Roaster Decision-Making for Coffee Certification: Specialty Coffee Roasters in the North Carolina Triangle Region

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  • February 28, 2019
Creator
  • Genzler, Jennifer
    • Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of City and Regional Planning
Abstract
  • In recent years the use of standards and certifications has gained attention among a wide array of groups indirectly and directly related to trade. Standards and certifications for commodities, such as coffee, have emerged at a time that coincides with policy supporting free trade. The debate over free trade and its impacts on stakeholders involved in commodity trading has led to the rise of advocacy groups supporting ethical trade. These groups often use standards and certifications as a means to support and encourage ethical trade. While certifications in coffee such as Fair Trade, Organic and Shade Grown/Bird Friendly have grown in recent years, little is known about why coffee roasters opt for certifications. This paper focuses on roasters, the key intermediary in coffee production that makes the decision about whether or not to purchase certified coffee. Using a value chain framework, the paper analyses why and in what conditions roasters decide to become certified. Specialty Coffee Roasters in the triangle region located in North Carolina were interviewed to provide primary data in regards to their decision-making. While there were many reasons that influenced roaster decision making, the most surprising finding was that the supporters of the ethical trade movement, of which a significant amount are students and activists, were not the consumers purchasing certified coffee.
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Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Tewari, Meenu
Degree
  • Master of City and Regional Planning
Degree granting institution
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Location
  • Durham, North Carolina, United States
  • Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
  • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
  • Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Extent
  • 52 p.
Access right
  • Open access
Date uploaded
  • December 10, 2010

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file details Roaster Decision-Making for Coffee Certification: Specialty Coffee Roasters in the North Carolina Triangle Region 2019-04-25 Public Download