For more than 20 years the Rainforest Alliance has honored and celebrated the accomplishments of exemplary individuals and businesses that have demonstrated dedication, innovation and a commitment to the global environment.
Past Gala Honorees/Co-chairs
2019
- Community Leadership Award
Klasik Beans Cooperative - Lifetime Achievement Award
Roberto Hernández and Family - Special Tribute
Richard Zell Donovan, Senior Forest Advisor
2018
- Community Leadership Honoree
The Cocoa Farmers of the Juaboso-Bia Region of Ghana - Sustainable Standard-Setters
The Original Bradford Soap Works Inc.
Colombian Coffee Growers Federation
Volcafe/Kyagalanyi Coffee Ltd
Patagonia - Sustainability Champion Award
Thomson Reuters Foundation - Sustainable Pathfinders
McDonald’s
New Britain Palm Oil Limited - Lifetime Achievement Award
Chris Wille
2017
- Community Leadership Award
Felisa Navas Pérez - Corporate Sustainability Champions
- People and Planet Champions
- Sustainable Development Champions
2016
- Global Standard-Setter
Government of Norway - Community Leadership Award
Juana Payaba Cachique - Sustainable Standard-Setters
Clearwater Paper Corporation
Clif Bar - Supply Chain Partnership Award
The Kroger Co. - Co-Chairs
Avery Dennison
Breyers
2015
- Lifetime Achievement Award
Marina Silva, Former Minister of the Environment of Brazil - Sustainable Standard-Setters
Avery Dennison
Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate
Breyers
CMPC Forestal Mininco
Fibria - Co-Chairs
Costa Rica Tourism Board
Mattel, Inc.
2014
- Lifetime Achievement Award
Paul Polman, Chief Executive, Unilever - Sustainable Standard-Setters
C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
Livia Firth, Founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age Ltd
Grupo JD
Mattel, Inc.
McLeod Russel India Limited
Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.
Nell Newman, Co-Founder and President of Newman’s Own Organics
Nova Scotia Landowners and Forest Fibre Producers Association
Oriflame Cosmetics
Sabre - Co-Chairs
AMResorts
Olam International Ltd. - Honorary Chair
Gisele Bündchen
2013
- Sustainable Standard-Setters
AMResorts
Barry Callebaut AG
IndoTeak Design
Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve
Kingfisher plc
NESCAFÉ
Olam International Ltd.
Tata Global Beverages - Co-Chairs
Blommer Chocolate Company
Bloomberg
2012
- Sustainable Standard-Setters
La Arboleda Community Mill
Blommer Chocolate Company
Bloomberg
Fazendas Reunidas Vale do Juliana SA
The Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal
Global Environment Facility
Marks and Spencer Group plc
The Nabob Coffee Company
Posada Amazonas Lodge by Rainforest Expeditions
Staples - Co-Chairs
Ecom Group
Mars, Incorporated
2011
- Sustainable Standard-Setters
Costa Coffee
The Kenco Coffee Company
Mars, Incorporated
Mayakoba Tourism Development and Its Three Hotels:
– Fairmont Mayakoba, Rosewood Mayakoba, Banyan Tree Mayakoba
Mayan Palms
Eric Poncon
Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales – Comisión Nacional Forestal de México - Co-Chairs
Columbia Forest Products
Mexico Tourism Board
2010
- Sustainable Standard-Setters
Pierrick Chouard of Vintage Plantations Chocolates
Columbia Forest Products
Côte d’Or
Glenn Jampol and Teresa Osman of Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation and Inn
JD Wetherspoon
Kenya Tea Development Agency
Willamette Valley Vineyards - Co-Chairs
Luigi Lavazza S.p.A
Suzano Pulp and Paper
2009
- Community Sustainable Standard-Setter
Napo Wildlife Center, Comunidad Kichwa Añangu - Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setters
Green Hotels of Costa Rica
Suzano Pulp and Paper - Corporate Green Globe Awardees
Allegro Coffee Company
Drie Mollen Group
National Envelope
Unilever-Lipton Tea - Individual Green Globe Award
Becky McKinnon - Co-Chairs
Ecuador Ministry of Tourism
Gloria Jean’s Coffees - Honorary Chair
Gisele Bündchen
2008
- Lifetime Achievement Award
HRH The Prince of Wales - Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setters
Mohawk Fine Papers
NatureAir - Individual Sustainable Standard-Setter
Toshishige Nakagoshi, Yusuhara Forest Owners’ Cooperative - Corporate Green Globe Awardees
Gloria Jean’s Coffees
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
HSBC
Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. - Co-Chairs
JPMorgan Chase
Nestlé Nespresso SA
Potlach Corporation
2007
- Lifetime Achievement Award
R.E. Turner - Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setters
Asociación de Comunidades Forestales de Petén
Lapa Rios
Masisa
Potlatch Corporation - Corporate Green Globe Awardees
Caribou Coffee Company, Inc.
Nestlé Nespresso SA - Co-Chairs
Chiquita Brands International
Kraft Foods Inc.
UCC Ueshima Coffee Company, Inc.
