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Certification & Services
Under the auspices of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), the Rainforest Alliance and our partner organizations work with farmers to bring their operations up to our standards for protecting wildlife, wild lands, workers’ rights and local communities. The SAN awards the Rainforest Alliance Certified eco-label to farms, not to companies or products. Farmers may apply for certification for all land in production and companies may request that all of their source farms be certified. In addition, companies may register with the Rainforest Alliance in order to begin purchasing and selling product as certified. Certification is wholly voluntary; the process begins with an application by the farmer. Farms in the program are fully inspected by our auditors at least every year, and SAN groups regularly make unannounced visits. Farms must demonstrate continued progress in order to maintain their certified status. Certification is a conservation approach that the Rainforest Alliance uses to award growers who meet our guidelines for sustainability. The certification seal acts as a guarantee, assuring consumers that the products they are buying have been produced and/or manufactured according to a specific set of criteria balancing ecological, economic, and social considerations. Certification protects wildlife. Certified farmers plant trees along roads, around housing, and in areas not suitable for crops. To control erosion and to limit the need for agrochemicals, they also plant buffer zones of native vegetation along rivers and springs and allow ground cover to grow. And they manage all pollutants, from tractor fuel to coffee mill wastewater. Certification protects workers. Certified farms hire locally, pay fair wages, and ensure safe working conditions and access to clean drinking water and proper sanitary facilities. In all, nearly 450,000 farm families are enjoying the benefits of the program. Certification is an incentive to make environmental and social improvements. Implementing the program helps farms reduce costs, improves quality and increases productivity. Farms that meet the standards may use the Rainforest Alliance Certified label in selling their products -- a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Certification gives consumers a say in how farms are managed. Shoppers who want to encourage good land stewardship and ecosystem conservation can shop for certified products.
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