Water in your coffee? Accelerating SDG 6 through voluntary certification programs. (15th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Partzsch, Lena; Hartung, Karia; Lümmen, Jule; Zickgraf, Celine
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 324(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11-15
• Subjects: Agenda 2030 -- Certification -- Coffee -- SDG 6 -- Sustainability -- Water; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129252
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: This article assesses the contributions of voluntary certification to achieving the goals and targets of Agenda 2030 through the lens of SDG 6 on water sustainability. Cases are the most widely applied coffee standards: Bird Friendly, Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C), EU Organic, Fairtrade International, and Rainforest Alliance/UTZ. Our study consists of an analysis and comparison of these five standards, augmented by expert interviews and field visits in Colombia and Ethiopia. We find that fears of the recent proliferation of programs watering down the content of standards are unjustified in the case of SDG 6. However, there is a focus on environmental sustainability in line with priorities set by the Global North, whereas access to drinking water and sanitation is a more urgent problem in the Global South. Although certification programs may accelerate Agenda 2030, our research confirms that these programs reproduce North-South biases in global governance. Highlights: Proliferation of coffee certification does not lead to a 'race to the bottom'. Certification programs may accelerate especially environmental goals of Agenda 2030. Coffee certification often neglects access to drinking water and sanitation. Fairtrade scores best in social and environmental dimension of water sustainability.