Measuring the Impactof C.A.F.E. Practices
Colombia Field Survey
As part of an ongoing process to evaluate theimpacts of the Starbucks Coffee and Farmer
Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices program since its
inception in 2004, Conservation International (CI)designed and implemented a field survey among
coffee farmers in the state of Nariño, Colombia,
in March and April of 2011. This survey built
upon a previous field survey, conducted in
Guatemala in 2009.
The site selected for the survey is an important and uniquecoffee producing region. It is also of longstanding importanceas a supplier to Starbucks and performs an important role in theconservation of species and natural resources in the area.
The primary objective of the survey was to determine whether
there are any differences in economic, social, and/or environmental
performance between farmers participating in C.A.F.E. Practices
and those not participating. Starbucks and CI also sought touncover opportunities for improvements to the C.A.F.E. Practices
program and to continue to refine the methodology used forevaluating the program.
A team at CI worked with Starbucks and partner organizations inColombia to advance the assessment model developed for theGuatemala survey, implement the survey in the field and analyze
results. Surveyors interviewed 501 farmers, of which 203 wereparticipants in C.A.F.E. Practices and 298 were not. As is common
in the region, nearly all respondents were smallholders with fewer
than 12 hectares of land. CI also interviewed experts from a varietyof related fields to supplement and triangulate the responses
gathered in the field.
Of the C.A.F.E. Practices farmers surveyed, 92 percent foundparticipation in the program to be beneficial and 83 percent
reported their expectations were fulfilled. While the percentage ofparticipants whose expectations were not met was small, further
research studies may reveal more detail about what aspects of theprogram may be improved for these farmers. Overall, the findingsof this survey reveal that the program is having a positive impact
on communities and the environment.

© ROBIN MOORE/iLCPKey Findings
This study found that participation in C.A.F.E. Practices shows some strong correlation to the following economic and social
benefits to farmers as well as to improvements in natural resource management and conservation:

PEOPLE

PLANET

PRACTICES

Results

Results

Results

SocialEnvironmental

Economic

Education

Wildlife and Natural Habitat

Soil Quality

More C.A.F.E. Practices farmers
sent their children to secondary
school, providing access toeducation beyond what is legally
mandated..

More C.A.F.E. Practices farmers
maintained uncultivated areas onfarms, and the extent of natural
habitat around participant farms
was more stable with fewer losses
and more increases.

Soil stability is critical tosustainable agriculture systems.
Soil quality was more stable on
C.A.F.E. Practices farms andthose farmers had made moreprogress addressing erosion
issues, which keeps nutrients on
farms for the benefit of crops.

Financial Gain

Shade Management

C.A.F.E. Practices farmers
had larger farms and higher
productivity on their farms,
resulting in higher sales andoverall income. In addition, thesefarmers perceived themselves
to be in better overall earnings
status compared to the national
minimum wage level than nonparticipants.

C.A.F.E. Practices farms had greater
diversity in their shade canopies,
contributing to higher quality andmore resilient shade systems on
those farms.

Sophistication of Processing
Methods

CreditWaste Management

When sought, C.A.F.E. Practices
farmers accessed credit atlower interest rates than nonparticipants.

C.A.F.E. Practices farmers
made greater gains in improving
management of waste andwastewater.

C.A.F.E. Practices farmers had
more sophisticated processing
infrastructure and used moresophisticated processing
methods than non-participants,
which may contribute toincreased coffee quality.

Training and Capacity
Building
More C.A.F.E. Practices farmers
took part in training and many
reported that they changed farmmanagement techniques as aresult.

These survey findings help to highlight areas where the C.A.F.E. Practices program is having an impact and whereresources may be directed to achieve greater results in the future. They also reinforce conclusions from the Guatemala fieldsurvey that such results are long-term, and it may take a longer timescale and repeated surveying before greater impacts
become apparent. Going forward, the lessons learned from our survey results will inform additional studies and continued
improvement of the evaluation methodology.

For more information about Conservation Internationaland our partnership with Starbucks please visit:www.conservation.org/starbucks