David Refkin, Time Inc.
2006
- Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setters The Grupo Roda Pictorial Offset Corporation
- Individual Sustainable Standard-Setters Roberto Llach and Diego Llach of Wild Forest Coffee
- Corporate Green Globe Awardees ECOM / Atlantic (USA) Horizontes Nature Tours National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia UCC Ueshima Coffee Company, LTD
- Individual Green Globe Award Art Wolfe
- Co-Chairs Domtar Luigi Lavazza S.p.A
2005
- Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setters Candlewood Timber Group LLC Favorita Fruit Company The Forestland Group LLC
- Individual Sustainable Standard-Setters Santiago Dunn, Ecoventura Grupo Kachalu Luis Pascoal, DaTerra Tom Quadracci, Quad/Graphics
- Corporate Green Globe Award Kraft Foods Inc.
- Individual Green Globe Award Alan Knight
- Co-Chairs ECOM/Atlantic USA Tembec
2004
- Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setters Anderson-Tully Domtar Klabin Precious Woods Tembec
- Individual Sustainable Standard-Setters Jameson French, Northland Forest Products Sergio Madrid, Consejo Civil Mexicano para Silvicultura Sostenible Jonathan E. Martin, Roy O. Martin Lumber Management
- Corporate Green Globe Awardees FedEx Kinko’s IKEA
- Individual Green Globe Awardees Michael E. Conroy, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (formerly with the Ford Foundation) David Refkin, Time Inc.
- Co-Chairs Roger Dower, Forest Stewardship Council-US Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson Musical Instruments
2003
- Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setter Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
- Individual Sustainable Standard-Setters Everardo & Astrid Bernstorff, coffee farmers Martin and Alex Keller, coffee farmers Alicia Morales, President, La Union Cooperative Holly and Dieter Nottebohm, coffee farmers Francisco and Carlos Ralda, coffee farmers
- Corporate Green Globe Awardees Balzac Brothers & Co. D.R. Wakefield & Co. Thanksgiving Coffee Company VOLCAFE GROUP
- Individual Green Globe Awardees Hans Jöhr, Nestlé Mary Williams, Starbucks Coffee Company
- Co-Chairs National Coffee Association Neumann Kaffee Gruppe Specialty Coffee Association of America
2002
- Sustainable Standard-Setter Gibson Guitar Corporation
- Green Globe Awardees Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Victor Lichtinger, Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico Judith P. Sulzberger, M.D.
- Co-Chairs Daniel Katz Joel Katz Robert Kistinger
2001
- Sustainable Standard-Setter Chiquita Brands International
- Green Globe Awardees John Michael Forgach, President and CEO, A2R Fund Management Sarah Yamina Ifrah, Young Environmentalist
- Co-Chairs Jeremy Grantham David L. Hendrickson
2000
- Conservationist Couple Green Globe Awardees Chevy and Jayni Chase
- Corporate Green Globe Awardees Ben & Jerry’s Nickelodeon
- Co-Chairs Kerri Anderson-Corn Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick Alec Baldwin Dr. Judith Sulzberger Alan Wilzig and Karin Koenig
1999
- Arts & Nature Green Globe Award Alec Baldwin
- Conservation Green Globe Award Ellen Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History
- Corporate Green Globe Awardees AT & T Kafus Environmental Industries
- Co-Chairs Brad Allenby Henry Juszkiewicz Harry Karmen Michael McCabe Ann Ziff
1998
- Arts & Nature Green Globe Award Olivia Newton-John
- Conservation Green Globe Award Dr. Alison F. Richard
- Corporate Green Globe Award Ermenegildo Zegna
- Co-Chairs Jeff Bewkes Bianca Jagger Ann Ziff
1997
- Amway Thomas Eisner, Professor, Cornell University Rodrigo Gámez, Director INBio John Hendricks, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Discovery Communications, Inc. Island Press Bianca Jagger, Human Rights and Environmental Advocate J.P. Morgan & Co. Inc. Henry Muller, Editorial Director, Time Inc. George Page, Host, Narrator and Executive Editor, WNET “Nature” Luke Sanchez, Young Environmentalist
- Co-Chairs Kelly Chapman and Ron Meyer Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon Ann and Bill Ziff
1996
- Walter Cronkite
- Ally Award Gerry Ellis, Nature Photographer
- Co-Chairs John Hendricks Henry Juszkiewicz
- Honorary Co-Chairs Ann and Bill Ziff Mr. and Mrs. Ted Tuner
1995
- R.E. Turner
- Ally Award Claudette Mo, Director, Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica
- Co-Chairs Daniel H. Stern Dirk E. Ziff
- Honorary Co-Chairs Ann and Bill Ziff
1994
- Peter Matthiessen
- Ally Award Maria José González, Fundación Interamericana de Investigación Tropical
- Co-Chairs Adelaide de Menil Carpenter Thomas Guinzburg George Plimpton Rose and Bill Stryon Tamsen Ann Ziff
1993
- Dr. Jane Goodall
- Special Corporate Award Ziff Communications Company
1992
Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy