FAQ: 2020 Farm Requirements
A detailed FAQ about the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard Farm Requirements.
FAQs
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.
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
Early Feedback on the New Certification Program: Kyagalanyi Coffee Shares Their Implementation Experience
Find out what Ugandan coffee exporter, Kyagalanyi Coffee, had to say about the new program—from the improvements to the challenges.
Learnings from the Field: Finca Esmeralda and the Future of Certified Bananas
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.
Find An Authorized Certification Body
Rainforest Alliance certification is carried out by our authorized certification bodies. Find an authorized certification body in your county.
All resources for Certification
Rainforest Alliance Policy for Certification in India
For audits in India, also view our Self Assessment Standard Checklist [XLSX]
What’s New in the 2020 Standard? Farm Intelligence App
With the launch of our 2020 Certification Program, we are work-ing to deliver more value to the many people and businesses around the world that use Rainforest Alliance certification to support sustainable agricultural production and supply chains. Alongside our new program, we have also developed a new digital tool to help ensure a smooth implementation […]
Climate Change and Hazelnut Production
This one-sheet summarizes the findings of a recent report about the current and expected future impacts of climate change on Turkey’s hazelnut sector. These findings emphasize the need for climate-smart agriculture approaches and highlight the role that the Rainforest Alliance can play to drive improvements in hazelnut farming practices and help farmers adapt and flourish […]
Deep Dive into Coffee Sector Strategy – Webinar Slides
Presenting its new strategy for coffee sector transformation and how this is linked to the overall ambition of our new certification system and other intervention areas.
What’s in our 2020 Certification Program? Gender Equality
In our 2020 Certification Program, we are going further to promote gender equality by giving farms and companies new tools to understand the gender gaps and issues in their operations and how to address them. They will also be required to appoint a person or committee dedicated to addressing gender equality and actively promoting women’s […]
Protecting Against Forced Labor and Other Forms of Modern Slavery in Agricultural Supply Chains Through Rainforest Alliance Certification
Our 2020 Certification Program—published June 30, 2020, and mandatory for audits beginning July 1, 2021—adopts an “assess-and-address” approach to tackling human rights issues such as forced labor, which will not be tolerated on certified farms or in companies. Rather than imposing a simple prohibition, which often drives the problem underground, the “assess-and-address” approach goes much […]