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
Annex Chapter 2: Traceability (Previous Annex S06)
SA-S-SD-20 This annex includes additional binding content related to the implementation of the Requirements in Chapter 2 of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard: Traceability. This document includes: Traceability (Previous Annex S06) (Related to requirements 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3) The new version (v1.2) was published in order to add that mass balance is now permitted for cashews […]
Annex Chapter 3: Income and Shared Responsibility (Previous Annex S14)
SA-S-SD-21 This annex includes additional binding content related to the implementation of the Requirements in Chapter 3 of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard: Shared Responsibility. This document includes: Shared Responsibility (Previous Annex S14) (Related to requirements 3.2 and 3.3) This updated version of Annex Chapter 3 was published in order to clarify that for bananas and […]
Online Traceability Exception for Tea Certificate Holders
This policy exception has been developed to support the traceability reporting process for tea certificate holders.
Supply Chain Shortage Exception for Orange Juice Certificate Holders
An exception to the Rainforest Alliance Standard mass balance and temporary supply shortage rules have been granted to orange juice certificate holders.
Two Tools for More Responsible Supply Chains: Rainforest Alliance Certification and the Accountability Framework
Jeff Milder, the Rainforest Alliance’s director of global policy and coalitions, reflects on how the goals and mechanisms of our recently strengthened 2020 Certification Program intersects with those of the Accountability Framework initiative—and highlights the many benefits for companies embracing both tools.
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Rainforest Alliance Certification: A Crucial Step to EUDR Compliance
The race is on to meet the requirements of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) by December 30, 2024—and certified coffee and cocoa companies can consider the Rainforest Alliance a powerful partner in this sprint.