Does the 4C Association offer minimum/fixed prices to farmers?
No. Sustainability for farmers is based on improved production methods and improvements to quality. A combination of factors determines coffee prices: the quality of the coffee, the region or country where the coffee is grown, the price on the international coffee market and the relationship between buyer and seller. The 4C system helps to establish a new understanding of quality. By improving the quality of the product, the resulting coffee becomes more valuable. The improved quality attracts better prices that are freely negotiated between the individual buyers and sellers. The 4C Association supports farmers to apply better agricultural, processing and management practices. This results in increased yields, improved quality and reduced costs for farmers, helping them to improve their incomes.