Costa Coffee to source all its coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified Farms

David Hutchinson, Global Marketing Director for Costa Coffee talks to New Consumer

Costa Coffee, the UK’s largest and fastest growing coffee shop, plans to convert its entire coffee supply to sustainably grown beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance certified farms by 2010.

1. How is Costa Coffee involved with the Rainforest Alliance?
I’ve been at Costa Coffee for four years and we’ve been discussing the topic of ethics and looking at different certification systems for a while. We chose to work with the Rain Forest Alliance because it fits most closely with our outlook.

We wanted to have a more direct involvement with the coffee growers that we source from and to be able to share our success with them.

2. Is this just a good marketing strategy?
You could say that, but that’d be a strong spin to put on it and that isn’t the reason we’re doing this. We already run the Costa Foundation, and support seven schools in five different countries. The RFA partnership is just deepening that relationship.

3. What ethical and environmental standards do farms have to reach to be certified by the Rainforest Alliance?
The Alliance has various criteria and principles relating their environmental and ethical standards, 80% of which must be met in the first year of certification. The farms then have three years in which to work towards the rest of the criteria.

Environmental standards prohibit wildlife hunting, call for the reduction of pesticide use, the protection of biodiversity, water conservation and ecosystem conservation.

Many of the workers on coffee growing farms are cross border migrants, and the scheme guarantees that they are afforded the same rights as permanent employees, are given proper contracts, housing and are paid at least the minimum wage. It is also required that schooling and medical care is available for their families.

The Rainforest Alliance works with the farmers to improve the sustainability of production. Being certified means they can command a higher price for the coffee on the open market, it gives them a stronger offering to sell.

4. Will you be working to get your existing suppliers certified by the Rainforest Alliance or will you be working with existing Rainforest Alliance certified farms?
Both, we will be buying from Rainforest Alliance certified farms, but they do not have Rainforest Alliance farms in every country or in some produce the volumes required. So we will also be working with our existing producers to get them certified.

When you’re buying coffee there’s a brokering system - we’ll have an agent that knows the local market and can ensure we only buy the best quality coffee.

5. Does that mean that there are no fixed contracts? In other words, is there no guarantee that you will continue to buy coffee from each producer?
Yes, that is the nature of the coffee industry, but we will have more commitment to our Rainforest Alliance coffee producers. The Rainforest Alliance certification will strengthen our relationships and bring us closer to the farmers, and we will be working with brokers that are registered by the Rainforest Alliance.

6. Why has Costa Coffee decided to get fully certified by the Rainforest Alliance rather than the Fairtrade Foundation, which is more widely recognised by consumers?
The Fairtrade MARK is widely recognized by consumers in the UK, but we also trade globally and the Rainforest Alliance is better known outside the UK. We looked at many different certification programs, but we felt the RFA had a more holistic approach, a broader message that had at the heart of it protecting the environment we live in.

We’ve created a special blend of Fairtrade coffee, but to be honest customer demand is low and any increase in supply would depend on an increase in demand.

7. Why is it going to take two years for Costa Coffee to get fully certified by the Rainforest Alliance? Is this because Costa Coffee's coffee suppliers do not currently reach their environmental and ethical standards?
By September we hope for 30% of our coffee to be Rainforest Alliancecertified, (this is equal to 100 tonnes on green coffee over the course of the year). It’ll take time to reach their standards and to integrate their practices.

8. Why should consumers buy your coffee now if you’re not reaching these environmental and ethical standards?
Because we make great coffee! Some organizations are doing nothing. I like to see the glass as half full, we’ve made the commitment and by September half our coffee will be Rainforest Alliance.

What do you think? Is Rainforest Alliance a good standard for coffee? Let us know…