Sustainability and Voluntary Certification in the Rwandan Coffee Sector

Voluntary Sustainability Certification (VSC) is increasingly affecting the Rwandan coffee sector, presenting both valuable opportunities and noteworthy challenges.

Through a four-year program supported by the Swedish Government (SIDA), IISD is establishing advisory services on VSC in producing countries based on their information and capacity-building needs, with the objective of supporting informed decision making among sector stakeholders.

To lay the foundation for this process, IISD has been engaging with key sector stakeholders since August 2018 to identify these information and capacity-building needs. Along with a desk review of the domestic policy environment, IISD is also examining which mechanisms can maximize the benefits and address the challenges related to VSC in the Rwandan coffee sector, particularly in alleviating poverty among smallholder producers.

This “needs assessment” culminated in a workshop on February 28, 2019, co-facilitated by IISD, the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), and Sustainable Growers. The event identified clear challenges and concrete recommendations, which will inform the development of a related “action plan.”