Sustainable Agriculture Standard Glossary

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 person (either male or female) who owns and/or operates an agricultural enterprise, either commercially or to sustain him or herself or his/her family. 

A digital Rainforest Alliance platform to report transactionsSupply chain action resulting in a change of ownership, existence, or location of a sub-product. and activitiesCollective term for actions that can be performed on sub-products in the supply chain, involving one or two members. of certifiedThe reference of the term “certified” in the requirements refers to crop/volume produced and traded by certificate holders, verified against the 2020 Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard. volumes throughout the supply chain.

Remuneration or earnings, expressed in terms of money and fixed by mutual agreement or by national laws or regulations. WagesRemuneration or earnings, expressed in terms of money and fixed by mutual agreement or by national laws or regulations. Wages are payable by an employer to a worker for work done or to be done or for services rendered or to be rendered. are payable by an employer to a workerA person who performs labor in return for a monetary amount. A worker encompasses all types of persons working irrespective of their contractual status, such as permanent, temporary, seasonal, migrant, family, piece rate workers, documented, undocumented, as well as hired through a labor provider, persons in training, (group) management staff, including interns and apprentices, and also persons temporarily absent from a job or enterprise at which they recently worked for illness, parental leave, holiday, training, or industrial dispute. for work done or to be done or for services rendered or to be rendered.

Someone who transforms written information from one language to another.

Use of different types of samples as well as methods of data collection to assure the validity of the audit findingThe 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-conformity). Audit findings can also identify best practices or improvement opportunities. on the same topic/standard requirement.

An auditSystematic, independent and documented process for obtaining and assessing audit evidence to determine the extent to which the requirements for certification are fulfilled. in which the CB or RA do not announce the date to the auditee. This means the 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. will arrive on the sites to be audited and proceed to the audit without giving the auditee prior notice. An unannounced auditAn audit in which the CB or RA do not announce the date to the auditee. This means the audit team will arrive on the sites to be audited and proceed to the audit without giving the auditee prior notice. An unannounced audit may take place on the premises of the auditee, of critical subcontractors, or of crucial service providers (including labor providers). may take place on the premises of the auditee, of critical subcontractors, or of crucial service providers (including labor providers).

Certificate that is currently valid, i.e. the currentRefers to a standard, document, volume, certificate, etc. pertaining to the current UTZ or current RA certification programs. The term is used in order to differentiate from the 2020 Rainforest Alliance Certification Program. date is between the starting date and the end date of the certificate, including extensions, and that has not been suspended or de-activated.

Barriers of plants designed to mitigate drift of 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. spraying and having the following characteristics:

1. For ground-based pesticide applications, barriers at least as high as the crop or the height of the spray equipment’s application valves over the ground, whichever is higher;
2. For aerial fumigations, barriers are at least as high as the crop;
3. Barriers are composed of plants that maintain their foliage all year, but which are permeable to airflow, allowing the barrier to capture pesticide drops;
4. Preference is given to native speciesSpecies, subspecies, or lower taxon occurring within its current natural range, i.e., the range it occupies without introduction or care by humans..

An organism distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.

Groups that experience a higher riskA risk is a threat that potentially negatively influences the compliance with the standard and reaching the sustainability outcomes. Risk mitigation measures are actions to be implemented to prevent or diminish the influence of these threats and/or deal with their effects. of poverty and social exclusion than the general population. Ethnic minorities, indigenous populations, migrants, disabled people, isolated elderly people, women and children often face difficulties that can lead to further social exclusion, such as low levels of education and unemployment or underemployment.

