
Certification has had a huge impact in bringing sustainability to the forefront of business thinking, but it must continue to evolve to provide more value to farmers and companies and ensure that people and nature can thrive in harmony.
That's why the Rainforest Alliance launched its new Certification Program, which entered into force in July 2021. The Sustainable Agriculture Standard, along with its assurance and technology systems, are data-powered, and based on the principles of continuous improvement, risk-based assurance, contextualization, and shared responsibility. This is how we can deliver more value to the two million farmers and thousands of businesses that use Rainforest Alliance certification to drive more sustainable agricultural production and responsible supply chains.

At the heart of the Rainforest Alliance
The certification program is part of the Rainforest Alliance’s strategy to drive sustainability at scale in the sectors in which we operate through interconnected interventions supporting certification, tailored supply chain services, landscapes and communities, and advocacy.
What We're Working On
Strengthened Cocoa Certification Program
Key priorities of our cocoa strategy are assurance, shared responsibility, supply chain transparency, and profitability and resilience.
Risk Maps for Risk Management
How we have tailored the implementation and verification of standards requirements on child labor and forced labor to the risk exposure of each farm.
Shared Responsibility
Our shared responsibility approach aims to distribute benefits and costs of certification more evenly between farmers and companies.
Ready to Get Started?
Begin your journey of certification with the Rainforest Alliance.
Additional Resources


Help Center
FAQ: 2020 Supply Chain Requirements

Partner Update
Early Feedback on the New Certification Program: Kyagalanyi Coffee Shares Their Implementation Experience

Organizational Updates
Learnings from the Field: Finca Esmeralda and the Future of Certified Bananas
All resources for Certification
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Policies and rules
Policy on changes to certification and auditing rules for audits in the transition year
This policy describes the changes to ensure consistent implementation of the Certification and Auditing Rules across the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program during the Transition year.
View: Policy on changes to certification and auditing rules for audits in the transition year
Policies and rules
Adjusted Timelines for the Transition and Full Certification Cycles of the 2020 Rainforest Alliance Certification Program
The Adjusted Timelines for the Transition and Full Certification Cycles of the 2020 Rainforest Alliance Certification Program have been introduced to further support certificate holders to transition
View: Adjusted Timelines for the Transition and Full Certification Cycles of the 2020 Rainforest Alliance Certification Program
Policies and rules
Policy: New Certificate Holders During the Transition Period For the 2020 Rainforest Alliance Certification Program
Rainforest Alliance has established a one-year period with special, transitory rules intended to facilitate a smooth transition from the UTZ and 2017 Rainforest Alliance Programs into the new 2020
View: Policy: New Certificate Holders During the Transition Period For the 2020 Rainforest Alliance Certification Program
Sell Sheet
Improving Farmer Food System Resilience through Climate-Smart Agriculture
A key aspect of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is helping farmers to improve farm productivity, thus achieve higher incomes and improved standard of living. Our four main interconnected areas of
View: Improving Farmer Food System Resilience through Climate-Smart Agriculture
Forms and Templates
Deforestation Inconsistency Registry
This document is for Certification Bodies to register inconsistencies found in the field during the audit by comparing field observations and the risk assessment results provided by the Rainforest
View: Deforestation Inconsistency Registry
How to Use Our Certification Program’s Online Portals
As we are developing our certification program, we currently have multiple systems in place for labeling, licensing, and traceability. To ensure clarity for all company partners we work with, we’ve created a quick guide to the various platforms and portals you may use as a certificate holder.[Read more...]