The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit organization registered in the Netherlands and the United States, recently announced that it is suspending all new business activities in the Russian market until further notice.
These activities include all certification audits and verification audits, supply chain certifications, new license agreements for use of the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal for companies that were not part of one of our certification programs before February 24, 2022. We will also not review new requests for artwork approval for use of the seal for products distributed in Russia. The suspension of these activities is effective immediately, and we will continue to monitor and assess the situation as it evolves.
The Rainforest Alliance believes that protecting and advancing human rights is a responsibility shared by all actors in responsible business, and we take our role in that context very seriously. The Rainforest Alliance stands against all actions that violate international humanitarian law: The escalating war in Ukraine and surrounding countries presents a catastrophic humanitarian and environmental crisis, and our thoughts are with all who have been affected by the ongoing conflict.
As an international non-profit organization working in 70 countries, the Rainforest Alliance joins the world in calling for peace, which is fundamental to our vision of creating a world where people and nature thrive together.