We support the improvement of the living conditions of coffee growers and the protection of the environment in coffee-growing countries through the 4C System (“Common Code for the Coffee Community” - 4C for short). 4C System connects producers, trade, industry and associations as well as non-governmental organizations from all over the world. 4C has set itself the task of strengthening the production of environmentally friendly, socially just and economically viable coffee worldwide.   

The 4C certification is the most widely used and applied sustainability standard in coffee production. 4C Services is active in 20 countries, where over 300,000 coffee farmers produce around 1.6 million tons of 4C-certified coffee on 1 million hectares of land. These include not only the world's leading coffee-producing countries, but also many smaller ones. Certified farms are visited regularly and measures are implemented through the continuous improvement approach to help producers increase their sustainability over three certification cycles. These measures and improvements are documented annually.  

A code of conduct forms the basis of 4C Services. This comprises 12 principles covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions, which are subdivided into 45 further criteria. Unacceptable practices include, for example, child labor, forced labor and unfair pay.  

4C is also based on recognized criteria and international agreements in the coffee sector. By applying these 4C criteria, the average yield of coffee growers can be improved, more income can be generated and the quality of the products and social standards can be increased.   

Further information is available at: https://www.4c-services.org/