4C Portrait from the Origin (January 2010) Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC)

4C UNITS – FNC FNC: Portrait of a coffee federation

About the FNC 4C Units

FNC Profile

The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, or FNC) is a non-profit association founded in 1927 by the coffee growers to improve their quality of life and the development of the coffee regions of Colombia. Nowadays FNC represents more than 500,000 farmers and their families and is dedicated to the growing of coffee through a democratic structural organization.

Full name Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia

Country Colombia

Licensed FNC 4C Units Santander, Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda, Valle del Cauca

Units licensed since 1

November 2008

Production potential for 4C Compliant Coffee 2,111,907 (bags of 60 Kg)

Estimated production of 4C Compliant Coffee (coffee year 2008/2009) 1,393,858 (bags of 60 Kg)

Actual total coffee exports of FNC for the calendar year 2008 3,004,000 (bags of 60kg) FNC represents more than 500.000 coffee growers through a democratic structural organization

Actual 4C Compliant Coffee exports (coffee year 2008/2009) 136,255 (60kg bags), i.e. 5.5% of 2,465,000 total FNC exports

Many will recall the fictitious character of Juan Valdez who has become synonymous with coffee from Colombia. Juan Valdez was introduced to the world in a marketing campaign run by FNC in 1959. The character gave a face to the Colombian coffee grower and goes hand in hand with the work the FNC has done to promote the coffee of Colombia.

Coffee type 100% washed Arabica

Production area of 4C Units 98,134 ha

Average coffee area per producer 3.9 ha

4C verified business partners (coffee farmers and other partners in the 4C Unit including mills and cooperatives) 25,143

4C ASSOCIATION | Portrait of a coffee federation: FNC | January 2010

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FNC is a founding member of the in 2006 established 4C Association and has been involved since the very beginning of the development of the Common Code for the Coffee Community in 2003. FNC’s 4C Units were born out of a pilot project co-funded by the Efico Foundation, the Flemish International Cooperation agency (FICA), GTZ and FNC in 2006. The aim of the project was to assess the applicability of the 4C Code of Conduct to coffee farming activities in Colombia.

The context of coffee production in Colombia was indeed favorable for the application of the 4C Code of Conduct. This was due largely also to FNC’s efforts in the field of sustainability in the more than 80 years since the federation was established.

FNC 4C Units were thus created in 2008 in five coffee districts of Colombia, that is, in Santander, Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca thereby linking 25,143 business partners (producers, cooperatives, dry mills and warehouses).

These business partners represent about 4.5 % of the total of coffee farmers in Colombia (560,000 producers in Colombia).

Location of FNC 4C Units Verified FNC 4C Units FNC 4C Units in process of verification

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FNC’s Activities Implementing the 4C Code of Conduct in Colombia has been an ambitious process, aiming at unifying criteria in order to strengthen the development of a sustainable coffee culture.

While coffee production in Colombia is advanced in the social and economic dimensions, there are still important investments to be made in the environmental area.

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A farmer that produces shade grown coffee appreciates the importance of biodiversity and sustainability

FNC includes not only the coffee grower but also his or her family, thus spreading the message of sustainability across the community 4C ASSOCIATION | Portrait of a coffee federation: FNC | January 2010

4C Producers know that quality coffee contributes to sustainability

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FNC has supported all the tasks needed to create FNC’s 4C Units with values, resources and assets.

Physical, human and financial resources assigned to extension, research, traceability, commercial logistics, producer support programs and others have been put at the service of an integral sustainability structure, promoting 4C Compliant Coffee and managing the continuous improvement process in the FNC 4C Units. In this regard, the Colombian coffee growing sector has a series of competitive advantages in its infrastructure and the knowledge gained throughout the years, which enable it to rise to this challenge.

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Verified FNC 4C Units commit themselves to continuously improving the working conditions on their farms

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Colombia produces solely Arabica coffees

FNCs Producers take part in quality coffee training sessions such as here at the Quality Laboratory in Marsella municipality, Risaralda State

FNC supported the creation of 4C Units and their subsequent verification through numerous tools. The following are therefore some of the assets FNC has made available to the 4C Unit implementation process: Purchase guarantee to all the Colombian coffee growers for their coffee produce.

