How is the verification process?

Kick off your verification process and receive a service quote by completing our service request form or contacting us directly. The process typically includes the following steps:

Step1: Verification preparation 
Implement the rules of the C.A.F.E. Practices programme and ensure your staff complies with them.

Step 2: Application submission
Contact Starbucks® directly to express your interest in becoming a Starbucks® supplier or processor. Starbucks® will respond by either providing an application or requesting additional details. Once your application is ready, submit it to Starbucks® for approval.

Step 3: Application review
Starbucks® will assess your application, allocate a unique ID, and return it to you for your approval. If necessary, they may request additional information and provide essential documents, including an initial response letter, a self-evaluation form, and a list of indicators requiring supporting documentation. At this stage, Starbucks® will also request your selection of a verification organisation to conduct your audit, such as Preferred by Nature.

Step 4: Verification organisation
Once you have designated Preferred by Nature as your verification organisation, we will guide you through the contractual process. After your proposal gains approval and is signed, we will schedule your verification audit. 

Step 5: Evaluation phase
We will carry out an on-site verification, which includes staff interviews, documentation scrutiny, and facility visits. We will then compile a report detailing the audit findings. After your approval of the report, it will be submitted to Starbucks® for their review, and they will determine your rating and C.A.F.E. Practices status.

Preferred by Nature is authorised to perform C.A.F.E. Practices verification in multiple countries globally. View the complete list here.

Complaints and resolutions

If a complaint is raised about our certification services or one of our clients, we handle this in accordance with our Dispute Resolution Policy. We may call on our Impartiality Committee if Preferred by Nature’s impartiality is under question.

Combine your certifications

Extend your scope by considering additional agricultural certifications alongside your C.A.F.E. Practices verification. Keep in mind that these certifications operate independently from C.A.F.E. Practices and are quoted and managed directly through Preferred by Nature.

As an approved certification body, we are authorised to perform audits for several programmes, encompassing agricultural schemes like Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Farm and Rainforest Alliance Agriculture Supply Chain certifications.

We cater to businesses of all sizes involved in diverse agricultural product sectors, including coffee.

The coffee industry’s first set of ethical sourcing standards

Developed in collaboration with Conservation International, C.A.F.E. Practices is a verification programme that evaluates farms against economic, social and environmental indicators. Its core objective is to foster transparent, profitable, and sustainable coffee farming practices while safeguarding the well-being of coffee farmers, workers, their families, and local communities.

C.A.F.E. Practices has been instrumental in supporting Starbucks' commitment to ensuring a long-term supply of high-quality coffee while also making a positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of coffee farmers and their communities. This open-sourced programme encompasses more than 200 indicators, spanning from financial accountability to workers' rights, and the preservation of water resources and biodiversity.

Explore the full list of evaluation criteria via the C.A.F.E. Practices scorecard.