The production of many commonly traded goods—coffee, chocolate, tea, bananas, palm oil, and timber—often involves human rights abuses. While progress has been made in recent years, thorny problems such as child labor, forced labor, poor working conditions, low wages, gender inequality, and the violation of Indigenous land rights are still embedded in many supply chains.
Advancing the rights of rural people goes hand-in-hand with improving planetary health. Project Drawdown cites gender equality, for instance, as one of the top climate solutions, and in our own work, we have seen that farmers and forest communities can better steward their land when their human rights are respected. Everyone deserves to live and work with dignity, agency, and self-determination—and promoting the rights of rural people is key to a sustainable future.
Improving lives and promoting rights of rural communities is a central part of our mission. Our field results, backed by independent studies, demonstrate, for instance, that workers on certified farms are more likely to enjoy better working conditions and important protections.
of workers on Rainforest Alliance Certified tea estates in Tamil Nadu, India, receive paid annual and sick leave*
In Tamil Nadu, India, a study of 300 farmworkers on seven Rainforest Alliance Certified tea estates and one noncertified estate found a significantly higher percentage of workers on certified estates had contracts and annual paid leave, sick leave, and maternity leave.
*Source: Lalitha N, Nelson V, Martin A, Posthumus H. 2013. Assessing the poverty impact of sustainability standards: Indian tea. Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, London.
of Rainforest Alliance Certified banana farms studied in Colombia have a health and safety professional for their workers*
A study of 13 newly certified banana plantations in Colombia found health and safety professionals to be practicing on all the farms. These professionals identify risks, conduct trainings, and facilitate medical exams. 50 percent more managers on certified farms than non-certified also reported providing in-kind health benefits to permanent workers.
*Based on 2018 survey of newly certified farms in Colombia (Beekman, G. M. Dekkers, and T. Koster (2019). Towards a sustainable banana supply chain in Colombia; Rainforest Alliance certification and economic, social and environmental conditions on small-scale banana plantations in Magdalena, Colombia. Wageningen, Wageningen Economic Research, Report 2019-019: 1-49)
The Rainforest Alliance brings together producers, companies, governments, nonprofit organizations, and consumers to advance human rights in the landscapes where we work. We work both to transform business practices and government policy, as well as promote the rights of our partner communities within our certification system and sustainable development initiatives.
Through certification, landscape and community programs, tailored supply chain services, and advocacy, we are helping to protect and promote the rights of farmworkers around the world.
Addressing human rights abuses in agriculture and forestry is a key focus of our work to make responsible business the new normal.
We can all play a crucial role to ensure that all children grow up in dignity. So, who’s with us?
Meet 5 incredible women in sustainability who have successfully transformed their communities and the landscapes around them.
There is no place in either sustainable agriculture or responsible business for human rights abuses such as forced labor. This position paper first presents how the Rainforest Alliance defines forced labor and what we see as the root causes of forced labor in the agriculture sector. We then lay out the Rainforest Alliance’s approach to […]
We are working to grow Mexico’s domestic market for sustainably produced products.... Continue Reading
Indigenous peoples and local communities have an unsurpassed connection to the Earth's forests. ... Continue Reading
The Rainforest Alliance welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for an EU directive on corporate sustainability due diligence (CSDDD). This is a pivotal step towards raising the bar for stronger corporate accountability on human rights and the environment as well as setting a level playing field for companies. However, there are opportunities for improvement to meet […]
The study looks at impacts of transition to mechanized harvesting; employment terms and conditions; gender discrimination; wages; occupational health and safety; housing and living conditions; and operational grievance and remedy mechanisms. ... Continue Reading
We are scaling up ongoing projects in three areas across Latin-America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, to support women in leading the way forward in community-based landscape management and restoration, as well as nature-based business opportunities. ... Continue Reading