Sustainable Agriculture Standard Glossary

A pesticideAny substance, or a mixture of substances of chemical or biological ingredients, intended for repelling, destroying or controlling any pest, and including unwanted species of plants or animals causing harm during or otherwise interfering with the production, processing, storage, transport or marketing of food, agricultural commodities. The term includes substances intended for use as a defoliant, desiccant or agent for thinning fruit or preventing the premature fall of fruit. Pesticides are also used for application on crops either before or after harvest to protect the commodity from deterioration during storage and transport. consists of several substances. The active ingredient is the chemical that can kill, repel, attract, mitigate, or otherwise control a pestAny species, strain or biotype of plant, animal, or pathogenic agent harmful to plants or plant products.. The other substances can assist this effect either directly or indirectly.

Collective term for actions that can be performed on sub-products in the supply chain, involving one or two members.

Commercially produced, usually synthetic, chemical compounds used in agricultural production, such as fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, or soil conditioners.

The combination of trees alongside shrubs, cropsRefers to: tree crops (such as coffee, cocoa), tea, fruits (such as bananas, coconuts and pineapples), nuts (such as hazelnuts), cut flowers, herbs and spices, and livestock in systems that produce food, support biodiversity, create healthy soils, and secure water availability and sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

National and ratified international laws that apply in a given context or situation. National laws include the laws and regulations of all jurisdictions within a nation (local, regional, and national). International laws to which nations have acceded are also considered as applicable lawNational and ratified international laws that apply in a given context or situation. National laws include the laws and regulations of all jurisdictions within a nation (local, regional, and national). International laws to which nations have acceded are also considered as applicable law..

Outline compulsory competencies for CBEntity authorized by Rainforest Alliance to conduct audits and to conclude the certification process for the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program. staff members required to be eligible for their RA 2020 certification program approval

Flowing and still water bodies and other wetlands. This includes:

• Flowing and still water bodies: All naturally occurring streams, rivers, pools, ponds, lakes, and lagoons, as well as seasonal streams that flow continuously for at least two months in most years or flow intermittently and are at least one meter wide. Streams and rivers that have been altered by sedimentation, polluted runoff, bank erosion, thermal pollution, or impoundments less than one meter high are still considered aquatic natural ecosystems. Artificial pools, water treatment lagoons, and irrigation ponds, are not considered natural aquatic ecosystemsFlowing and still water bodies and other wetlands. This includes:
  • Flowing and still water bodies: All naturally occurring streams, rivers, pools, ponds, lakes, and lagoons, as well as seasonal streams that flow continuously for at least two months in most years or flow intermittently and are at least one meter wide. Streams and rivers that have been altered by sedimentation, polluted runoff, bank erosion, thermal pollution, or impoundments less than one meter high are still considered aquatic natural ecosystems. Artificial pools, water treatment lagoons, and irrigation ponds, are not considered natural aquatic ecosystems, unless: a) these water bodies have been colonized by an endangered species; and/or b) the water body was constructed to provide fish or wildlife habitat.
  • Other wetlands: All naturally occurring wetlands, where the natural hydrological conditions result in either or both of the following conditions: Soils are waterlogged for the majority of the year; The land is periodically or permanently inundated by shallow water, including: floodplains; wet areas bordering ponds, streams, or the ocean.
  For the purposes of this standard, the following are not considered aquatic natural ecosystems:
  • Areas that have been made seasonally or perennially wet due to human activity (such as drainage ditches, irrigation ponds, reservoirs, effluent holding ponds, aquaculture ponds, rice paddies, or gravel pits), unless: a. these water bodies have been colonized by an endangered species; and/or b) the wetland was created by humans to provide wetland habitat.
  , unless: a) these water bodies have been colonized by an endangered species; and/or b) the water body was constructed to provide fish or wildlifeAll terrestrial vertebrate species except those that are primarily kept by humans as livestock or pets. habitat.
• Other wetlands: All naturally occurring wetlands, where the natural hydrological conditions result in either or both of the following conditions: Soils are waterlogged for the majority of the year; The land is periodically or permanently inundated by shallow water, including: floodplains; wet areas bordering ponds, streams, or the ocean.

