The Rainforest Alliance and the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) have developed a joint Herbs & Spices Program. This new program brings together the current UEBT/UTZ Herbal Tea Program along with the UTZ and Rainforest Alliance certification programs for herbs, spices, rooibos, and vanilla. This post outlines transition timelines for farms and supply chain actors as well as transition options for farms.
Transition timelines and options for farms
Farms will be transitioning to either the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification or the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program in the course of 2021 and 2022. There are several options for farms on how and when to transition. The applicable options and timelines depend on the certification they currently have (Rainforest Alliance, UTZ rooibos or UEBT/UTZ for herbal teas), which certification they are transitioning to, and their audit schedules.
To understand which options apply to your farm, please consult the Transition Guide.
Below we have outlined the most common transition options:
Transition timelines for supply chain actors
- May 2021: Supply chain actors may start registering with Rainforest Alliance for the new program. Registrations need to be completed by 31 December 2021. You will receive an email invitation to complete your registration process once your window for registration opens.
- From July 2021: The Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard becomes mandatory from 1 July 2021. Once registered, supply chain actors can begin to receive remote audits to verify compliance with the new Supply Chain Requirements. Following successful completion of the remote audit, they will receive a Transition Certificate valid for one year. Some certificate holders may be eligible for an endorsement, which means they do not need to receive an audit but can apply for an endorsement to receive their Transition Certificate.
- July 2022: Supply chain actors can begin the three-year certification cycle.
Learn more about the timelines for transitioning to the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program.
Contact information
UEBT: herbsandspices@uebt.org
Rainforest Alliance: herbsandspices@ra.org
