Certification

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.

At the heart of the Rainforest Alliance

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.

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What We're Working On

Strengthened Cocoa Certification Program

Key priorities of our cocoa strategy are assurance, shared responsibility, supply chain transparency, and profitability and resilience.

Risk Maps for Risk Management

How we have tailored the implementation and verification of standards requirements on child labor and forced labor to the risk exposure of each farm.

Shared Responsibility

Our shared responsibility approach aims to distribute benefits and costs of certification more evenly between farmers and companies.

Ready to Get Started?

Begin your journey of certification with the Rainforest Alliance.

Additional Resources

Find An Authorized Certification Body

Rainforest Alliance certification is carried out by our authorized certification bodies. Find an authorized certification body in your county.

Help Center

All resources for Certification

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Policy on Changes to Chapter 2: Rules for CB Personnel

The Rainforest Alliance Certification Program, based on the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard, introduces several requirements for Certification Body (CB) personnel that will strengthen our assurance system but will need additional time and resources to be fully implemented. Therefore, the Rainforest Alliance authorizes the changes summarized in this policy, during the transition year. In addition, this […]

Policies and rules
May 15, 2023

KoBoCollect Guidance

This guidance document provides a step-by-step guide on how to use KoBoCollect to collect geodata. KoBo works both on your mobile device and desktop, either through the app or via website. KoBo can be used as a tool to collect the geolocation data of farm units. It can be downloaded and installed from the app […]

Guidance
May 10, 2023

Response to Study on the Implementation of Grievance Mechanisms

The Rainforest Alliance commissioned a study to review the current situation of grievance mechanisms in farms and groups participating in the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program. The study sought to gain a better understanding of how this specific element of the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard is being implemented by farm and group certificate holders. […]

Case Study
April 26, 2023