Extension and knowledge transfer services such as agronomical advice to farmers in 4C Units.

Scientific research at the National Coffee Research Centre (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones del Café, CENICAFÉ).

quality policy for the coffee produced, traceability mechanisms.

Further services include a 2008 - 2012 Institutional strategic plan, institutional identity and organization and coffee growing support programs in the areas of education, competition, and infrastructure.

FNC employees who participate in 4C Trainingof-trainer workshops are then registered as trainers by the 4C Association.

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Fundación Manuel Mejía, a foundation with great expertise in education for coffee growers: The Foundation holds workshops for the coffee growers and their families where they learn more about and discuss how to improve sustainability practices.

The coffee information system SICA (Sistema de Información Cafetera): a system that gathers technical information on all the coffee farms in Colombia and is used to create strategies for improving coffee farming methods for example.

A marketing policy for the coffee producers,

4C ASSOCIATION | Portrait of a coffee federation: FNC | January 2010

Participants of a leadership training workshop for FNC 4C producers in Socorro municipality, Santander State

The large number of business partners in Colombian 4C Units (25,143) has led to the development of strategies seeking to achieve knowledge transfer simply and effectively, using a ludic or playful approach and assertive messages.

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Figures demonstrating FNC’s engagement in working with the 4C Code of Conduct in the field speak for themselves. As of January 2010:

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7,041 individual self-assessments carried out 827 4C Workshops and trainings held 18,000 copies of the Producer’s Guide for Implementing the 4C Code of Conduct (Guía del Productor para la Implementación 4C) printed and distributed in Colombia. The guide is a comprehensive didactic tool developed by FNC and now available to all 4C Members as a tool.

Magda Martinez Ibañez, a technical assistant, here with Gonzalo Moreno, a producer in the municipality of Socorro, Santander State: technical assistants help farmers improve the quality of their coffee

300 extension agronomists trained on 4C Concepts

4C Workshops During the workshops, the units’ partners are made familiar with the 4C Code of Conduct. Participants learn about how the application of the principles in the 4C Code of Conduct can help them to improve their production practices. They also carry out the self-assessment in order to understand which of the three dimensions of sustainability, the social, economic and environmental, they need to work at to improve. This is the starting point in developing a continuous improvement plan, according to each producer’s needs and capabilities, thus creating

awareness and an actual commitment to sustainability.

The workshops are based on methodologies and curriculums developed by FNC over the years and on the Guidance for 4C Units: 4C Code Implementation Process (4CDoc_045_4C Code Implementation Guidance). This instrument enables the reinforcement of the concepts dealt with at the workshops, and provides guidance on the individual self-assessment.

Learning through play As a way of supporting the education strategy, the principles of the 4C Code of Conduct are simplified through games for the coffee farmers. Various structures of FNC, among them the Fundación Manuel Mejía, Gerencia Comercial and Cenicafé, have therefore worked on the development of ludic or playful educational tools, such as: “Recorriendo Nuestra Tierra Cafetera” (A trip through our coffee land), a board game aiming at reinforcing the coffee growers’ knowledge of the Code’s principles and criteria.

4C ASSOCIATION | Portrait of a coffee federation: FNC | January 2010

The “Trip through our coffee land” board game

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“Concéntrese” (Focus), a game that allows the coffee grower to identify different unacceptable practices through case examples.

Poster and calendar: Their purpose is to be a constant, day-to-day reminder to coffee growers of the requirements of the 4C Code of Conduct and to sustainability.

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A “Focus” game card can include a description of poor working conditions on a farm so as to identify unacceptable practices in the social dimension The 4C Process of continuous improvement begins at the root of coffee production

Implementing the 4C System There are several challenges in the quest for strengthening FNC’s sustainability program and implementing the 4C System:

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1. Continuous improvement methodologies: It is necessary to design and implement a viable scheme that will make it possible to expand and consolidate the application of the 4C System in FNC 4C Units.

2. Investment in farms: It is necessary to support producers in their farm improvement efforts by facilitating the farmers’ access to credit schemes.

