UTZ Certified’s vision is to achieve sustainable agricultural supply chains in which farmers are professionals implementing good practices, industry takes responsibility by demanding and rewarding sustainably grown products, and consumers buy products that meet their standard for social and environmental. Based on an idea of the Coffee Company of Dutch retail giant Ahold and one of their Guatemalan coffee producers, the independent UTZ Foundation was launched in 2002. In 2008 UTZ Certified has extended its experiences in the coffee sector into other commodities, such as cocoa and tea.

UTZ Certified is implementing a mainstream certification and traceability program for sustainably produced cocoa. This will lead eventually to better quality beans, higher productivity and better (cost) efficiency for the producers. UTZ Certified aims to have the first producer groups certified by the end of 2009. Initially, the program will focus on producer groups in Ivory Coast, but will expand to other countries in the future.

UTZ Certified aims to facilitate farmers to become better businesspeople: creating opportunities for all farmers to improve their farm and business practices. In addition to food safety standards, the UTZ standard covers a broad range of social and environmental requirements. UTZ Certified is a supplier member of GlobalGAP – the retailer standard for food safety. Specific issues covered in the UTZ Code of Conduct include soil management, appropriate use of fertilizers, hygienic procedures for harvesting, post harvest product handling, processing and storage, waste and pollution management, worker health safety and welfare, including worker rights in compliance with ILO conventions and national laws.

The benefits for UTZ Certified cocoa growers can be translated into agricultural improvements and price benefits. Agricultural improvements often result in cost reduction and quality improvement and higher productivity. This leads to larger difference between cost price and sales price, hence profit. In addition, the UTZ Certified producer receives a premium for UTZ Certified cocoa (on top of the price that would be paid for the cocoa if it were not certified). This premium is negotiated between producers and buyers; UTZ Certified does not interfere in this price negotiation.

For more information visit www.utzcertified.org