A certification is a document delivered by an independent body, that certifies that a product follows a given set of rules. For agricultural products such as coffee, an increasing number of certifications have become available. Rwenzori Organic Coffee aims to obtain the following certifications.
Fair trade
Fair trade rules, or standards, are designed to aid the sustainable development of small producers. Small producers are grouped in democratic cooperatives or groups, buyers and sellers establish long-term stable relationships, buyers must pay the producers at least the minimum Fair-Trade price or the market price when it is higher. In addition, buyers must also pay a social premium through the producers’ organization.
Organic
Organic certification standards mean that the farming system prohibits the use of synthetic inputs, such as drugs, fertilizers and pesticides. The stakeholders of the Ugandan organic sector developed the Uganda Organic Standard in 2004 and adopted the East African Organic Product Standard in 2007
Geographical Indication
Product names can be granted a 'Geographical Indication' (GI) if they have a specific link to the place where they are made. The GI recognition enables consumers to trust and distinguish quality products while also helping producers to market their products better. The Uganda government passed the Uganda Geographical Indications Act (Uganda Gazette, 11th October, 2013) and approved the Uganda Regulations for Geographical Indications (12th October, 2018).