UTZ Certified
| UTZ Foundation | |
|---|---|
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| Purpose: | Certification of agricultural products according to economic, social and ecological standards |
| Chair: | Ton van der Laan |
| Consist: | |
| Founder: | Nick Bocklandt, Ward de Groote |
| Balance sheet total: | 15.637 million euros (2016) |
| Number of employees: | 186 (2017) |
| Seat: | Amsterdam , Netherlands |
| Website: | utz.org |
UTZ is a foundation headquartered in Amsterdam . According to its own information, it maintains the world's largest label program for coffee and also certifies tea , rooibos , hazelnuts and cocoa .
The prerequisite for certification is compliance with a code of conduct by the farmers, which defines social criteria and sets requirements for environmental compatibility and efficient management. The foundation is a member of the ISEAL Alliance .
Since 2002, this foundation has operated a program and seal of approval for the sustainable cultivation of agricultural products under the same name (at its own discretion).
history
The Dutch coffee roaster Ahold Coffee Company , part of the food company Koninklijke Ahold , founded the UTZ program in 1997 in cooperation with Guatemalan coffee farmers under the name Utz Kapeh , "good coffee" in the Maya language Quiché . The aim was to promote responsible, sustainable coffee production, to establish it globally on the market and to create transparency along the supply chain. They founded the first branch in 1999 in Guatemala City . In 2002, UTZ became a foundation based in Amsterdam and introduced UTZ certified coffee to the market. In 2007 the organization renamed itself UTZ Certified because it expanded its activities to other areas such as cocoa and tea.
In June 2017, the intention was announced to merge UTZ with the Rainforest Alliance . This merger was completed in January 2018 and implementation is expected to be completed in mid-2021.
financing
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The foundation is financed through donations and certification fees; the seal may only be used by the provider who has paid for it. The certification fee for a cocoa buyer, depending on the size of the buyer, is between € 250 and € 4,000 per year plus € 10 per ton of cocoa purchased, with discounts for large quantities.
In 2011, the foundation received 1.41 million euros through donations and subsidies, 3.88 million euros through certification fees and 0.26 million euros through other unspecified contributions. In 2013 the income from subsidies amounted to 1.33 million euros, from certification fees 7.64 million euros, which corresponds to an increase of 97%, and from other sources 0.5 million euros.
Code of Conduct
The certification criteria are based on the private sector standard GlobalGAP , formerly EurepGAP , for good agricultural practice . According to the company, the traceability and transparency system goes beyond this standard. Accordingly, UTZ particularly focuses on the management of agricultural businesses, especially smallholders. In contrast to the fair trade seal , UTZ Certified does not set minimum sales prices, but leaves the pricing to the market. For producers and retailers, the advantage over mere compliance with the GlobalGAP criteria is that the seal of approval makes compliance with the criteria visible to buyers and end users. Whether compliance with the criteria is financially rewarded ultimately depends on the willingness of the buyer to pay a surcharge for certified products. In comparison with the systems of the Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International and Rainforest Alliance , it is rated by some authors as the most market-oriented.
In order to be certified, farmers do not have to meet all the criteria of the respective code of conduct from the start. For example, certified companies B. only after the third year of certification ensure that an employee trained in first aid is present. Products with the UTZ seal do not have to contain 100% certified raw materials; in 2013 the required share was 60%.
documentation
In order to ensure traceability, farmers must fully document their products grown according to the standards of the organization and keep them away from uncertified products at all times. Further documentation requirements concern compliance with other standards, e.g. B. a list of all used and stored fertilizers must be kept.
environment
Instead of fixed environmental standards, the code of conduct regularly only requires that environmental aspects be taken into account in the cultivation planning. For example, fertilizers are permitted in coffee growing (with the exception of untreated wastewater). However, the companies must demonstrate expertise in handling fertilizers, follow a documented fertilization plan and document the actual application of fertilizer. The codes do not exclude the use of genetically modified seeds, but only require transparency towards the foundation and buyers.
working conditions
The social criteria are based on conventions of the International Labor Organization . Workers must be allowed to unionize and negotiate tariffs collectively. Forced labor and the employment of children under the age of 15 is prohibited. Young people between 15 and 18 years of age must not be employed in activities that are dangerous or harmful to their health. Protective clothing must be provided when using harmful pesticides.
The “normal” total working time per employee must not exceed 48 hours per week. Overtime must be remunerated, may not be requested regularly and may not exceed 12 hours per week. Corporal punishment is prohibited. Local minimum wages must be observed and the same work paid equally. There are no additional requirements for wages.
Reviews
In order to ensure compliance with all criteria, the foundation provides for annual controls by independent auditors.
Traceability
Products with the label can be traced via an internet-based system from the farmer to the producer of the finished product (for coffee, the roaster ). This traceability system is also made available for palm oil and cotton in cooperation with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Better Cotton Initiative .
