Herbs and spices are used in a variety of foods, beverages and flavorings and provide important income to farmers. Many of these are certified to Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, and/or UEBT standards.
Certification requirements
Our potential new Herbs and Spices Program would be based primarily on the UEBT Standard, which was designed and refined over the last 10 years for natural ingredients that are cultivated or collected from the wild. The UEBT Standard is currently under revision.
We would complement UEBT’s requirements with a supplement containing additional criteria based on our new Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard that is currently in development.
Update: mutual recognition announced for herbal infusions, rooibos, and vanilla from July 1, 2020
Adding to the mutual recognition for cocoa, tea and hazelnuts launched in 2019, companies will be able to source Rainforest Alliance Certified™ and/or UTZ certified vanilla and herbal infusion ingredients, including rooibos, and then use either the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or UTZ label on pack (in accordance with the corresponding labeling policy and guidelines).
This is in addition to the Chain of Custody mutual recognition that has been in place since December 2018, which allows companies to purchase both Rainforest Alliance and UTZ certified ingredients while only having one Chain of Custody certificate in place for either one of the current programs.
Mutual recognition for herbal infusions (also called “herbal teas”) includes rooibos, mint, hibiscus, and all ingredients used in any herbal infusion blend: herbs, spices, flowers, and other botanical ingredients.
Companies selling other products from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms – such as fruits, flower bouquets and table spices – continue to be eligible to use the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal but will not be eligible to use the UTZ label.
PARTICIPATION ROYALTY*
In preparation for this mutual recognition and to level the playing field between the UTZ rooibos program, the UEBT/UTZ herbal tea program and the Rainforest Alliance herbal program, the Rainforest Alliance will begin charging a participation royalty of €22.50 per metric ton (MT) for all herbal and rooibos infusion ingredients from 1 July 2020. This royalty matches and replaces the current UTZ program fee for rooibos and other herbal ingredients, and it is a new royalty charge for Rainforest Alliance Certified herbal and rooibos infusion ingredients. As with the current UTZ program, it will be collected once in each herbal supply chain for all certified volumes purchased by the blender/packer and declared in our traceability system. Note that all volumes registered will incur a royalty charge, even if they do not carry an UTZ or Rainforest Alliance claim.
The UTZ program fee is temporarily waived for UTZ certified vanilla. A new royalty charge for both UTZ and Rainforest Alliance Certified vanilla will be announced in the coming months.
*Equivalent to “program fee” in the UTZ program
TRACEABILITY
To support the expansion of mutual recognition to vanilla and herbal infusions, we will begin requiring sellers of Rainforest Alliance Certified vanilla and herbal ingredients to report these transactions to the Rainforest Alliance from 1 July 2020. Stay tuned for more details on the format or system for traceability reporting of herbal ingredients and vanilla.
For any questions, feel free to contact us at customersuccess@ra.org.
Proposed Partnership of the Rainforest Alliance and UEBT
The Rainforest Alliance and the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), intend to develop a joint Herbs & Spices certification program. A final decision on the proposed partnership and program scope will be communicated in 2020. With this partnership, we would build on the positive track record of the UTZ/UEBT and Rainforest Alliance herbal tea programs, the decade-long experience of Rainforest Alliance and UTZ in sustainable agriculture certification, and UEBT’s expert knowledge of ethical sourcing of botanical ingredients, including wild harvest.
The new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices program would be linked to the Rainforest Alliance seal that is recognized by consumers around the world.
PROPOSED PROGRAM SCOPE
The new Herbs & Spices program is intended to integrate the current programs of UEBT/UTZ, UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance for herbal & fruit infusions, rooibos infusions, as well as all herbs and spices into a broader and stronger program. From January 2022, the proposed launch date of the new program, the new Herbs & Spices program would replace these current programs. We are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for all our partners.
WHICH STANDARDS WOULD APPLY – AND FOR WHOM?
In the new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices program, the Rainforest Alliance would recognize the UEBT standard on the condition that additional requirements from the Rainforest Alliance standard are met by certificate holders. For Chain of Custody certification, the Rainforest Alliance standard would apply.
Certification against the UEBT standard and the supplement of additional requirements from the Rainforest Alliance standard would be required for ingredients for table herbs, spices or seasonings products, herbal & fruit infusions and rooibos infusions. For key spices and flavorings such as chili, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla, we may also continue farm-level certification against the Rainforest Alliance farm standard. An update on this will be provided in early 2020.