3. Dissemination and culture change: This is a long-term task that involves a transfer and ownership effort.

4. Improvement principles: Strengthening knowledge and practice.

5. Commercial challenges: Aligning supply and demand, in order to make it possible for many of FNC’s producers to participate in a long-term project.

4C ASSOCIATION | Portrait of a coffee federation: FNC | January 2010

FNC guarantees the purchase of its producers’ coffee

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Looking ahead The number of farmers working with the 4C Association under the umbrella of FNC is still growing.

Five further FNC 4C Units are in the process of getting verified by the 4C Association in Cundina-

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marca, Huila, Tolima, Quindio and Norte de Santander. These units are expected to become licensed 4C Units in early 2010.

Interview with Ximena Rueda Fajardo, FNC Strategic Marketing Director What are the changes in your daily work due to the implementation of the 4C Code of Conduct?

The creation of the FNC 4C Units has made it possible for us to prioritize the activities that need the most attention; this prioritizing has led us to focus our efforts and to generate educational strategies to continue promoting sustainability in the short, medium and long term.

the least compliance; second, it helps us define improvement plans to be implemented by the 4C Unit.

Which principles of the 4C Code of Conduct have parE-Mail ticularly brought about poXimena.rueda@cafedecolombia. sitive changes here at the com units?

One of the areas that have atPhone tracted the most attention is the +57 (1) 3136600 ext. 398 issue of environmental sustainability. We focus on its principles, such as the adequate management of hazardous waste and of wastewater to avoid polluting natural resources; this will have a highly positive impact on coffee growing activities in Colombia’s 4C regions.

Do you intend to step up to other standards?

Our intent is for 4C to be a baseline sustainability platform, as well as a starting point for adopting more demanding codes and standards. There are 3,492 farms within the 4C System that already comply with other standards such as Fairtrade, SAN (Rainforest Alliance), UTZ and Organic .

86.1% of FNC’s 4C verified producers are only 4C verified.

Unit Contact Information Representative

Ximena Rueda Fajardo Calle 73 No. 8.13 Piso 6 Torre B

Is the self-assessment a useful tool for you on the path to becoming 4C verified?

It has been an essential tool for two reasons: first, it has enabled us to identify the areas with

4C ASSOCIATION | Portrait of a coffee federation: FNC | January 2010

What do you aim to achieve through the application of the 4C Code of Conduct in the future?

To strengthen institutional work in order to make our Vision real: “To consolidate the coffee growing families‘ social development, while guaranteeing the sustainability of the coffee growing business and the positioning of Colombian coffee as the best in the world”.

Is there a message you want to share with other 4C Members?

Sustainability incarnates a society’s highest aspirations: peaceful coexistence in harmony and justice with nature and other human beings.

Thanks to the 4C Association, all of us who are a part of the coffee world can begin to make that dream come true.

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Map of Colombia showing the coffee growing region

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Coffee and Colombia Annual coffee production 11,5 million bags in 2008 (Source: FNC)

Share of world production ~8,3% (Source: ICO)

Total production area 887,660 ha

History & Facts:

Coffee growing region

IMPRINT Publisher 4C Association | 4C Secretariat Adenauerallee 108 53113 Bonn | Germany

Editors Linda Besigiroha Marie Stich

Coffee was introduced to Colombia in the early 1800s. Only arabica coffee is cultivated, some of the varieties used are: Typica, Caturra, Castillo, Bourbon and Maragogype. Coffee is grown in more than 500 municipalities all along the Andes Mountains which cross Colombia from south to north.

Coffee is synonymous with development in Colombia. It is the first agricultural export product of Colombia and the third national export after oil and coal, it represents 24% of agricultural employment and over 2 million people depend on it. Coffee from freshly roasted Colombian coffee beans is rich in flavor, is heavily bodied, intensely aromatic and has a bright acidity.

Responsible for content Christian Osterhaus

Design David Drexler Studios Munich, Germany

Photography 1: Patricia Rincón/Risaralda 3, 6, 7: Patricia Rincón/ Armenia 2: David Bonilla/ Nariño 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11: FNC/ Colombia 12: Ximena Rueda Maps and board-game pictures courtesy of FNC 4C ASSOCIATION | Portrait of a coffee federation: FNC | January 2010

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