🔎 ZOOM ON // Rainforest Alliance, a label for sustainable agriculture

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CERTIFICATION?

The Rainforest Alliance focuses on protecting land and forests in ways that advance the rights and prosperity of rural communities. When a product or ingredient is Rainforest Alliance Certified, it means that it meets three principles of sustainability: social equity, environmental responsibility and economic viability of farming communities.

This label is intended to small and large farms (Producers, Grower groups); single site and multi-site organizations (Processors, Importers or Exporters, Brands, Distributors) for the following categories of products: Coffee, Cocoa, Tea, Fruits, Nuts, Vegetables, Cut flowers (and Herbs/Spices under the chain of custody scope).

The Rainforest Alliance provides regular updates!

In January 2018, UTZ merged with the Rainforest Alliance. The Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program is born after this merger and entered into force since July 1st, 2021.

We also recommend you to have a look on the year transition period, from the July 1st, 2021 to June 30th 2022

CHANGES WITH RA 2020

Here are some of the main advances for people and nature in the new 2020 Certification Program:

• Building climate resilience: promoting climate-smart growing techniques that can help farmers adapt to and prepare for impacts
• Advancing human rights: new approach supporting better farms and companies to tackle these issues, developing risk maps, stronger stance against gender inequality
• Cultivating rural prosperity: sustainability differential and sustainability investments
• Protecting forest and Biodiversity: not only prohibits deforestation but also the destruction of all natural ecosystems—meaning much more nature will be protected

SYMBOL OF THE FROG

Frogs can be found on every continent on the planet! (Except the Arctic). More precisely, this species is found in places where the ecosystem is "natural, balanced and vigorous". Scientists call them "bioindicators". In other words, the environment and a healthy frog work together. When one is present, the other is automatically present. The animal is an "international symbol of sustainability" for the label.

RAINFOREST ALLIANCE 2020 x ECOCERT 

Since July 2021 Ecocert can conduct audits and provide certification services for the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Programme. As a certification body, Ecocert certifies "farms, farmer groups and companies”. They ensure that certified groups are in line with the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable agriculture and chain of custody/monitoring standards. 

KEY FIGURES

• 2002:  Ecocert start auditing under UTZ certified
• 2019: Ecocert start auditing under Rainforest Alliance (version 2017 and 2015)

• 2021: Ecocert is authorized to start auditing under Rainforest Alliance 2020

  +500 projects certified by Ecocert, according to one of the two possible standards over the last twelve months. Rainforest Alliance is also:

• +2.3 million certified farmers
• +6.8 million hectares certified
• +100 countries where you can buy certified products
• +5000 companies that work with RA to source certified ingredients

To know more about Rainforest Alliance, follow the frog and the swallow (for Ecocert group)!