Growing coffee without endosulfan

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Final Report on Growing Coffee without Endosulfan – Best Practices collection and coffee sector wide debate to supporting farmers to profitably comply with sustainability standard requirements. Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK, with 4C Association, for Sustainable Coffee Program

Project Purpose Endosulfan, a broad spectrum organochlorine insecticide, has been listed by the Stockholm Convention as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) since 2011 and targeted for global elimination. It is also listed by the Rotterdam Convention subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. This is an important achievement in view of the risks of this highly hazardous chemical, and will trigger action and change at national governance level. It also means that major sustainability standards, including Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified and the 4C Code of Conduct, which prohibit use of POPs and PIC-listed chemicals in their supply chains have a strong interest in promoting viable alternatives. Continued endosulfan usage by farmers supplying according to these standards would constitute noncompliance with these standards and could lead to a withdrawal of sustainability licenses or certificates. As endosulfan is still used in coffee production in several countries to control the coffee berry borer (CBB), its prohibition poses major challenges to efforts to scale up sustainable coffee production and sourcing. While there are different good examples of producers who grow coffee without endosulfan in several countries, information on alternative pest control techniques and substitutes is not widely available and rarely in a form that is useful to growers. The coffee stakeholders, especially coffee growers, sustainability standards and coffee roasters are most interested in maintaining the productivity at farm level, the credibility of the sustainability claims as well as the compliance with international and national laws and regulations and are therefore joining forces with research, national institutions, NGOs, donors, agrochemical industry and coffee sector organizations to present, disseminate and adopt viable alternatives to the use of endosulfan in the coffee sector.

Implementation of project activities and deliverables The following sections of the report focus on the components conducted and deliverables produced by PAN UK under project objective no. 2: Viable chemical and non-chemical alternatives have been identified and collected at international level and best practices made publicly available to the global coffee sector. Progress reports on the total project, including the global dialogue and awareness-raising component conducted by 4C Coffee Association, were provided to the Sustainable Coffee Program powered by IDH in May, July, September and November 2013 and also sent to project co-donor, FAO, for information. Appendix A to this report lists specific project documents (internal and for public dissemination) referred to in the narrative.

Final Report to IDH Sustainable Coffee Program on project Growing Coffee without Endosulfan rd GLO.RFF.04.2012.01 PAN UK with 4CA 3 March 2014


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