An explorative study on the coffee industry and the role of its Voluntary Sustainable Standards.
Author
Pesando, Stefano
Term
4. term
Publication year
2019
Abstract
Denne eksplorative specialeafhandling undersøger den aktuelle tilstand i kaffeindustrien med fokus på frivillige bæredygtighedsstandarder (VSS) og hvordan certificering former kaffens værdikæde og dens aktører. Med en kvalitativ tilgang kombinerer studiet desk research til at kortlægge branchens strukturer og tendenser med interviews, der giver indblik fra insiders. Analysen er indrammet af Global Value Chain- og Global Commodity Chain-perspektiver samt begrebet governance. Interviewene omfatter forskellige aktører i industrien med særligt fokus på 4C Services (ejer af Common Code of Conduct for the Coffee Community) og Fairtrade International for at forstå, hvordan standarder fungerer i praksis og hvilke problemstillinger de rejser. Resultaterne peger på, at VSS påvirker branchens dynamikker: ledende virksomheder i udviklede lande drager fordel af mindre informationsasymmetri, større kontrol over produktionsprocesser og forbedret kvalitet af grønne bønner, mens småbrugere og producenter oplever blandede effekter. For producenter kan VSS fremme sociale og miljømæssige praksisser og åbne adgang til international handel og pristillæg, men deres status som en de facto forudsætning kan udelukke dem, der ikke kan efterleve kravene. Yderligere indsigter fra interviewene fremhæver en spredning af standarder, begrænset evidens for afvejningen mellem efterlevelsesomkostninger og afkast samt en mulig mangel på efterspørgsel efter bæredygtig kaffe.
This explorative master’s thesis examines the current state of the coffee industry with a focus on Voluntary Sustainable Standards (VSS) and how certification shapes the coffee value chain and its actors. Using a qualitative approach, the study combines desk research to map industry structures and trends with interviews that provide insider perspectives. The analysis is framed by Global Value Chain and Global Commodity Chain perspectives and the concept of governance. Interviews include different industry actors, with particular attention to 4C Services (owner of the Common Code of Conduct for the Coffee Community) and Fairtrade International, to understand how standards operate in practice and what issues they raise. Findings indicate that VSS influence industry dynamics: lead firms in developed countries benefit from reduced information asymmetries, greater control over production processes, and improved green coffee quality, while smallholders and producers experience mixed outcomes. For producers, VSS can encourage social and environmental practices and open access to international trade and price premiums, yet their growing status as a de facto requirement may exclude those unable to comply. Additional insights from the interviews highlight a proliferation of standards, limited evidence on the trade-off between compliance costs and returns, and a possible shortfall in demand for sustainable coffee.
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