A source-cited guide to complaints, appeals & exceptions. Follow the details, then ask a question.
Level 1 complaints: submission and investigation
The scheme lists the Board’s online form, sustainability-complaints@coffeeboard.org and registered post to headquarters. A unique ID and acknowledgement should arrive within five working days. Preliminary validation is within ten working days; missing information is requested within five working days and pauses the clock. Unless confidentiality prevents it, the grower receives a summary within seven days of validation and is asked to respond within ten working days. Within twenty working days of validation, an independent team reviews records, interviews or reassesses as needed and compiles findings. These channels are described in the December 2025 scheme; verify current availability with the Board.
Within ten working days of investigation completion, an independent decision-maker reviews the findings and the programme head approves the decision. Within five working days of approval, both sides receive findings, corrective/preventive actions, timing and appeal rights. Closure follows verified action. Keep a complete audit trail. Any public summary is discussed with the parties, anonymised and protects personal and commercial information.
A grower may appeal within 30 calendar days of receiving the certification decision, through the Board’s online channel, appeals@coffeeboard.org or registered mail to the Regional Office. Provide identification/contact information, audit reference, specific grounds and supporting evidence to the Board—not to this website. The scheme gives acknowledgement within five days, review within ten working days, evidence gathering of fifteen working days, deliberation of ten working days and a written decision within ten working days of evaluation completion. A justified expert review/re-audit can be at the grower’s expense. Records are retained at least five years; appeal must not trigger discrimination.
The certification body must make its complaints and appeals process accessible. Do not automatically apply the detailed Level 1 complaint clock to it. An exemption is possible only where the scheme permits it, with prior scheme-owner approval for each exemption, recorded criteria and limited duration; renewal of the exemption needs resubmission where applicable. Neither a chatbot nor a consultant can award an exemption. Fraud or misrepresentation can trigger certificate withdrawal proceedings.