PROPOSED LABELING OPPORTUNITIES
Our intent is that all ingredients certified under the new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification program would be able to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal or be linked to a Rainforest Alliance corporate claim. For labeling and claims, the Rainforest Alliance Trademarks & Labeling Policy would apply.
The UTZ label will be gradually phased out. Meanwhile, companies can continue to submit UTZ labelling approval requests at least until the end of 2022, and we will continue to offer support for UTZ certified brands and products, from sourcing through marketing.
TIMELINES
The UEBT standard is currently undergoing revision. Please visit the UEBT website for information and updates. At the same time, Rainforest Alliance is developing a new certification program, building on the best of the current Rainforest Alliance and UTZ programs.
We intend to:
- Publish details on the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification program by the end of 2020. This will include the revised UEBT standard, a Rainforest Alliance supplement with additional requirements from the Rainforest Alliance standard, and the UEBT assurance protocol.
- Allow one year for training of producers, supply chain actors, trainers and certification bodies as well as for the translation of the relevant certification documents.
- Use the new Herbs & Spices program (consisting of UEBT standard, a Rainforest Alliance supplement with additional requirements from the Rainforest Alliance standard, and the UEBT assurance protocol) for certifying producers in these segments starting in January 2022.
Please note that for supply chain actors – companies in the supply chain such as exporters, importers and product manufacturers – a different timeline applies. Supply chain actors in the Herbs & Spices program will be audited against the new Rainforest Alliance Chain of Custody Standard. This is expected to be published six months earlier, in June 2020. It will become mandatory for certification by mid-2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
We hold Rainforest Alliance certification for our farm as a supplier of herbs or spices. What changes would we be required to make?
There are likely to be changes under the new program. Farms or suppliers would likely be audited against the UEBT Standard plus a Rainforest Alliance supplement. In this scenario, UEBT will issue the certificate, and the Rainforest Alliance will provide chain custody and traceability to enable use of the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal. For chili, black pepper, vanilla and rooibos we may decide that these crops will stay within the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard. We will follow up with further information over the coming months.
Currently, both of our standards are undergoing formal revision processes, so some changes will only be known once those revisions are complete and the new programs’ design is finalized.
So far, it is possible that you will see in future these potential changes:
- Membership: All supplier or producer operations to be certified by UEBT would need to become UEBT members. This means they would apply to UEBT and commit to certain obligations and conditions. You can find more information here. This requirement will not apply to operations (purchasers) that are only chain-of-custody certified. The details of requirements surrounding costs will be further developed before the new program’s formal launch.
- Premium: It is also important to know that buyers of herbs and spices from farms certified by the program may be required to pay a premium. The premium would be paid to the farmer/supplier. The details of how this is reached and requirements surrounding the premium will be further developed before the new program’s formal launch. We encourage you to provide inputs in the two standards revision processes.
- Volume Based Charges: A volume-based charge, called the Participation Royalty, would likely be levied on supply chains of purchasing companies that benefit from Rainforest Alliance certification. The specifics of this charge (rates by volume and where it will be charged as a one-time cost in the supply chain) will be determined by the formal publication of the Herbs & Spices program at the end of 2020. You can find out more about the responsibilities and costs of Rainforest Alliance certification here.
- Wild collection: UEBT also works with small supplier operations where wild collection of herbs and spices take place, rather than cultivation (farming). For these operations at the supplier level, the UEBT Standard includes rigorous requirements related to ensuring regeneration rates that are sustainable.
Currently, both of our standards are undergoing formal revision processes, so some changes will only be known once those revisions are complete and the new programs’ design is finalized.
So far, it is possible that you will see in future these potential changes:
- Membership: All supplier or producer operations to be certified by UEBT would need to become UEBT members. This means they would apply to UEBT and commit to certain obligations and conditions. You can find more information here. This requirement will not apply to operations (purchasers) that are only chain-of-custody certified. The details of requirements surrounding costs will be further developed before the new program’s formal launch.
- Premium: It is also important to know that buyers of herbs and spices from farms certified by the program may be required to pay a premium. The premium would be paid to the farmer/supplier. The details of how this is reached and requirements surrounding the premium will be further developed before the new program’s formal launch. We encourage you to provide inputs in the two standards revision processes.
- Volume Based Charges: A volume-based charge, called the Participation Royalty, would likely be levied on supply chains of purchasing companies that benefit from Rainforest Alliance certification. The specifics of this charge (rates by volume and where it will be charged as a one-time cost in the supply chain) will be determined by the formal publication of the Herbs & Spices program at the end of 2020. You can find out more about the responsibilities and costs of Rainforest Alliance certification here.
