About the certification of coffee beans, what is 4C coffee beans? imported high-quality coffee.

A brief answer to 4C verification

1. How do you know if any behavior in the grower and other supply chains is in compliance with the 4C code of conduct?

The 4C verification process begins with a self-assessed 4C unit with corresponding organization charts of all business partners and units, which is the basis of field verification.

After verification by a third party, the documents of the verified 4C unit and its self-assessment shall be submitted to the 4C Secretariat.

Conduct interviews and collect other evidence through inspection documents and procedures, and randomly check the business of all individual farmers and other partners in 50% of the square root.

The verification system can help 4C units and partners to identify areas for improvement. If the verification is affirmative, the 4C unit can sell 4C standard coffee upon receipt of the license.

two。 Is there no need for self-assessment before verification?

Before applying for a 4C verification number, the 4C unit must conduct a self-evaluation and ensure that all business partners have ruled out 10 erroneous practices to achieve the minimum average yellow performance evaluation of the 4C rule.

The 4C Association provides tools to carry out the tasks of the 4C unit: first, the business partner map: list all business partners and their respective production data and evaluation results, and the 4C code of conduct for each set of data is sustainable; second, self-evaluation: on the basis of the performance appraisal of the business partners of the 4C unit, the entire 4C group will evaluate the overall level. The third is the organization chart: the structure chart of the 4C unit is needed to explain how it works.

4C unit filled in the correct format, and proved that the organization of on-site verification, through self-assessment, the 4C unit has ruled out 10 unacceptable behaviors and reached a yellow average.

3. Who does the verification?

4C verification is carried out by a professional and independent third party company. These third-party companies approve ISO / Guide 65 or equivalent. In addition, certification bodies must have certain qualifications and standards. Verification must be: first, audit experience in inspection / system; second, background and experience in the coffee industry; third, successful participation in 4C verification training; fourth, a list of full-time 4C inspectors.

4. What should I do if I find a red practice during 4C verification?

4C units have the problem of continuous improvement. After the entry level, they all rule out 10 wrong practices. 4C units only need to meet the average yellow performance evaluation to obtain a 4C license.

If the red practice exceeds the green practice, the 4C unit will not be able to sell 4C coffee; if the green practice exceeds the red practice, the 4C unit will be granted a 4C license and will be able to sell 4C standard coffee.

5. What is the cost of 4C verification?

The price of verifying 4C units is not fixed, as these costs depend on different factors, such as the number of days required for verification, travel expenses, accommodation, daily allowance, travel time, etc. According to the experience of the 4C Association, the average cost of external verification (audit) is about 2800 euros, depending mainly on the geographical location of the 4C unit and the number of its business and business partners.

6. How many years does verification need to be done?

After being approved by an independent third party, a 4C license is valid for three years. The verification and issuance was re-verified after 3 years. 4C units must conduct self-evaluation and send their results to the 4C secretariat every year. If their range is expanded, 4C units can be visited every year. In addition, 4C inspectors can conduct surprise random verification visits in different areas to ensure the credibility of the entire system.

7. The verifier of 4C announced the verification time in advance.

The 4C unit and the verifier agree on the 4C verification time, and the common practice is in the verification / certification audit. They will visit the growers and business partners in advance to verify that the list is not published.