Professional coffee knowledge popularization: what is 4C coffee certification organization?

4C certification is a widely accepted management rule in the world, which involves the sustainable development of coffee cultivation, production, processing and other aspects of the supply chain, including social, environmental and economic principles. Coffee practitioners are required to protect biodiversity, protect all kinds of national endangered animals and plants, correctly use and handle pesticides and other chemicals, protect the natural environment and human health, pay attention to soil protection, water resources protection, safe treatment of wastewater and garbage, and give priority to the use of renewable energy.

It is understood that 4C Association is a global organization of stakeholders in the coffee industry chain, whose purpose is to improve the income and living conditions of producers by reducing costs, improving quality, providing market conditions and ensuring environmental sustainability.

I. about the 4C Coffee Association

1. What is the 4C Association?

4C Association is a legal, non-profit, global (United Nations) coffee industry organization registered in Geneva, Switzerland. Its full name is Common Code for the Coffee Community, which is translated into Chinese as "rules for the Management of the Coffee Community", referred to as 4C or 4C Association.

4C Association members include coffee farmers (large and small), traders (importers and exporters), practitioners (coffee roasters and retailers) and civil society (non-governmental organizations, standard-setting schemes and trade unions); members also include individuals, donors and other institutions that can also join as associate members.

4C Association is a multi-stakeholder organization, a global social work that allows coffee makers to jointly improve their economic, social and environmental conditions, with the ultimate goal of making sustainable development mainstream. And as many farmers as possible to achieve a sustainable mode of production.

two。 Why set up 4C Association?

The coffee crisis from 2001 to 2002 led to very low coffee prices for a long time, threatened the sustainability of the coffee industry and caused major difficulties in the development of coffee growing areas. As a result, growers, traders and industry and civil society representatives are aware of the need to work together to address issues that mainly affect the sustainable development of the coffee industry. In 2003, different stakeholder groups launched a coffee community management project, the "4C" Association, with the slogan "work together to develop a better Coffee World". Over the past 10 years, 4C Association has continued to be a pre-competitive platform, where stakeholder groups can work together to solve problems affecting sustainable development.

3. What is the 4C unit?

4C unit refers to the production group that produces 4C standard coffee for a long time. The setting of 4C units is flexible. A 4C unit can be a co-registered small-scale grower, such as a cooperative or farmers' association, a procurement station, a factory, a local businessman, an export organization, or a roasting coffee factory produced in a country.

There are three prerequisites for the establishment of a 4C unit: first, to be a member of the 4C association or an existing 4C member; second, to be able to provide at least one container of commercial coffee raw beans (20 tons); and third, to comply with the code of conduct of 4C. If you are a producer of commercial coffee with a raw bean output of more than 20 tons, you can register as a 4C unit. If your output is insufficient, you can join an established 4C unit, or establish a new 4C unit with other small-scale farmers; in another case, the exporting country should establish a 4C unit with the supplier.

In a 4C unit, anyone who is in direct contact with coffee is called a business partner. A person or company provides services for coffee production and direct contact with fresh fruits or commercial raw coffee beans, such as growers and pesticide spraying companies are also considered business partners.

4. What are the 10 wrong practices of coffee growers?

Coffee growers make 10 mistakes:

(1) use of child labour in extreme ways

(II) imprisonment and forced use of labour

(3) trafficking in human beings

(4) prohibiting members from becoming members or representatives of trade unions

(5) forcibly dismiss employees without reasonable compensation

(6) unable to provide suitable accommodation for workers.

(7) drinking water cannot be provided for all employees.

(8) cutting down virgin forests or destroying other natural resources

(9) use of prohibited pesticides

(X) improper transactions in business relations contrary to international law, domestic law and customary practices.

5. What criteria must farmers meet in order to comply with 4C management rules? What criteria must coffee growers meet to comply with 4C management rules?

First, coffee growers must rule out 10 erroneous practices; use 28 principles to measure their performance and progress.

