Coffee certification in East Africa is of a rather recent nature
but has been rapidly expanding, representing currently 26% of
the world’s sustainable certified coffee supply.
2
Empirical
studies on the effects of standards for smallholders provide
diverse results.Riisgaardet al. (2009) compare the performance of different certification schemes of coffee growers in
Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia and find only slight differences
in crop quality and productivity performance and revenue outcomes.Bolwig, Riisgaard, Gibbon, and Ponte (2013)demonstrate that most coffee standards achieved impact under
rather restricted conditions and suggest that more selective
support and better-tailored interventions are required to reach
tangible welfare outcomes. More positive findings are from
Chiputwa, Spielman, and Qaim (2014)who find that Fairtrade
certification increases household living standards by 30% and
reduces the prevalence and depth of poverty. Ruben and
Verkaart (2011)show that coffee standards in Kenya and
Uganda provide rather different functions, with Fairtrade contributing to improved farmer organization and initial market
access and Utz-certified enhancing the incentives for quality
upgrading