The 2019 Impacts Report synthesizes recent independent research on how Rainforest Alliance and UTZ certification affects farmers, farm workers and ecosystems. The report also draws on our rich experience in the field, sharing lessons about the effectiveness of our strategies in the diverse regions where we work. With sections on each of the Rainforest Alliance’s […]
The role of certification in achieving sustainability outcomes is not limited to the farm-level. However, it can be difficult to measure and map the aggregate impacts of certification since adoption often varies and landscapes are complex. This impacts study provides an interesting example of how the cumulative impacts of certification can be quantified at the […]
The Rainforest Alliance, IDH-Sustainable Trade Initiative, and private entities in the banana sector collaborated on an evaluation of the social and environmental practices on Rainforest Alliance Certified banana farms in Costa Rica and Belize. The study was carried out in 2018 and analyzed wages, benefits, and workers’ rights; occupational health; and safety on a sample of seven […]
This evaluation study, conducted by the Wageningen Economic Research and commissioned by the Rainforest Alliance, compared certified banana farms to similar non-certified farms in the region of Magdalena, one of Colombia’s main banana producing regions. The research found that wages and working conditions on certified farms are slightly better, that certified farms take more safety […]
The UTZ hazelnut certification program was launched in 2014. This evaluation compares the situation of certified hazelnut producers in 2018 against a baseline taken at the start of the program in 2014. Between 2014 and 2018 the Hazelnuts certification program grew considerably. In 2018 it had over 4,300 farmers enrolled, members of 14 group-certificate holders, […]
This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the Rainforest Alliance certification program as evidenced by independent research, audit findings for certified farms and groups, and interviews with farmers and leading sustainability researchers. The theme of this Impacts Report – “Partnership, Learning, and Change” – highlights the Rainforest Alliance’s collaborative approach to tackling the most critical […]