The association sets an easy-to-understand red, yellow and green rating system. Red means "stop", yellow means "need to be improved", and green means "the highest level of sustainable development has been achieved".

The system can easily tell if coffee growers are on track. And point out the work that needs to be done and areas of concern to guide them towards sustainable development.

It is confirmed by independent third-party verification that the average score of the grower's 4C unit is yellow (meaning there can be some red indicators), and all operations are expected to reach green over time. More red indicators than green indicators can not become 4C units.

6.4C where does the Association operate?

According to Swiss law, 4C Association is registered as an independent membership organization with its headquarters in Bonn, Germany. To date, 4C Association has established four regional offices (Africa, Brazil, Central America and Latin America, Viet Nam).

7.4 how does Association C fund its activities?

The total commodity trading volume (production, trade or roasting) and status of member countries in the coffee supply chain determine the membership fees to be paid: farmers pay less and roasters pay more. Non-governmental organizations, other members and associate members are also required to pay 4C dues.

4C Association received contributions including the Department for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the FICA Agency for International Cooperation and Oxfam NOVIB (Netherlands).

8. What is 4C standard coffee?

4C standard coffee refers to the coffee originating from the certified 4C unit and a member of the 4C coffee chain association that trades along the 4C coffee chain. Members of the 4C Association are part of the 4C system, which maintains the identity of the 4C standard along the supply chain and requires traceability of coffee. There are independent inspectors to check the sustainability standards of 4C units. The number of 4C standard coffees committed to purchase by 4C trade and industry members is increasing.

9.4C does the Association offer minimum / fixed prices to growers?

The operation of 4C system is the regular supply and market demand mechanism. There is no fixed premium or coffee verifies the fixed price offered by 4C units. However, 4C standard coffee is not just "arbitrary coffee", it has a derivative added value, in fact, the production, processing and trading application of basic sustainability standards. Buyers recognize the added value of this and suppliers have a better platform to negotiate the price of 4C standard coffee. In addition, the sustainable development approach of the 4C Association can help growers make better use of agricultural, processing and management operations, increase production, improve quality and reduce costs, and help growers achieve higher incomes.

Is there a label on the 10, 4C coffee package?

No, 4C Association does not use product labels because 4C coffee chains are "certified". As a basic standard, the main concept of 4C is the process of improvement. This is why independent third-party verification procedures have been adopted in the 4C Association to ensure that its members' improvements to the implementation and mechanism are in line with and reach the basic level of sustainable development.

II. A brief answer to the 4C verification link

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.

What is the cost of 5.4C 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.

Does the verifier of 7.4C announce 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.

III. Brief answer to the links of inspection and balance

What is the participation of the 1.4C Association in its decision-making process?

4C Association is a multi-stakeholder member that participates in decision-making transparently. Members have the same rights in the decision-making process. 4C the articles of association and their respective laws treat members equally.

Members are the core elements of the organs, boards, executive committees, mediation committees and technical committees of the 4C Association. Members hold a general meeting every three years: decide on fundamental issues and elect the Council. The Council meets at least once a year to decide on strategic issues, priority activities and budgets. The Council also elected the Executive Committee, the Technical Committee and the Mediation Committee for a period of three years. The Executive Committee meets once a month to decide on political and important operational issues of the 4C Secretariat.

two。 Can unequal relationships be solved for powerful multinationals and growers?

Yes, the structure of the council is beneficial to coffee farmers. The United Nations General Assembly is an association of the highest decision-making bodies, which is held once every three years. There are seven seats for growers and five seats for trade / industry and civil society.

3. How to get the roaster to provide proof of purchase of 4C standard coffee?

Bake a copy of the license number or 4C unit's license, shipping document or contract to allow the roaster to prove that they have bought 4C standard coffee. 4C Consolidated data provided by the Secretariat to its members and the public are kept confidential.

