Coffee labeling and sustainability certifications Meaning and importance to society

Abstract

Our planet is undergoing fast changes with devastating consequences on agriculture and in the communities that use it as the main means of subsistence. Coffee is one of the most transacted agricultural products and the raw material for one of the most consumed and appreciated beverages. However, its cultivation is done mostly in underdeveloped countries, and coffee growers depend almost exclusively on it. Because of that, the Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) emerged, which are certifications that aim both to ensure a better quality of life for workers and that coffee is produced in a more sustainable way. This review addresses questions about the several coffee certifications and the areas of sustainability in which they operate (environmental, economic, and social). One of the main objectives of this review is to make these topics known, since they are still quite unknown/devalued by consumers. As a complement, other information labeled in coffee packages sold in Portugal are presented, which will certainly be more useful when known by consumers. Purchasing certified coffee is certainly a way to contribute to the objectives of these certifications and a means to know a little of the history of the consumed product.