Measuring the Impactof C.A.F.E. Practices
Guatemala Field Survey
As part of an ongoing process to assess andevaluate the results of the Starbucks Coffeeand Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices program
since its inception in 2004, Conservation
International (CI) developed and implemented
a field survey among coffee farmers in two
regions of Guatemala in July 2009.
The regions selected – Huehuetenango and Jalapa – are important
both for coffee production and supply to Starbucks as well as forenvironmental conservation.
The objective of the survey was to determine whether therewas any difference in economic, social and/or environmental
performance between farmers participating in C.A.F.E. Practices
and those not participating.
During the study, CI and local partners interviewed 582 farmers–
312 of which were participating in the C.A.F.E. Practices programand 270 who were not. The overwhelming majority of farms
surveyed were smallholders with less than 12 hectares undercoffee production, which was representative of the region.
The Guatemala Field Survey was designed to complement theAssessment of the C.A.F.E. Practices Program, which analyzes
the adoption of economic, social and environmental bestpractices among program participants at a country and global
level. Interviews are also underway in Colombia for a second Field
Survey.

© ROBIN MOORE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

PLANETPRODUCT

Results

Results

Results

SocialEnvironmental

Economic

Benefits

Wildlife and Natural Habitat

Quality

Temporary workers on C.A.F.E.
Practices farms were more likely
to receive paid sick leave thanthose employed by farms notparticipating in C.A.F.E. Practices.

There was a strong relationshipbetween participation in C.A.F.E.
Practices and greater stability ofnatural habitat on farms.

C.A.F.E. Practices participants
at both sites were more likely toreport improvements in coffee
quality than non participants.

Farmers participating in the program
were more likely to report observing
more bird species, and in Jalapa
farmers were more likely to report
improvements in the quality of thehabitat.

A strong correlation exists
between the use of farmmanagement plans andimprovements in coffee quality
among farms participating inC.A.F.E Practices.

Agro-Chemical Use

Yield

Farmers participating in C.A.F.E.
Practices reported a decrease in
the use of herbicides, pesticides
and chemical fertilizers at rates
significantly higher than those in thecontrol group.

Participating farmers in
Huehuetenango were more likely
to report increases in yield.

Financial Support
Farmers participating in C.A.F.E.
Practices in both regions weremore likely to be in cooperatives
with established financial funds.
Participating farmers in Jalapa
were also more likely to reporthaving access to government
assistance.

Water Use and Conservation
In Huehuetenango, where wet
milling takes place at the farm,
farmers participating in the program
were more likely to report a decline
in water used during processing.

Coffee Prices
In Jalapa, farmers participatingin C.A.F.E. Practices received
a higher price for their coffee
than the control group during
the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008
growing seasons.

Conservation Investments
Farmers participating in C.A.F.E.
Practices were more likely to invest
in the conservation of biodiversity
and water quality in addition toimprovements in coffee production
and quality, while farmers notparticipating tended to invest
primarily in the latter.

This study marks a significant milestone in the process of monitoring and evaluating the contribution of C.A.F.E. Practices
to coffee farmers, workers and natural resource conservation. While it represents only two coffee producing regions in
Guatemala, it could be replicated in these two regions and in additional regions to provide a baseline from which to monitor
longer-term program impacts. These studies can also play a key role in identifying program challenges and informing theprovision of targeted technical and other types of assistance to local producers.

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