IV. Brief answer to the standardization link

1. Are there criteria for repeatedly increasing the burden on growers?

Yes, there is. Different standards can expose coffee growers to multiple reviews. These multiple audits or validations mean that growers incur additional costs and invest additional efforts.

In order to reduce the burden and maximize the benefits of coffee growers, in 2008, 4C Association joined hands with the Rainforest Alliance (Rainforest Alliance) as the benchmark, using ISEAL and IMO as the test standards. The goals of the 4C Association are the same as those of other institutions or standards.

Rainforest Alliance logo:

2.4C what is the standard work flow of the Association and the Rainforest Alliance?

Since the 4C code of conduct is a basic standard, it is non-reciprocal with the Rainforest Alliance's Agricultural Sustainable Development Network (SAN) standard. This means that holders of Rainforest Alliance certificates can apply for 4C licenses without additional fees or verification procedures, while 4C license holders need to join SAN to obtain Rainforest Alliance certification standards.

3. How can standard tests benefit coffee growers?

Standard testing means that members with both Rainforest Alliance certification and 4C license have full access to 4C standard coffee in this emerging market. The total output of the manufacturer is not sold through a specific scheme, which can provide better marketing opportunities. Standard testing and other standards help reduce verification costs and efforts. Therefore, the benchmark is a milestone, and its path is to make the industry sustainable and significantly improve the livelihoods of growers.

5. A brief answer to the trading link of 4C standard coffee

1. Who can trade 4C standard coffee?

Only members of the 4C Association can trade 4C standard coffee. All participants in the 4C standard coffee in the supply chain are members of the 4C Association.

The first person to sell 4C standard coffee in the coffee supply chain is the 4C unit management entity. The management entity is responsible for implementing the behavior of 4C rules, the internal control system and the traceability of transactions.

The individual grower is registered as the 4C unit of the business partner, while the managing entity is the license holder. Individual business partners do not have a license to sell 4c standard coffee to 4C units of any other non-managed entity.

The entity 4C supply chain under the rules is eligible to participate in coffee transactions: first, groups / institutions of producers and more than a whole box of commercial coffee producers; second, post-harvest processing facilities; third, intermediate buyers, including traders, exporters, importers and processors; fourth, the final buyers include roasting, soluble manufacturers, own-brand enterprises and retail enterprises with their own brands and chain coffee bars. Fifth, coffee agents and brokers.

When 4C standard coffee is sold to non-4C members at any time, it will lose its status as 4C standard coffee. Therefore, if the final buyer requests to use 4C standard coffee, all members must be members of the 4C association in their respective supply chain and have a certificate of membership.

two。 What is a 4C license?

After successful verification, the 4C unit can obtain the 4C license. It acknowledged that a 4C unit had made efforts to achieve the 4C code of conduct and confirmed that the minimum "average yellow performance assessment confirmed the 4C check" had been achieved.

4C units using this license can sell coffee, and their listed business partners are members of other 4C coffee supply chains in the 4C standard.

Rainforest Alliance certified 4C members can apply for a 4C license without verification.

What is the difference between 3.4C membership certificate and 4C license?

The 4C membership certificate certifies that any supply chain member and any other member, such as civil society, associates and other chain members, who are not directly involved in the production, trading and purchase of coffee.

However, the 4C license is only issued to 4C units that have passed the verification, and 4C units will always belong to 4C members. 4C membership certificate is not the same as 4C license.

The membership certificate is issued to all the members of the 4C association, and the 4C license is the license issued to the 4C unit after successful verification.

4. What is the traceability of the traded 4C standard coffee?

Every member of the 4C supply chain, from the 4C unit to the final buyer, needs the 4C standard coffee traded along the 4C unit of the supply chain through the license number. These are related documents including transport documents such as license number or bill of lading and copies of the contract. The license ensures traceability to the 4C unit level.

Buyers should require their supplier to provide a copy of the 4C license to ensure a valid and corresponding 4C bit.

