Coffee production is an important source of export revenue for producing countries, especially for small, agriculture-dependent economies like Rwanda. Coffee production is a key driver in the development and improvement of rural livelihoods, serving as a source of cash income for the many coffee-producing households. The coffee value chain in Rwanda changed visibly since the early 2000s. Since then, the number of Coffee Washing Stations increased considerably, as did the share of fully washed coffee production. Rwanda's coffee sector is now a well-established player in the international speciality coffee market.Despite considerable improvements, productivity remains low, as farmers struggle with pests and diseases, poor soil fertility and insufficient access to fertilisers. These challenges faced by coffee producers call for suitable and sustainable solutions. With coffee farmers also facing the repercussions of progressing climate change, the present dissertation aims to identify ways to support smallholder coffee producers in their efforts to respond to the challenges they face. Therefore, the thesis taps into two important fields of research on coffee producersclimate change adaptation and sustainability certification. First, the thesis evaluates the role of certification in improving farmers' economic and environmental performance. Secondly, it addresses the question of how farmers respond to climate change, and how they can be supported in their efforts. The dissertation consists of two case studies from Rwanda and one chapter reviewing the literature on climate change adaptation. The data for the empirical research was collected from September to December 2019 in three climatic regions in Rwanda.The first empirical essay analyses the relationship between Rainforest Alliance certification and environmental-economic outcomes. Results show that certification is significantly correlated with good agricultural practices and biodiversity-related practices. Overall, environmentally friendly practices are commonly used in the research area, and they are more prevalent in the regions more suitable for coffee production. Rainforest Alliances' ability to increase adoption of good agricultural practices is thus higher in regions where initial adoption rates are lower. The connection between the certification and good agricultural practices hence appears to be stronger in the region less suitable for coffee production, where previous adoption rates are lower than in the regions more suitable for coffee production. I would like to thank my first supervisor Prof. Dr. Meike Wollni for the opportunity to work on a topic I am still very much interested in. The freedom you left allowed me to learn, develop and grow in my own time. Second, I would like to thank my second and third supervisors, Prof. Dr. Carola Paul and Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim. Your feedback in discussing my work at different stages throughout my PhD contributed to refining my research ideas and papers. I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Dr. Daniel Hermann...
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