Market effects
In 2009, a third of the coffee that was labeled as “sustainable” in any way was labeled with the UTZ Certified seal of approval. In the first half of 2012, according to information from UTZ Certified, a total of 93,703 tons of certified coffee, 1,500 tons of certified tea and 59,800 tons of certified cocoa were sold.
UTZ-certified products have been on the market in Germany since 2011, for example confectionery, pastries and coffee. Large producers of confectionery and baked goods, as well as discounters, have partially or fully switched to UTZ-certified cocoa and coffee or have announced this for Germany and Switzerland.
In addition to positive effects on cocoa farmers and environmental protection, UTZ also sees the certification as a means of preventing a shortage of cocoa on the world market that is feared for 2020.
criticism
Criticism of the foundation model
In July 2012, the magazine Ökotest published an article in which UTZ Certified was declared “unfair” because the standard does not provide for pre-financing of seeds and no minimum purchase prices. The foundation published a response to the article stating that UTZ Certified does not and does not claim to certify fair trade, but its work has an overall positive impact on tropical farmers. In addition, as early as February 2011, Fairtrade , the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ Certified announced in a joint press release that despite differing standards, they were pursuing the same goal, namely to change the production and processing of agricultural products worldwide and make them more sustainable.
Criticism of the implementation of the code of conduct
In the investigative TV documentary Dirty Chocolate II , the Danish journalist Miki Mistrati shows how children from Burkina Faso work on UTZ-certified cocoa farms on the Ivory Coast . Mistrati indicates that these children were probably abducted to the Ivory Coast. Shortly before, UTZ had assured that there was no child labor among its partners.
Criticism of the Kaweri plantation
In August 2001, the residents of Mubende were evicted from their homes by the Ugandan military . A short time later, work began on building the Kaweri plantation . The human rights organization FIAN has been following the case for years. Her verdict: "Serious human rights violations have been inflicted on these people ." In total, over 2000 people were displaced. A lawsuit brought by the displaced persons in 2002 has not yet led to a final judgment. The Kaweri plantation has not been UTZ certified since the beginning of 2018. UTZ does not provide a reason for this.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Self-reported (quote: "The UTZ program enables farmers to learn better farming methods, improve working conditions and take better care of their children and the environment." Source )
- ↑ utzcertified.org
- ↑ UTZ Annual Report 2016 (PDF).
- ↑ UTZ - Who is who .
- ↑ UTZ certified
- ↑ The history of the origins of UTZ. UTZ Certified Foundation, accessed April 16, 2013 .
- ↑ Jason Potts, Jessica van der Meer, Jaclyn Daitchman: The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2010: Sustainability and Transparency . Ed .: International Institute for Environment and Development. G03066, November 2010 ( pubs.iied.org ).
- ↑ https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/business/de/nachhaltige-landwirtschaft/farm-zertifikation/2020-zertIERTprogramm-der-rainforest-alliance/
- ↑ UTZ Certified - Certification Fees for Cocoa Buyers 2012 ( Memento of the original from March 31, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 185 kB).
- ↑ UTZ Certified Annual Report 2011 (PDF; 1.9 MB).
- ↑ UTZ Certified Annual Report 2013 (PDF), p. 37.
- ↑ UTZ Certified. In: label-online. The consumer initiative, accessed on April 16, 2013 .
- ^ Karen Ellis, Jodie Keane: A review of ethical standards and labels: Is there a gap in the market for a new 'Good for Development' label? Ed .: Overseas Development Institute [ODI]. 2009, ISBN 978-0-85003-891-0 ( dspace.cigilibrary.org - abstract).
- ↑ Theresa Zimmermann: Tips for a fair Easter . In: the daily newspaper . March 30, 2013 ( taz.de ).
- ^ Graeme Auld: Assessing Certification as Governance: Effects and Broader Consequences for Coffee . In: The Journal of Environment & Development . No. 19 , 2010, doi : 10.1177 / 1070496510368506 .
- ↑ UTZ Certified press release, July 26, 2012 .
- ↑ Mario Brück: Balisto bars are becoming sustainable. In: Wirtschaftswoche. January 27, 2011, accessed April 16, 2013 .
- ↑ Mario Brück: Baked goods manufacturer reports record numbers. In: Wochenspiegel. April 5, 2013, accessed April 16, 2013 .
- ↑ Lidl introduces coffee with the UTZ CERTIFIED seal. news aktuell presseportal, April 16, 2012, accessed on April 16, 2013 .
- ↑ Oliver Nieburg: UTZ: Certification is our weapon against cocoa deficit , confectionerynews.com, January 21, 2014.
- ↑ Ökotest (July 27, 2012), Fairer Handel - Unfaire Shops URL accessed on February 4, 2013.
- ^ Response from UTZ Certified to the Ökotest article of July 27, 2012 .
- ↑ Rainforest Alliance press release , accessed on January 9, 2014.
- ↑ Mistrati, Miki, The Dark Side of Chocolate II (TV documentary), Denmark, 2013.
- ↑ Expulsions - coffee with a bitter aftertaste In: srf.ch , January 15, 2018, accessed on April 7, 2018.