Except for the traceability requirements of the 4C code of conduct (economic aspects, principle 6), the 4C system does not need to exceed the 4C standard.

5. Can a 4C unit of coffee be sold as 4C standard coffee?

A valid 4C license can sell 4C standard coffee from units where the grower is registered as a business partner. This also applies to the 4C license obtained under the Rainforest Alliance certified planting or producer team and Rainforest Alliance benchmark scheme.

As long as a 4C unit has a valid license to sell 4C standard coffee, it can also sell carry-over inventory from growers registered as business partners. In other words: the 4C unit can only sell 4C standard coffee in carryover stock, if it has a traceability system in place to ensure that the coffee is only from a registered business partner.

Please remember: 4C verification involves the production and processing practices of 4C standard coffee. It doesn't involve coffee books.

The volume of the body or produced.

Selling coffee from non-4C farmers, that is, not listed as business partner 4c standard coffee is a wrong practice and an unethical transaction, and the license will be suspended if the inspection is determined to be so.

6.4C units can be sold to UTZ or Rainforest Alliance certified 4C qualified coffee, or vice versa?

No, because not all RA certified coffee is automatically compatible with 4C standard coffee, on the contrary, 4C standard coffee is not automatically compatible with other certified coffee. In short: coffee can only correspond to certificates sold to their respective certification licenses or verification schemes. Buyers should pay special attention to this to maintain the integrity and credibility of the supply chain.

7. Can non-4C members trade 4C standard coffee for any member of the supply chain?

no way. Unit 4C requires any other participant in the supply chain, such as exporter, trader or final buyer, to have a valid membership card when signing the shipping / delivery date contract. It is true that 4C standard coffee can be bought to non-members, but in this case the status of 4C standard coffee will be lost.

8. How to ensure that the coffee purchased by the buyer is really 4C standard coffee?

The valid shipping / delivery date of the license should be verified when coffee is received, which can be easily proved by a copy of the license provided by the supplier.

When purchasing coffee from third parties (retailers and roasters) instead of purchasing coffee directly from 4C units, for security reasons, you can request a copy of the supplier's membership certificate (the 4C standard requires that all intermediaries in the coffee supply chain must be members of the 4C association).

9. Why is it necessary to confirm the license number?

Transactions with license numbers or copies of licenses are essential because business reports require 4C members to comply with traceability.

The final buyers, such as instant coffee roasters, manufacturers and retailers, are required to submit annual 4C standard coffee acquisition production reports at the end of each year. Because its quantity must be published corresponding to the license number, a sound internal tracking system should be in place to record all purchases of 4C standard coffee with the license number of the year. Remember: members' license numbers are not duplicated. You can keep all the 4C standard coffee files you receive. Please make sure that your supplier's license number or copy of the license corresponds to each batch of 4C standard coffee delivered.

10. Can a 4C unit sell more 4C standard coffee than the registered output?

Business reporting is a key commitment of 4C members. Each October, 4C units and final buyers receive production reports for 4C standard coffee / coffee year (October-September). The intermediary does not need to fill in the business report. Each coffee year 4C units and final buyers always have to prepare business reports, need to register each batch of 4C standard coffee, and the last buyer needs to track their 4C standard coffee.

E-commerce reports can be reported through 4C online platform. To access the 4C online platform, you need a login password provided by the Secretariat provided by 4C. Please make sure that your login data and all recorded business reports of shipping / receiving 4C standard coffee (for details of the 4C business report, please refer to the business reporting procedure documentation).

The production potential of a 4C unit is based on on-site audit by independent inspectors, while the actual production of 4C units can be lower or higher than the audited production potential. In addition, if it comes from a partner in the listed business, 4C units can sell carry-over inventory from last year's 4C standard coffee index and meet specific traceability requirements.

In practice, when 4C units sell more 4C standard coffee than the registered output, the 4C Secretariat will cross-check.