Rain Forest Alliance certification for Farm Africa Coffee

25 November 2014

A Farm Africa project designed to reverse the effects of deforestation and forest degradation through institutional strengthening to community and government partners in southern Eastern Ethiopia has been recognised by the Rain Forest Alliance.

Natural wild coffee harvested from the moist afromontane forests in the Bale Eco-region, has been awarded a certificate by the internationally accredited  body. The award was given in recognition of the methods used to harvest the coffee and the way in which it contributes to the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods in the region.

“This is a tremendous achievement for the project in ensuring sustainable forest management and food security in the area,” said Lulu Likassa, Farm Africa’s project coordinator. “Rainforest Alliance certification should also mean significantly higher prices for farmers.”

Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains Eco-region is an area with richly diverse flora and fauna that are considered to be particularly important in maintaining its unique ecological balance and also provide socio-economic benefits to local people.

However, prior to the arrival of the first phase of the Bale Eco-region Sustainable Management Programme (BERSMP) in 2007, local people were depleting the forest, cutting down trees to clear land for crops, fuel and lumber.

Deforestation badly affects wildlife and reduces water flow from the upland forests to lowlands. Farm Africa’s work to support the government and the community to sustainably manage the forest could improve conditions for the 12 million people living downstream, that depend on the water flowing out of the mountains.

In the second phase of the project (2012-2015), Farm Africa is working in collaboration with local NGO, SOS Sahel Ethiopia and the government institution, the Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE) to protect 500,000 hectares of forest through the REDD+ scheme (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). This means Ethiopia could benefit from important work to preserve the forest, avoiding further carbon emissions and earning carbon revenues.

What is Rain Forest Alliance certification?
It is built on the three pillars of sustainability -- environmental protection, social equity and economic viability. The certification standards guide farmers toward sustainable farm management and give independent auditors a concrete measure by which to evaluate social and environmental improvements. Farms that meet the standards are awarded the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of approval, a prestigious badge that can be used to market products.

Read a Guardian piece about Farm Africa’s work in the Bale Mountains Eco Region