Certification has had a huge impact in bringing sustainability to the forefront of business thinking, but it must continue to evolve to provide more value to farmers and companies and ensure that people and nature can thrive in harmony.
That's why the Rainforest Alliance launched its new Certification Program, which entered into force in July 2021. The Sustainable Agriculture Standard, along with its assurance and technology systems, are data-powered, and based on the principles of continuous improvement, risk-based assurance, contextualization, and shared responsibility. This is how we can deliver more value to the two million farmers and thousands of businesses that use Rainforest Alliance certification to drive more sustainable agricultural production and responsible supply chains.
The certification program is part of the Rainforest Alliance’s strategy to drive sustainability at scale in the sectors in which we operate through interconnected interventions supporting certification, tailored supply chain services, landscapes and communities, and advocacy.
Key priorities of our cocoa strategy are assurance, shared responsibility, supply chain transparency, and profitability and resilience.
How we have tailored the implementation and verification of standards requirements on child labor and forced labor to the risk exposure of each farm.
Our shared responsibility approach aims to distribute benefits and costs of certification more evenly between farmers and companies.
Begin your journey of certification with the Rainforest Alliance.
Find out what Ugandan coffee exporter, Kyagalanyi Coffee, had to say about the new program—from the improvements to the challenges.... Continue Reading
After teaming up for an early implementation pilot of our strengthened certification program, both Finca Esmeralda and the Rainforest Alliance took away learnings that will contribute to a more sustainable banana sector.... Continue Reading
Rainforest Alliance certification is carried out by our authorized certification bodies. Find an authorized certification body in your county.... Continue Reading
What can be done to reduce this reliance on pesticides and the negative consequences of pesticide use? A practical and cost-effective answer is integrated pest management (IPM).... Continue Reading
The Exceptional Use Policy is built upon requests from certified producers to use pesticides that are included on the List of Prohibited Pesticides (Annex 7).... Continue Reading
Rainforest Alliance certification is carried out by our authorized certification bodies. Find an authorized certification body in your county.... Continue Reading
The Rainforest Alliance partnered with the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) to create a joint certification for herbs and spices that is fostering a more sustainable and regenerative future for the industry. ... Continue Reading
SA-P-SD-9 The objective of this policy, alongside the 2020 Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard requirements, is to support producers in their journey to phasing out the use of HHPs. The Exceptional Use Policy grants limited exceptions for the use of certain agrochemical compounds contained in the Rainforest Alliance list of prohibited pesticides in specific scenarios […]
The crop list presents all the possible certified products in Rainforest Alliance. This document was previously part of Annex S13 (GMR), but now it was separated for ease of use. In case of any questions, please reach out to customersuccess@ra.org.