COLOGNE, Germany – 4C Services, a leading third-party sustainability certification system for the coffee and cocoa sector, announces its achievement of equivalence recognition against the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) Version 3.0.
The SAI Platform is a global organization committed to advancing sustainable agriculture practices, and its Farm Sustainability Assessment is a comprehensive tool that evaluates and benchmarks sustainability performance across various agricultural sectors.
The 4C certification operates on a model of continuous improvement wherein the certified groups of farmers constantly work towards reaching the next higher sustainability level.
This means that certified groups of farmers need to comply with increasingly thorough and strict criteria over subsequent certification cycles.
Every three years the audits for re-certification include additional checkpoints and a new improvement plan is set up each time with objectives to achieve until the next audit.
Following the benchmarking, based on this progressive system, 4C has achieved:
- FSA Gold Level Equivalence for its certification standard for sustainability level 3
- FSA Silver Level Equivalence for level 1 of the certification
The FSA Gold Level Equivalence recognition is granted to organizations that demonstrate exceptional performance in implementing sustainable practices, aligning with the SAI Platform’s rigorous standards.
This recognition, through a thorough evaluation process, underscores 4C’s commitment to fostering sustainable practices and highlights its dedication to advancing environmental and social responsibility within the coffee and cocoa sector.
“We are honoured to receive the FSA Gold Level Equivalence recognition from the SAI Platform for our commitment to promoting sustainable practices in coffee production and supply chains. This achievement reflects our ongoing efforts to drive positive impact in the sector and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future,” said Norbert Schmitz, Managing Director at 4C Services.
“I would like to congratulate 4C Services on their benchmarking equivalence to the FSA. The Gold Level Equivalence of level 3 exemplifies 4C’s commitment to thriving and sustainable coffee and cocoa sectors. With this also being the first coffee-specific benchmark against FSA 3.0, it also shows that 4C continues to be a leader”, added Joe Iveson, FSA Manager, Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform.
About 4C
4C is a leading sustainability certification scheme for the entire coffee sector. 4C certification focuses on good agricultural and management practices, including requirements on economic, social, and environmental conditions for coffee production and processing to establish credible sustainable, and transparent supply chains.
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