Introduction: Coffee certification in East Africa – searching for impact

Certification of coffee producers is frequently suggested as a useful strategy for improving the position of smallholders in the market. It started with the launch of the Fair Trade label in 1988 and was followed by several other standards that are promoted either by voluntary agencies and/or by private coffee companies. The label of Utz certified (first called Utz Kapeh) has been launched in 2002 with the aim to enhance responsible coffee certification by established private companies. In recent years, company coffee labels were established by Starbucks (C.A.F.E. Practices) and Nestle (AAA).1 The 4C Association (originally Common Code for the Coffee Community) provides an entry standard for stakeholders in the coffee sector to address sustainability issues in production and sourcing in a pre-competitive manner