Coffee Growers’ Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Of Starbucks’ Coffee And Farmers Equity Certification Scheme In Mbinga District

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out in Mbinga District, Tanzania to assess smallholder coffee

growers’ knowledge, attitude and practice of Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E) Practice

certification scheme and associated implementation challenges among farmers in the

study area. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. The sample size of 188

respondents obtained by using Slovin’s sample size formula was randomly selected and

surveyed. A questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interview and

documentary review were the data collection instruments used to collect data for the

study. Descriptive statistic and content analysis were used to analyze quantitative and

qualitative data respectively. The study found that the majority of coffee growers were

knowledgeable of the scheme, had a favourable attitude towards the scheme and

implemented the standards moderately. Moreover, price volatility, the continued incidence

of coffee diseases and limited farmers’ participation in standard-setting were the main

challenges experienced by coffee growers in the implementation of the C.A.F.E Practices

scheme. The study recommends that more training and guidance should be provided to

farmers; key actors in coffee certification should enhance farmers bargaining power and

access to more profitable certified markets, farmers participation in the process of

standard-setting should be given priority, coffee service providers in collaboration with

agro-inputs dealers should ensure availability of organic coffee inputs and provision of

subsidy on personal protective gears used by farmers during agrochemicals application in

coffee farms.