From 1st January 2023, the Rainforest Alliance’s online traceability platform includes fresh and processed fruits, and fresh vegetables, so it is even easier to trace Rainforest Alliance Certified products through supply chains.
Traceability matters
Our stakeholders–including consumers, brands, other NGOs, and consumer advocacy groups –regularly challenge us to demonstrate how we ensure our claims of Rainforest Alliance Certified content. Traceability means that consumers and companies can trace a product back to a Rainforest Alliance certified farm or group of farmers.
Collecting this data centrally at the Rainforest Alliance provides visibility through the entire supply chain, from origin to final distribution, assuring the integrity of the Rainforest Alliance seal. Every stage of a product’s journey is documented, so consumers are certain of what they are buying. Companies and farmers also benefit from traceability because it can make their supply chains more transparent, identify possible weak spots and work on further improvements.
Traceability requirements
Online traceability is mandatory per Chapter 2 of the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard. All crops sold as certified must be traced on the Rainforest Alliance traceability platform, following the legal flow from farm to brand owner or retailer. The system is used to:
- Keep record of certified stock
- Document sales (and purchases) of certified volumes between companies
- Remove volumes not sold with a Rainforest Alliance claim
- Convert certified crops/products into different products
- Create multi-ingredient products
- Redeem certified volumes at the end of the chain (retail/brand level)
Correct reporting in the traceability system is checked during audits, and done incorrectly, it will trigger non-conformities.
It is required that transactions are updated at least once every three months. Volumes sold with a Rainforest Alliance on-pack or off-pack claim must be recorded at the latest two weeks after the end of the quarter within which the shipment took place.
More information:
- Chapter 2 traceability Requirements
- Traceability Guidance
- Traceability User Manual
- If you have any questions about traceability and what it can mean to your company, please contact customersuccess@ra.org.
Migration to MultiTrace
Banana, orange juice, and coconut oil traceability migrated from Marketplace to a temporary legacy MultiTrace account on 1st January 2023, as explained in the Migration Guidance. Volumes from the legacy MultiTrace account needed to be moved to RACP by March 31st, 2023. If you were not able to complete the exchange of information on time and you are already in the audit process, please request an extension through your Certification Body. For more information refer to the Traceability User Manual and our traceability webinars.
Royalty
The Rainforest Alliance charges a volume-based royalty on all fresh and processed fruits. Royalty is how the Rainforest Alliance finances its certification system and provides support to producers and supply chain actors. Royalty is paid only once in any supply chain, and either by the importer of fresh fruits, or the first buyer after fruit processing. Invoices are sent monthly, based on the purchased volumes in the traceability account. You can find more details about royalty and royalty rates on this page and also in the Rainforest Alliance License Agreement General Terms & Conditions.
FAQ
What is MultiTrace?
MultiTrace is an online platform used by the Rainforest Alliance to trace Rainforest Alliance Certified products through supply chains, and to authorize trademark approvals. Farmers and companies now have a single transactional system to record all purchases and sales of Rainforest Alliance Certified fresh and processed fruits, vegetables and cut flowers. MultiTrace is accessible through the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP). MultiTrace replaces our Marketplace traceability system.
What is a claim?
The term claim means any reference made about Rainforest Alliance certification or about the sourcing of a Rainforest Alliance certified product or ingredient(s), regardless of whether our seal or other marks are used.
A claim can be
- on a product
- on packaging
- in a contract or invoice
- or on promotional materials on- or offline
Do I have to register on RACP to gain access to MultiTrace?
Yes, all companies must register on RACP. You can register here.
How can I find information on using MultiTrace?
You will be able to access MultiTrace in RACP once you have a valid certificate needed to trade Rainforest Alliance Certified volumes. You can register and log into RACP here. Please refer to the Traceability User Guidance Manual for more information.
How can I access my Rainforest Alliance 2017 migrated volumes?
Rainforest Alliance 2017 volumes were migrated to their own, unique account in MultiTrace. Please log into MultiTrace to access that account. You can consolidate the volumes in your accounts (if applicable) by issuing sale transactions from one account to another. If you were a Marketplace user, your username would be the same in MultiTrace as it was in Marketplace. You can obtain a password by using the ‘Forgot password’ link in MultiTrace when you first log in.
The traceability area of Marketplace is now in read-only mode, but you can still log in to reference your account. You will not be able to perform any actions related to traceability in Marketplace anymore. Other sections of Marketplace (such as Labeling & Trademarks) remain accessible.
