Are you interested in purchasing products from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms? The first step is to become part of our certification program based on the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard. Please note that most companies that either own or physically handle Rainforest Alliance Certified commodities must register on our Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP). For guidance on whether your company needs to register, please see our certification guidance document.
What is supply chain certification?
Supply Chain Certification (formerly called Chain of Custody) and supporting documents aims to better target companies’ sustainability investments at farm level, promote responsible business conduct and create more structurally balanced supply chains. Supply Chain Certification also provides assurance around traceability and integrity of your supply chain and allows you to confidently claim product as Rainforest Alliance Certified.
Supply chain certification allows your company to source and sell certified products with the Rainforest Alliance seal. It helps you meet the rising demand for more sustainable products, and access new markets while reducing potential reputational risks. Our teams are available to support you throughout the entire certification process.
Steps to get Supply Chain Certification:
Step 3:
Risk Assessment
Submit information about your activities, crops and volumes in the Rainforest Alliance system.
Step 4:
Verification process
After review by our teams, you’ll get the results of your risk assessment and follow the appropriate steps
Step 5:
License to trade
Get the results of your audit or endorsement process, and the license to trade on our traceability platforms
Step 6:
Trade certified volumes
Step 1:
Registration
To complete this step:
Visit the Registration Portal
As the legacy UTZ and Rainforest Alliance Certification programs are being phased out, all organizations that wish to join the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program need to register to receive an account ID. This is the case even if you already have an account or accounts with us.
Tips and hints
If you are already part of the legacy Rainforest Alliance or the UTZ certification programs, you already have one or several ID numbers. Please keep all of them at hand to complete your registration process, as you will need them to complete your registration and get new ID numbers for the new certification program.
Note that you need to register:
-
- If you are buying or selling Rainforest Alliance Certified products
- If you are submitting trademarks requests
- If you are signing legal agreements with the Rainforest Alliance
Ready to get started?
Your organization needs to specify the crops, activities and sites that you want to certify. Based on this information, you will receive the applicable requirements that you need to comply with to obtain the Rainforest Alliance Certification. You can find more information on our step-by-step guide User Manual.
If you represent a supply chain organization, you will have to answer questions about your organization to receive a verification level that determines whether you need to be audited to get certified.
Step 2:
Sign a license agreement for the new Rainforest Alliance Certification Program
To complete this step:
Visit the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform
All organizations joining the new Rainforest Alliance Certification Program need to have a valid License Agreement with the Rainforest Alliance agreeing to abide by the rules of the program.
Tips and hints
If you already have a valid License Agreement 2020, please upload it to the RACP.
If you have not signed a License Agreement 2020 yet, please request and sign this in the RACP. You can sign it with DocuSign or print and sign the document. You can find more information in the “Sign a License Agreement” chapter of the User Manual.
Step 3:
Risk Assessment
To complete this step:
Visit the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform
If you represent a supply chain organization, you will need to provide information about each site that you want to get certified. With this information you will receive a verification level that determines whether an audit is required and the frequency of those audits.
The Supply Chain Risk Assessment considers the organization’s activities, location, information on the certified product or products, compliance, and social risks, among others. Based on this information, your organization is assigned a verification level which determines if it will require an audit or endorsement to get certified. If an audit is needed, you will also get information of the type of audit and frequency.
Tips and hints
Read more about the Supply Chain Risk Assessment and the different verification methods in the FAQ below.
Step 4:
Audit process
To complete this step:
View the list of Certification Bodies authorized by the Rainforest Alliance to find one that works in your country if your organization requires an audit.
Once you submitted your Supply Chain Risk Assessment (SCRA) by clicking “calculate my verification level”, our Supply Chain Certification Team will review the information provided. Based on these results, you will get more information on how to continue the process.
Tips and hints
Find out which steps you will need to take after you have received your risk level results in Verification Level Received – What to do next. For any questions, please refer to our Q&A section in the document.