- Wild collection: UEBT also works with small supplier operations where wild collection of herbs and spices take place, rather than cultivation (farming). For these operations at the supplier level, the UEBT Standard includes rigorous requirements related to ensuring regeneration rates that are sustainable.
I am a supplier of herbs and spices and currently certified to the Rainforest Alliance standard or in the UEBT/UTZ Herbal Tea program. What would change for me?
The new UEBT & Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices program is proposed to come into effect in January 2022. Until then, the current Rainforest Alliance certification program and the UTZ certification program both remain valid and certificate holders continue to be audited against the respective standards. Once the new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification program has been approved and launched in January 2022, you would then be audited against the UEBT standard, with an additional set of criteria from the Rainforest Alliance standard.
Please note that the approval for the new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices Program is pending, and a final decision will be communicated early in 2020. Also, the current UEBT standard is undergoing revision and a new Rainforest Alliance standard is being developed. Once these standards have been published, we will be able to provide more detailed advice on upcoming changes.
My farm is Rainforest Alliance or UTZ certified and I grow coffee/cocoa/tea/fruit as well as herbs/spices on the same farm. What standard would my farm be audited against?
When ingredients for herbs, spices, seasonings, herbal and rooibos infusions are cultivated in a farm that is already Rainforest Alliance Certified for coffee, tea, cocoa, fruits, oil palm, coconut, hazelnuts or flowers, we do not intend to require an additional audit under the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification. However, for wild collection, a UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification would be required since the UEBT standard includes special criteria related to the wild collection process.
Would I need to change the Certification Body I use?
The certification bodies that the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ work with would be recognized by UEBT, so it is likely that a change won’t be required. However, your certification body (CB) and its auditors may need to be trained on the new requirements. We recommend contacting your current CB for further information once the new Herbs & Spices program has been published at the end of 2020.
I am a supplier of herbs and spices and would like to get certified. Which program can I join?
The new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices program is proposed to come into effect in January 2022. A final decision on this will be communicated in early 2020. Until January 2022, you may choose one of the current programs of UEBT/UTZ, UTZ or Rainforest Alliance, depending on your products.
- For ingredients used in table herbs, spices or seasoning products, we recommend the current Rainforest Alliance certification.
- For vanilla, you may choose between the UEBT/UTZ program and Rainforest Alliance certification.
- For ingredients in herbal infusions, you may choose between the UEBT/UTZ herbal tea program and Rainforest Alliance certification.
- For ingredients in rooibos infusions, you may choose between the current UTZ tea program and Rainforest Alliance certification.
Please note: From July 2020, we offer mutual recognition for all the above-mentioned products. This means that you will be able to use the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal independent of whether you source from an UEBT/UTZ, an UTZ, or a Rainforest Alliance Certified certificate holder.
I currently hold a Rainforest Alliance chain of custody certification. What would change for me in the new program?
All supply chain actors will need to be certified against the new Rainforest Alliance Chain of Custody standard. This standard is currently being developed and is expected to be published in June 2020. It will be mandatory to audit against this new standard from mid-2021, and the current UTZ and the current Rainforest Alliance Chain of Custody will then no longer apply. You can find more information regarding the timeline and transition on our website.
I currently hold a UTZ chain of custody certification for supply chain actors. What would change for me in the new program?
All supply chain actors will need to be certified against the new Rainforest Alliance Chain of Custody standard. This standard is currently being developed and is expected to be published in June 2020. It will be mandatory to audit against this new standard from mid-2021, and the current UTZ and the current Rainforest Alliance Chain of Custody will then no longer apply. You can find more information regarding the timeline and transition on our website.
I hold a Rainforest Alliance chain of custody certification or endorsement and want to source from UEBT/UTZ certified farms. What do I need to do?
We have mutual recognition in place for existing Chain of Custody certificate holders of either Rainforest Alliance or UTZ standard. This interim solution will simplify things for companies until the new certification is launched.
Please visit our Mutual Recognition page for more information.
I am an herbs and spices trader or company holding UTZ chain-of-custody certification, and I want to source from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. What do I need to do?
We have mutual recognition in place for existing Chain of Custody certificate holders of either Rainforest Alliance or UTZ. This interim solution will simplify things for companies until the new certification is launched.
Please visit our Mutual Recognition page for more information.