Who needs to register transactions?
Any company buying or selling from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms including producers, processors, exporters, importers, ripening facilities, bottlers, and wholesalers will need to report their incoming and outgoing transactions using the online traceability system. See Chapter 2 of the Rainforest Alliance Supply Chain Requirements.
How are the volume transactions tracked?
Certified producers are allocated a maximum quota of Rainforest Alliance Certified volumes at the time of audit. Our traceability system will track volumes of the Rainforest Alliance Certified fresh fruits, fruit juice and byproducts, and vegetables and cut flowers from certified producers all the way to brand/retail packaging, to support the Rainforest Alliance Certified claim. The system records volume transactions of Rainforest Alliance Certified products, linking the product claim to certified farms.
What fresh fruits and vegetables are traceable in MultiTrace?
| Fruits |
| Acai |
| Apple |
| Apricot |
| Avocado |
| Banana |
| Blackberry |
| Blueberry |
| Cape gooseberry/Physalis |
| Cherry |
| Citrus |
| Clementine |
| Fig |
| Grapefruit |
| Grapes |
| Lemon |
| Lychee |
| Mandarin |
| Mango |
| Mangosteen |
| Melon |
| Nectarine |
| Papaya |
| Passion fruit |
| Peach |
| Pear |
| Pineapple |
| Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit |
| Plantain |
| Plum |
| Pomegranate |
| Raspberry |
| Soursop |
| Strawberry |
| Watermelon |
| Vegetables |
| Artichoke |
| Arugula |
| Asparagus |
| Bean |
| Beet, beetroot |
| Brussels Sprout |
| Calabash |
| Carrot |
| Celery |
| Chard |
| Corn |
| Cucumber |
| Eggplant, Aubergine |
| Green bean/string bean |
| Lettuce |
| Manioc/Cassava |
| Onion |
| Pea |
| Potato |
| Spinach |
| Squash |
| Sweet Potato |
| Tomato |
| Flowers |
| Flowers |
| Foliage |
| Sunflower |
When do I need to register transactions?
Per our 2020 Supply Chain Requirements, volumes purchased or sold as certified must be recorded in the Rainforest Alliance traceability platform at the latest two weeks after the end of the quarter in which the shipment took place.
When should I record transactions – monthly or quarterly?
The standard allows certificates holders a period of two weeks to record their online traceability transactions after the end of the quarter in which the physical shipment took place. However, note that importers will receive monthly royalty invoices based on incoming volume transactions received within the prior month.
Do I need to register transactions if I do not intend to use the Rainforest Alliance seal?
If your company wants to claim that the products it buys or sells originated from a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm then the transaction must be reported in the traceability system, even if the products do not carry the green frog seal or other Rainforest Alliance trademarks on stickers or packaging. Similarly, all transactions of products which carry the green frog seal or other Rainforest Alliance trademarks on stickers or packaging must be reported in the traceability system even if the final buyer does not want to claim that these products have been sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. This enables us to validate all claims that the products have been sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and protects the credibility of the Rainforest Alliance trademarks, including the green frog seal.
How does the Rainforest Alliance ensure data privacy?
The Rainforest Alliance places a high priority on protecting your data and your privacy. Sales data is treated as confidential and will only be accessible to the suppliers and customers that you interact with directly. The Rainforest Alliance understands that you may have a desire to keep your individual and business information private and secure. We are committed to taking all reasonable and appropriate measures to safeguard against unauthorized disclosures of information. Read more in our privacy policy here.
I don’t have internet access; how can I report a sale?
Internet access is required to declare transactions. For users that have limited access to the internet, users can enable their buyers request a transaction to the Producers by using the “Purchase” option at the time of issuing a transaction. Both companies will need to set the other up as a Mandated Trade partner in the Dashboard.
How to register sales for trade partners in MultiTrace?
When trade partners are indicated as Mandated and they have the volumes at their location, you will be able to Sell and Purchase from the stock positions of those trade partners.
Where can I find manuals for MultiTrace?
The manual can be found here: https://dam.ra.org/pages/search.php?search=%21collection483176#.
I forgot my password to MultiTrace. How can I log in?
To recover your password, go to the login page at https://portal.ra.org/RA_Certification_Theme/Login and click on “Forgot password” after attempting to enter a username. If you continue to have issues logging in, email us at customersuccess@ra.org. If you continue to have issues logging in, email us at customersuccess@ra.org.