The Transition Rules provide the processes for certificate holders of the 2015 UTZ Certification Program and/or 2017 Rainforest Alliance Certification Program wishing to be certified under the Rainforest Alliance’s new 2020 Certification Program.
Registration
We are currently improving the registration process in our new Certification Platform, MultiTrace (MTT), based on initial feedback to improve the user experience. As a result, the timelines have been adjusted as listed below. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by these changes.
- In March Farm certificate holders will be able to start their registration process.
- In Q2 Supply Chain certificate holders will be able to start their registration process.
- In Q2 Retail partners can start their registration process.
Inclusion of selected retailers in scope for certification
The Rainforest Alliance has expanded the scope of certification to include retailers that are driving the request for purchasing Rainforest Alliance Certified consumer products and/or fresh products (fruits, vegetables, flowers), sold under their own brand name or as non-branded products. These Retailers will be required to register and obtain certification to show compliance with the Supply Chain Requirements of the 2020 Standard. We will provide additional guidance to retailers to determine if they fall into this category.
For more information to help retailers who need to simply register and/or get certified in the new Rainforest Alliance certification system please click here.
Transition tool
The Transition Rules have been updated to simplify the process for all Certificate Holders moving to the new system. Learn more about what’s new in version 1.1 of the standard.
Policies and guidance documents have been developed for specific cases that are not contemplated in the transition tool:
- Policy on the transition period to the 2020 Certification System for Banana certificate holders
- Guidance on transitioning Herbs and Spices to UEBT certification
- Policy on Palm Oil Certification Phase Out