Common Code for the Coffee Community Association

The structure

The 4C Association builds on a participatory decision making process. The structure enables a credible consensus building and encourages a democratic and transparent discussion. The main element of the governance process is the tripartite structure consisting of coffee producers, coffee trade & industry and civil society organizations. The main organs are:

The General Assembly

The General Assembly is set up by all members and is the supreme authority of the 4C Association. It consists of a producers chamber, a trade and industry chamber and a civil society chamber. If possible, the decisions are taken in consensus. The by-laws for the General Assembly are available on the Library.

The Council

The Council of the Association is elected by the General Assembly and is the representative decision making body. It consists of 17 ordinary members in the three chambers, with the strongest representation for the producers' group.

The Executive Board

The five members of the Executive Board are elected by the Council. Members are one representative for each of the chambers plus the Chairperson of the Technical Committee and the President of the Mediation Board.

The Technical Committee

The Technical Committee is mandated by the Council. Its main task is to recommend modifications and revisions of the 4C Code. In parallel it is responsible for assessing the conceptual quality and impact of 4C services such as tools, technical documents and capacity development activities.

The 4C Secretariat

Tasks of the Secretariat are to administer the 4C Association, to intensify cooperation with existing initiatives, to coordinate the support activities, to prepare the decision making process and to enable transparency. To get to know the current staff, visit the contact page.

The Mediation Board

The Mediation Board will settle disputes arising from the interpretation of or the failure to respect the Statutes of the 4C Association, its Rules of Participation and the 4C code itself.

The 4C forums

4C Forums shall provide an active platform for stakeholders of a coffee producing country to exchange information, practical experience and views on 4C and its implementation and concepts. The Forums, which are established on local level, actively aim at offering benefits to farmers through access to information, access to a discussion platform and access to services. The establishment of these 4C Forums is an ongoing process in close cooperation with local institutions and stakeholders.

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