A panel of independent coffee experts evaluated coffee from nearly 100 Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in 11 countries last month. All countries received an average score of more than 80, the threshold to attain specialty status, indicating that sustainable farming practices produce high-quality coffee.

"When farmers are meeting a set of holistic standards covering soil and water conservation and good worker treatment, those responsible practices result in the production of better beans," said Sabrina Vigilante, senior marketing manager in the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable agriculture program. "These results show that a range of industry experts agree. Put simply: sustainable practices yield a premium product."

Coffees were evaluated at the headquarters of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in Long Beach, California and were judged on fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, uniformity, balance, cleanliness, sweetness and overall impression. Top scorers from the cupping event included farms from Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Nicaragua and Mexico.

In 1989, with support from Elysabeth Kleinhans, the Rainforest Alliance began to study the management and use of tropical forest resources including Brazil nuts, rattan, fruits and medicinal plants. These non-timber forest products (NTFPs) not only provide communities with medicines, food, firewood and an important source of income, but can also serve as an incentive to protect the integrity of forest ecosystems.

The Kleinhans Fellowship synthesizes elements of conservation and business -- promoting study of the ecology of tropical forests, resources with economic potential, local and international markets and the logistical and economic challenges inherent in bringing those products to market. Kleinhans Fellows focus on products found in primary or secondary forests, encourage the reforestation of degraded forests, build on the knowledge of native forest inhabitants, and add value to forest products through processing.

By providing solid research data into non-timber forest product supply, Kleinhans Fellows also help to develop markets for sustainably harvested NTFPs, which can alleviate some of the pressure that timber harvesting and other land uses place on forests. Their research can also serve as a model for other communities seeking opportunities for sustainable resource extraction from tropical forests.

The Rainforest Alliance began in 1987 with an idea, a vision, a mission to protect our planet's majestic resources and the wildlife and people that depend on them. Ultimately, we invented a brand new model for growing and harvesting timber and crops in sensitive habitats, and for visiting these destinations, along with incentives for businesses and consumers to embrace this new, positive solution and make it truly sustainable. Learn more about the growth of the Rainforest Alliance's programs and impacts over the past 20 years in our new timeline.

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary and the progress made during this period, we also look forward to the reaching the following milestones over the next five years:

• Developing a new Climate Change Initiative to certify carbon offsetting projects and protect vast tracts of forest that will absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere;
• Creating and launching new standards for sustainable cattle ranching, and for the production of soy, palm oil, sugar and other biofuel crops;
• Doubling the amount of forest land certified as sustainably managed -- from 100 million acres in 2007 to 237 million acres in 2012;
• Gaining greater corporate commitment to sustainable goods by recruiting 50 Fortune 500 companies to source Rainforest Alliance Certified products;
• Launching the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council to act as a governing body that accredits tourism certification programs and promotes sustainable tourism worldwide;
• Increasing the number of certified products in the market so that Rainfort Alliance Certified coffee accounts for 5 percent of global coffee supply and Rainfort Alliance Certified bananas account for 20 percent of global banana supply.

The Rainforest Alliance has a new multimedia section on our Web site. Check out some of the video and audio offerings that will bring you closer to our work:

• The Rainforest Alliance's Federico Solano speaks to BusinessWeek Television about sustainable tourism.
• Executive director Tensie Whelan provides a travelogue of her visit to Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee farms in Colombia.
• Students at the Lafayette Street School in Newark, NJ participate in protecting rainforests and integrating activism into their studies by following the Rainforest Alliance education curricula.
• Rainforest Alliance supporter Dr. Sylvia Earle gives a presentation entitled Coral Reefs: Rainforests of the Ocean.
• Also take a look at FOXNews.com for a clip of Tensie Whelan speaking about sustainable business as part of the network’s "Go Green" series. (Click on "Big Business Goes Green.")

Send free Rainforest Alliance eCards!

Sign up to receive Rainforest Matters each month by email!

© 2007 Rainforest Alliance