The impact of coffee certification on small-scale producers' livelihoods

a case study from the Jimma Zone, Ethiopia

authored by
Pradyot Ranjan Jena, Bezawit Beyene Chichaibelu, Till Stellmacher, Ulrike Grote
Abstract

What is the impact of product certification on small-scale farmers' livelihoods? To what extent does the participation of Ethiopian small-scale coffee farmers in certified local cooperative structures improve their socioeconomic situation? To answer these questions, this article employs household data of 249 coffee farmers from six different cooperatives collected in the Jimma zone of Southwestern Ethiopia in 2009. Findings show that the certification of coffee cooperatives has in total a low impact on small-scale coffee producers' livelihoods mainly due to (1) low productivity, (2) insignificant price premium, and (3) poor access to credit and information from the cooperative. Differences in production and organizational capacities between the local cooperatives are mirrored in the extent of the certification benefits for the smallholders. "Good" cooperatives have reaped the benefits of certification, whereas "bad" ones did not fare well. In this regard the "cooperative effect" overlies the "certification effect".

Organisation(s)
Institute of Development and Agricultural Economics
Institute of Environmental Economics and World Trade
Type
Article
Journal
Agricultural Economics (United Kingdom)
Volume
43
Pages
429-440
No. of pages
12
ISSN
0169-5150
Publication date
07.2012
Publication status
Published
Peer reviewed
Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Agronomy and Crop Science, Economics and Econometrics
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 1 - No Poverty
Electronic version(s)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2012.00594.x (Access: Closed)