In response to consumer demands, retailers in Europe and their global suppliers have implemented a series of sector specific farm certification standards. The aim is to ensure integrity, transparency and harmonisation of global agricultural standards, through Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

This includes the requirements for safe food that is produced respecting worker health, safety and welfare, environmental and animal welfare.

CMS helps producers to subscribe and implement the various certification programmes including:

• Utz Certified
• Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices
• Rain Forest Alliance
• Fair Trade etc.

UTZ Certified

UTZ CERTIFIED is one of the largest coffee certification programs in the world. UTZ CERTIFIED provides independent assurance of responsible production and sourcing. UTZ creates opportunities for farmers to improve business practices and meet market expectations. And UTZ is a credible trust mark for brands to meet their customers' expectations regarding social and environmental responsibility.

Starbucks C.A.F.E. Practices

Starbucks Coffee Company initiated C.A.F.E. Practices (Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices) to evaluate, recognize, and reward producers of high-quality sustainably grown coffee. C.A.F.E. Practices is a green coffee sourcing guideline developed in collaboration with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a third-party evaluation and certification firm. C.A.F.E. Practices seeks to ensure that Starbucks sources sustainably grown and processed coffee by evaluating the economic, social and environmental aspects of coffee production against a defined set of criteria, as detailed in the C.A.F.E. Practices Guidelines. Starbucks defines sustainability as an economically viable model that addresses the social and environmental needs of all the participants in the supply chain from farmer to consumer.

Rain Forest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance's sustainable agriculture program oversees the certification of farms that produce tropical crops, including coffee. To obtain certification, farms must meet a set of environmental and social standards, including agrochemical reduction, ecosystem conservation, and worker health and safety.