A new study released today has found that the UTZ coffee program in Colombia has had a positive impact, helping farmers increase their income and their resilience to external shocks.
Through the implementation of good agricultural practices, which are at the core of the UTZ program, UTZ farmers had lower production costs per kilo of coffee than non-certified farmers which resulted in a higher net income.
The new study carried out by the Centre for Regional Entrepreneurial and Coffee Studies (CRECE) compares the social, economic and environmental situation of UTZ farms and non-certified farms in Colombia between 2008 and 2011, a time of particular hardship for the Colombian coffee sector.
Environmental factors including adverse weather patterns, an infestation of Coffee Berry Borer and a severe outbreak of coffee rust, combined with extremely high fertilizer prices meant the general trend was towards decreasing yields and higher prices.
However the study found that whilst non-certified farmers saw a 52% decrease in yield between 2008 and 2011 UTZ farmers yield remained steady with just a 1% decrease over the same period, due to the adoption of good agricultural practices.
By maintaining their yield and having lower production costs, UTZ farmers were able to significantly increase their income, and by the final year of the study UTZ farmers had an income of US$ 0.56 more per kilo of coffee than that of the non-certified farmers.
The study also found UTZ certification had a positive impact on care for nature and working conditions, confirming the UTZ Theory of change.
You can read the full report here and the full UTZ response here.
For a quick overview of some of the highlights of the report you can read this short overview.