For the purposes of this standard, the following are not considered aquatic natural ecosystems:

• Areas that have been made seasonally or perennially wet due to human activity (such as drainage ditches, irrigation ponds, reservoirs, effluent holding ponds, aquaculture ponds, rice paddies, or gravel pits), unless: a. these water bodies have been colonized by an endangered species; and/or b) the wetland was created by humans to provide wetland habitat.

A management system through which certificateDocument that proves compliance of an organization (certificate holder) with the requirements applicable to the certification scope of the organization. holders identify, mitigate, and monitor risks of child laborWork that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children. It includes work that interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school or obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.. This includes:
• The worst forms of child labor include all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or pornographic performances; the use, procuring or offering of a child for other illicit activities;
• Hazardous work: The worst forms of child labor also include hazardous work, which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children. This includes but is not limited to, carrying heavy loads, or work in dangerous locations, in unhealthy situations, at night, or with hazardous substances or equipment or work over long hours or at height. State signatories to ILO Convention 182 are required to develop a national list of tasks that are considered hazardous for children.
• Underage child labor: Work that is conducted by children younger than 15 years of age for the farm, group, or group members, that interferes with their schooling, exceeds 14 hours a week, or is not considered “light work or family work”. In case national law has set the minimum work age at 14 years (or an age higher than 15), this age applies. In case national law has set the minimum work age at a higher age than 15, the national minimum age for entering employment applies.
, forced laborAll work or service required of any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered herself or himself voluntarily. A person is classified as being in forced labor if they are engaged in work that is involuntary (without the free and informed consent of the worker) and is exacted through threats, penalties, or some form of coercion. Forms of involuntariness can include, but are not limited to:
• Recruitment through a transaction such as slavery or bonded labor;
• State-imposed labor, such as by the military, that does not meet the exceptions provided in ILO Convention 29;
• Involuntary prison labor;
• Unpaid or extremely low-paid work;
• Changes to working conditions (employer, wages, hours, nature of work, conditions/hazards/exposures, time period) without the worker's consent;
• Degrading working or living conditions imposed by employer or recruiter;
• Involuntary and excessive overtime; and
• Limited freedom to terminate the work contract or agreement.
Forms of coercion can include, but are not limited to:
• Physical or sexual violence;
• Physical confinement;
• Restrictions on movement or communication;
• Fines or other financial penalties;
• Deprivation of food, water, toilets, sleep, or other basic needs;
• Isolation;
• Forced use of drugs or alcohol;
• Debt bondage or manipulation of debt, including manipulation of advances and loans;
• Requiring monetary deposits, financial or collateral guarantees, or personal possessions as a condition of employment
• Withholding or delay of wages or other benefits;
• Retention of identity or other important documents without the worker’s consent and/or without providing workers easy access to them; and
• Threats of dismissal, deportation, legal action, or reporting to authorities.
, discriminationAny distinction, exclusion or preference made based on race, color, ethnicity, gender , sexual orientation, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, and others which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation. Discriminatory practices include but are not limited to unequal pay for equal work, unequal access to better-paid jobs and management positions, compulsory pregnancy tests during hiring procedures or at any other moment in the work process., and workplace violence & harassment, then remedy instances that occur. The approach stimulates certificate holders to build sustainable capacity over time to address these issues.

A risk-based approach that aligns with the growing international consensus around good practice in human rights due diligence. The assess-and-address approachA risk-based approach that aligns with the growing international consensus around good practice in human rights due diligence. The assess-and-address approach incentivizes organizations to tackle the root causes of human rights abuses such as child labor rather than try to hide it. It requires organizations to set up an internal committee responsible for assessing and mitigating risks of child labor, forced labor, discrimination, and workplace violence or harassment, monitoring the farm, farm group or company sites for signs of these violations, and remediating cases if identified. The new approach puts the interests of children and workers at the center. incentivizes organizations to tackle the root causes of human rights abuses such as childEvery human being below the age of eighteen years. labor rather than try to hide it. It requires organizations to set up an internal committee responsible for assessing and mitigating risks of child labor, forced labor, discrimination, and workplace violence or harassment, monitoring the farmAll land and facilities used for agricultural production and processing activities under the geographical scope of the farm/group management. A farm may be composed of several neighboring or geographically separate farm units within one country provided that they are under a common management body. All farms and farm units falling within this geographical scope must comply with the Rainforest Alliance standard, even when a different crop from the certified one is cultivated (e.g. farm unit with a plantation of rice belonging to a farm that is part of a certified group for coffee that falls within the same geographical scope). A farm may be composed of several neighboring or geographically separate units of land within one country if they are under a common management body., farm groupAn association of organized producers that have a shared Internal Management System (IMS) and are certified together under the Rainforest Alliance standard Certification Rules. The group of organized producers can be organized in an association or cooperative or managed by a supply chain actor (such as an exporter) or another entity. or company sites for signs of these violations, and remediating cases if identified. The new approach puts the interests of children and workers at the center.

Systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining and assessing audit evidenceAudit evidence includes records, factual statements, photos and other verifiable information, such as information corroborated from interviews, that is related to the audit criteria being used. Audit evidence can be either qualitative or quantitative. Objective evidence is information that shows or proves that something exists or is true. to determine the extent to which the requirements for certification are fulfilled.

Audit criteriaAudit criteria include policies, procedures, and requirements. Audit evidence is used to determine how well audit criteria are being met. Audit evidence is used to determine how well policies are being implemented, how well procedures are being applied, and how well requirements are being followed. include policies, procedures, and requirements. AuditSystematic, independent and documented process for obtaining and assessing audit evidence to determine the extent to which the requirements for certification are fulfilled. evidence is used to determine how well audit criteria are being met. Audit evidence is used to determine how well policies are being implemented, how well procedures are being applied, and how well requirements are being followed.

Audit evidence includes records, factual statements, photos and other verifiable information, such as information corroborated from interviews, that is related to the audit criteria being used. Audit evidence can be either qualitative or quantitative. Objective evidence is information that shows or proves that something exists or is true.

The result from evaluating audit evidence and compares it against audit criteria. Audit findings can show that audit criteria are being met (conformity) or that they are not being met (non-conformityNo complete fulfillment of a requirement in the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard.). Audit findings can also identify best practices or improvement opportunities.

The process by which an auditorA person who carries out audits. Auditors collect evidence in order to evaluate how well audit criteria are being met. They must be objective, impartial, independent, and competent. reviews activitiesCollective term for actions that can be performed on sub-products in the supply chain, involving one or two members. against audit criteria within the audit scopeThe extent and boundaries of an audit. The audit scope generally includes a description of the physical locations, organizational units, activities and processes, as well as the time period covered. The audit scope defines (1) when audit shall be conducted (start and end date), (2) what/who are we going to audit and (3) where the audit shall be done to determine audit findings.

The extent and boundaries of an audit. The audit scopevarious types of scope exist in the certification program; see geographical scope, crop(s), standard component (supply chain/farm) and certification scope applicable to the certificate holder generally includes a description of the physical locations, organizational units, activities and processes, as well as the time period covered. The audit scope defines (1) when audit shall be conducted (start and end date), (2) what/who are we going to audit and (3) where the audit shall be done

An audit teamAn audit team is made up of one or more auditors, one of whom is appointed to be the audit leader. The audit team may also include audit trainees. When necessary, audit teams are also supported interpreters and/or technical experts. Such persons assist auditors but do not themselves act as auditors. is made up of one or more auditors, one of whom is appointed to be the audit leader. The audit team may also include audit trainees. When necessary, audit teams are also supported interpretersA person whose job is to change what someone is saying into another language as that person is speaking and/or technical experts. Such persons assist auditors but do not themselves act as auditors.

A systematic approach to collecting evidence based on specific samples, that the output of a series of inter-related processes meets expected outcomes. (APG – ISO)

A person who carries out audits. Auditors collect evidence in order to evaluate how well audit criteria are being met. They must be objective, impartial, independent, and competent.

During a whole year, the farm contracts at least five workers that work at least five days a week or the equivalent of this. Please see the table for examples

Apparel and footwear for persons handling pesticides include coveralls over a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks, and stout shoes, with chemically resistant gloves, with protection for eyes (i.e., a face mask or goggles), and respiratory protection (i.e., a respirator).