The unwanted or undesired material or substance. It is also referred to as rubbish, trash, garbage, or junk depending upon the type of material and the regional terminology. Most wasteThe unwanted or undesired material or substance. It is also referred to as rubbish, trash, garbage, or junk depending upon the type of material and the regional terminology. Most waste is comprised of paper, plastic, metals, glass, food waste, organic material, feces and wood. Includes hazardous materials. It covers domestic or industrial waste, rejected products, construction debris or rubble, soil and stones from excavations, rubbish and soil from cleaning or preparing land. is comprised of paper, plastic, metals, glass, food waste, organic material, feces and wood. Includes hazardous materialsMaterials that can damage to persons or the environment. These include used lead-acid batteries, asbestos, energy-saving mercury lamps, E-waste, electric transformers with POPs (PCBs), medical equipment, radioactive material, pesticides, expired human and veterinary medicines, used oils, bio infectious waste, disinfectants, animal parts and carcasses, and particles (ashes, dust, pesticide drifts).. It covers domestic or industrial waste, rejected products, construction debris or rubble, soil and stones from excavations, rubbish and soil from cleaning or preparing land.

Any water that has been affected and used for human use form domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural purposes.

Wastewater from processing operationsWater that has been adversely affected in quality by processing operations such as mills (e.g., coffee wet mills, palm oil mills, sugar cane mills), washing operations or packing or processing plants (such as juice or puree factories). is water has been adversely affected in quality by industrial processes and originating from processing operations. These include mills (such as coffee wet mills, palm oil mills, sugar cane mills), washing operations (such as fruit or vegetable or milking facilities), or packing plants (such as juice or puree factories).

Water that has been adversely affected in quality by processing operations such as mills (e.g., coffee wet mills, palm oil mills, sugar cane mills), washing operations or packing or processing plants (such as juice or puree factories).

All terrestrial vertebrateAn organism distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. species except those that are primarily kept by humans as livestock or pets.

A person who performs labor in return for a monetary amount. A worker encompasses all types of persons working irrespective of their contractual status, such as permanent, temporary, seasonal, migrant, family, piece rate workers, documented, undocumented, as well as hired through a labor providerAn agency and all other intermediaries or subagents that offer labour recruitment and placement services. Labour providers can take many forms, whether for profit or non-profit, or operating within or outside legal and regulatory frameworks., persons in training, (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.) management staff, including interns and apprentices, and also persons temporarily absent from a job or enterprise at which they recently worked for illness, parental leave, holiday, training, or industrial dispute.

Any voluntary, independent organization of workers for furthering and defending their rights and interests

Persons who are recognized as such under national law or company practice, whether they are:

1. trade union representatives, namely representatives designated or elected by trade unions or by the members of such unions; or
2. elected representatives, namely representatives who are freely elected by the workers of the undertaking in accordance with provisions of national laws or regulations or of collective agreements and whose functions do not include activities which are recognized as the exclusive prerogative of trade unions in the country concerned.

The term “violence and harassment” in the world of work refers to a range of unacceptable behaviours and practices, or threats thereof, whether a single occurrence or repeated, that aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm, and includes gender-based violence and harassment

The term “gender-based violence and harassment” means violence and harassment directed at persons because of their sexThe different biological and physiological characteristics of males and females, such as reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones, etc. It is universal and mostly unchanging, without surgery. or genderSocially constructed characteristics of women and men, such as norms, roles, and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed. While most people are born either male or female, they are taught appropriate norms and behaviors – including how they should interact with others of the same or opposite sex within households, communities, and workplaces. Gender also refers to the sexual status people identify themselves with, like woman, man, or neither woman or man (also called the third gender)., or affecting persons of a particular sex or gender disproportionately, and includes sexual harassmentSex-based behavior that is unwelcome and offensive to its recipient. For sexual harassment to exist these two conditions must be present. Sexual harassment may take two forms:
• ‘Quid Pro Quo’ when a job benefit - such as a pay rise, a promotion, or even continued employment - is made conditional on the victim acceding to demands to engage in some form of sexual behavior; or;
• A hostile working environment in which the conduct creates conditions that are intimidating or humiliating for the victim.
Behavior that qualifies as sexual harassment:
• Physical: violence, touching, unnecessary proximity
• Verbal: Comments and questions about the appearance, lifestyle, sexual orientation, offensive phone calls
• Non-Verbal: Whistling, sexually-suggestive gestures, display of sexual materials.

A person who is no more than 35 years of age and takes active control of their 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. business or agricultural holding as head or owner of that holding.