Nespresso AAA
- Neumann’s NKG BLOOM and NKG Verified
- ofi’s AtSource Entry Verified and AtSource Plus
- Sucafina’s IMPACT
- Volcafe’s Volcafe Verified and Volcafe Excellence
All sustainability schemes recognised by GCP are eligible for roasters and retailers to be included in the annual GCP Collective Reporting on Sustainable Coffee Purchases, another way companies are aligning and increasing transparency to advance coffee sustainability globally.
The Equivalence Mechanism, together with the Coffee SR Code and the GCP Collective Reporting on Sustainable Coffee Purchases, are connected assets developed by GCP to offer a common language on the foundations for coffee sustainability and promote the supply and demand of coffee produced following at least baseline sustainability principles.
The summary report of the 2022 Collective Reporting on Sustainable Coffee Purchases will be published late August and discussed during a global webinar on 12 September 2023.
This is the second round of sustainability schemes that GCP announces as equivalent to the Coffee SR Code. By October 2023, all schemes that have been recognised against previous versions of the EM, will need to have been assessed under the GCP Equivalence Mechanism 2.0. Until then, all sustainability schemes listed are fully recognised by GCP.