Step 5:
License to trade
To complete this step:
Visit the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform
All certified organizations must receive a license from the Rainforest Alliance to be able to trade volumes of certified products in the Rainforest Alliance Traceability Platform.
Once you have completed all the steps mentioned above, the Rainforest Alliance will review the information you provided and grant your organization a license to trade if no further clarification is required.
Tips and hints
The license is authorized based on the certification scope.
Step 6:
Trade Certified Volumes
To complete this step:
Depending on your crop, visit Multitrace, Marketplace 2.0, or the RACP.
All purchases and sales of Rainforest Alliance Certified volumes between certified organizations needs to be recorded in the designated Rainforest Alliance platform to ensure compliance with Rainforest Alliance traceability rules and provide transparency and accountability to consumers of certified products.
Tips and hints
Currently, the Rainforest Alliance uses different traceability platforms for different commodities. You will receive more information on which platform you need to use once you have obtained your license. For an overview, please see here.
Request approvals
As a business working with the Rainforest Alliance, you have the opportunity to make claims and use our seal on your products to promote your sustainability commitments. Companies selling Rainforest Alliance Certified agricultural crops must request and receive approval through Marketplace prior to use the Rainforest Alliance marks and claims on all type of public facing material. More information about using our seal can be found on our website here.
Transitioning to the new Rainforest Alliance Certification Program and Full Mutual Recognition
In January 2021 we started the transition to the new Rainforest Alliance Certification Program, based on the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard. This means that, as of July 1st, 2021, certification is only possible against the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard.
Since 31 January 2022, Full Mutual Recognition has been available for companies still certified against the Rainforest Alliance or UTZ Chain of Custody 2015 or 2017 programs. The volumes from all three programs are now considered “Rainforest Alliance” volumes. You can read more on our page on Full Mutual Recognition.
What does this mean for transitioning to the new standard? The transition rules and timelines remain the same. You can find more information about the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard and the transition rules here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to customersuccess@ra.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Supply Chain Risk Assessment (SCRA)?
As a part of the registration process for the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program, organizations will be asked to submit information that feeds into the Supply Chain Risk Assessment (SCRA). The SCRA considers the organization’s activities, its location and the location of sites, information on the certified product(s), compliance, and social risks, among others. Based on this information, an organization is assigned a verification level which determines whether an audit is needed, and if this is the case, the type and frequency of the audit.
Who has to go through the SCRA?
The SCRA is only applicable to those organizations going through the supply chain certification process. Organizations that go through the farm audit process do not have to complete the SCRA. In practice, this means that organizations that include farming in their activities are considered a prospective farm certificate holder and the SCRA does not apply to them. When an organization registers for the Program, it is asked to indicate its activities. If a prospective Certificate Holder is recognized as a supply chain organization, the system will indicate that the SCRA process applies.
How do I complete the SCRA?
After the system has established that an SCRA is needed and the organization has filled out the questionnaire for each site that they wish to include in their certification profile, they can confirm their scope and view their requirements. Once this is complete, the organization can submit the SCRA by selecting the ‘calculate my verification level(s)’ button and confirming that the profile is ready to be reviewed. The final step to submit the SCRA is then to complete payment of the SCRA fee.
The complete profile is then reviewed by the Supply Chain Certification team. Once the team confirms the risk for each site within the organization’s profile, the verification levels will be displayed in the organization’s account. In addition, the organization receives an email that includes next steps for supply chain certification. Please note that an organization can update the scope of their profile any time prior to selecting the ‘calculate my verification level(s)’ button. Once this process is set in motion, the organization needs to reach out to the Rainforest Alliance to make any changes to sites that are under review. However, new sites can be added at any time.
How long does the SCRA review take?
Currently, the review time is estimated at 3 weeks, based on the projected number of requests. This review time may increase or decrease depending on the volume of requests received and automations in the system.
What is the verification level?
The verification level refers to how often and what review processes are needed to assess the risk at a specific site. This verification can range from an internal Rainforest Alliance review of the certification profile of an organization, to a site audit carried out by a Certification Body.
