The Robusta coffee export from Lampung strongly alleged came from Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP) is attracting the worldwide attention now. This problem actually does not merely threaten Indonesian coffee within international coffee market but also potentially damage the area’s perpetuity of the 365-thousand-hectare National Park. The wildlife habitats of protected animals like Sumatran elephant, Sumatran tiger, and Sumatran rhinos are also considered critically endangered into extinction.
All this time, the coffee exporters got legal certificate issued by Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters (AICE). However, that AICE’s certificate was regarded as a formal and administrative requirement—including proper standard quality for the exported coffee. Based on that certificate, the coffee comes from the area of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park is illegally exported.
Being aware of the serious threat on BBSNP’s perpetuity, Lampung Local Government, in cooperation with WWF and National Park, held a workshop for resolving the problem of coffee plantation around Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park land. By involving Forestry Department, Lampung Province Government, Regency Government Offices all over Lampung Province, international and local NGOs, international finance and development institution, as well as coffee farmers and coffee exporters, the workshop that was held in Bandarlampung in March 12-14, 2007, tried to find a most appropriate pattern for helping the coffee farmers’ skill by persistently conserve the National Park.
The Common Code for The Coffee Community (4C) was one of invited institution to the workshop for solving that problem. The institution that was recently officially established in December 1, 2006, is an international forum for coffee producers, traders, industries, as well as NGOs that represent 39 countries.
The establishment of that association is aimed to raise a sustainable condition and in harmony with social, environment, and economical dimension for increasing coffee cultivation, processing, and its trade. In addition, 4C is also aimed to raise the producers’ income by decreasing the cost for the upgrading of quality product, the betterment of supply lane and trade requirement, as well as to provide a better access to global market. This association is also intended to create a sustainable environment—such as by utilizing a best chemical material for agriculture or protecting tropical forest.
This open association is officially registered to Chamber of Commerce in Geneva, Switzerland, and Bonn, Germany, as its secretariat. The association’s founders, that represent two third of global coffee supply and demand, indicate the beginning of business policy for enriching a sustainable main lane of world coffee market.
The 4C association is based on a consensus that comprises social, environment, and economical dimensions in coffee cultivation, process, as well as its marketing. This consensus is intended for ending “all illegal activities” in coffee business. The consensus’s goal is also for creating the betterment of a sustainable process to gain a permanent coffee product.
“By special stressing on the responsibility of all perpetrators throughout the chains of coffee trade, an independent institution for issuing certificate will conduct this research process,” Annete Pensel of 4C said.
To reach that goal, 4 C provides supporting facilities for coffee producers. This network opens an access for training program, develops Common Code for the Coffee Community in agriculture and management activities, information exchange, and strengthens coffee farmers’ organization.
All traders and perpetrators of coffee industries indicate to have a “cooperative code” for increasing the total purchasing of 4C coffee every year; and paying the cost of coffee producers’ verification through members’ payment as well. The members’ payment partially utilized for establishing 4 C’s supporting facilities. The members report all activities, communication guide, and guarantee that they have undertaken a sustainable approach. Neither 4C use any logos nor brands on its coffee packs.
The consensus among the society of coffee industries is based on the fact that more than 90% of coffee producers have a very restricted market access compared to coffee with legal certificate and special ones.
“4C aims to improve coffee farmers’ income. The coffee producers’ income is not only determined by the coffee price, but it is also strongly influenced by production cost and the range of efficiency and productivity as well. Those aspects will be shown through 4 C’s code, its supporting equipment and network,” Pensel said.
Through the existence of a sustainable betterment process, 4C opens an opportunity for all producers to meet the requirement of standard market demand. 4C will reformulate the concept of quality; in addition to combine the quality product with quality outcome through a social approach and an eco-friendly production technique. By so doing, 4C guarantees to give a higher price and free choice for conducting a negotiation between the coffee buyers and its sellers. Neither the fixed price nor the guarantee of premium price exist; since that policy opposites the anti-trust ordinance.
The sustainable basis and the process of betterment will be verified by third independent party that guarantees a system of internal supervision. The coffee product will not attach any 4C labels. However, with respect to product package, all members of 4C program are required to pay attention to their memberships.
The project of Common Code for the Coffee Community is legislated as an open forum of coffee society initiated by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and carried out by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH and the German Coffee Association (DKV) in 2002.
In 2004, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in cooperation with BMZ as its partner supported the financial help; whereas the European Coffee Federation replaced DKV’s position as its private partner. During its development, more than 70 representatives of more than 20 countries took an active part in arranging that 4C concept. Most of them are coffee producers. ◘
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