Brazilian Coffee Sustainability, Production, and Certification

Abstract

Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world, being responsible for 40% of world total production, 69.9 million bags in 2021. Due its major production and exportation role in the global coffee market, Brazil has been also recognized for its commitment with quality and social-sustainability parameters based on voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and geographic identification (GI). Despite higher prices at the final market and some changes toward more sustainable production models, certification is not a panacea for sustainability. In that sense, the governance of certification and standards along the value chains plays a central role. Brazil, as the largest coffee producer and exporter, has also a great potential regarding coffee GI, which can lead to differentiation strategies and economic benefits for small farmers, contributing also to sustainable production and cultural and environmental protection. However, the existence of economic and social barriers plays salient challenges for farmers to meet the quality standards as well as GI protocols among other market compliance tools, in addition to the correct value appropriation arising for quality sustainability adopted strategies by coffee farmers in Brazil.