The Rainforest Alliance review
The review is a remote method of verification through which the Rainforest Alliance evaluates compliance with the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard by evaluating evidence submitted by the Certificate Holder. This can include looking at the Certificate Holder’s self-assessment, non-conformance history if applicable. The Rainforest Alliance may contact the company to ask for additional information.
The Rainforest Alliance automated check
This method of verification evaluates basic compliance with the program through data collected in the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform, including up-to-date traceability, submitted seal approvals and valid license agreements.
The CB on-site audit
In this type of audit, representatives of a Certification Body travel to a site to obtain audit evidence and evaluate compliance with the relevant Standard requirements.
The CB desk audit
In this type of audit, the Certification Body works remotely and reviews documentation to evaluate compliance with the relevant Standard requirements.

What do levels A-E mean?
Levels A through E indicate how often an organization needs to present data related to compliance to the Rainforest Alliance, and in what way.
A site that falls under verification level A is considered low risk. Therefore, the Rainforest Alliance considers it sufficient to review information itself, rather than ask the organization to undergo an audit from a CB. The Rainforest Alliance conducts a review of an organization’s level of compliance with their applicable requirements and any non-conformance history. A site under verification level A will receive an endorsement, which has the same weight as a Certification Body-issued certificate and allows for the organization to carry out transactions in the Rainforest Alliance platforms.
For all other levels (B-E), third-party (Certification Body) verification is required at least in year one of the three-year certification cycle. The verification becomes more in-depth as the risk increases, from a desk audit to an on-site audit through a Certification Body. If the Certification Body that carries out the audit makes a positive decision, it can issue a Rainforest Alliance certificate. The organization is then allowed to carry out transactions in the Rainforest Alliance platforms.
How is the verification level calculated?
While there are several factors that feed into your verification level, the general rules set out below will help you understand where you might fall in terms of verification level, but you won’t know the specific verification level until you have completed the process in RACP:
Sites that process product (processing is altering the product resulting in a different output from the input. i.e. green coffee to roasted coffee, cocoa powder to finished chocolate, made tea to flavored tea) will generally fall into the higher verification levels (C-E). While sites that don’t process and are handling or trading will generally fall into lower verification levels (A-B).
Factors that can decrease the verification level:
- Sites where the total volumes (certified and non-certified) within the certificate scope fall below our small volume thresholds, (2020 Certification and Auditing Rules,p. 25).
- Sites that have valid certificates for schemes we recognize.
- Sites that are ONLY processing Rainforest Alliance Certified product.
- Sites that do not physically handle Rainforest Alliance Certified product.
Factors that increase the verification level:
- Sites that are responsible for paying the Sustainability Differential (SD) and Sustainability Investments (SI).
- Sites that are part of a multi-site certification scope and are the certification administrator of sites that have verification levels B-E.
- Sites that need to comply with origin matching requirements per Annex S6.
- Social requirements being applicable to sites based on the following parameters, all three parameters need to be met for social requirements to apply (Chapter 5 of the Supply Chain Requirements in the 2020 Standard):
- They are processing AND;
- They are located in a country where the Corruption Perceptions Index is under our risk map threshold AND;
- They are located in a country where Rainforest Alliance also certifies farm certificate holders for that crop.
In general, organizations handling volumes below the small volume thresholds (2020 Certification and Auditing Rules, p. 25) and/or not physically handling product and/or only handling Rainforest Alliance products are placed at the lowest risk level. Organizations on the highest risk level are those processing unfinished certified and non-certified products and those that present a potential risk in social topics. Social requirements become applicable to sites that meet the following parameters: They are processing AND they are located in a country where the Corruption Perceptions Index CPI is 57 or lower AND they are located in a country that Rainforest Alliance farm certificate holders. All three parameters need to be met in order for social requirements to become applicable. Social requirements are those listed in Chapter 5 of the Supply Chain Requirements in the Standard.