Herbs & spices are used in a variety of foods, beverages, and flavorings and provide important income to farmers around the world. The Rainforest Alliance and the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) have now developed a joint Herbs & Spices Program. All ingredients certified under this new program will be able to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal.
With this partnership, we build on the positive track record of the UEBT/UTZ cooperation in herbal tea, the decades-long experience of the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ in sustainable agriculture certification, and UEBT’s expert knowledge of ethical sourcing of ingredients from biodiversity, including those ingredients collected from the wild.
Program scope
The new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices Program brings together the current UEBT/UTZ Herbal Tea Program along with the UTZ and Rainforest Alliance certification programs for herbs, spices, rooibos, and vanilla. The new program applies to:
- All ingredients for herbal and fruit infusions, including rooibos
- Other herbs & spices, including vanilla, chili, or pepper
What standards apply to you
In the new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices program, the following standards apply to farms and supply chain actors:
- For farm certification: in general, the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements compiled in a Field Checklist apply. There are several exceptions when farms will be certified against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard instead.
- For supply chain certification: the new Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard’s Supply Chain Requirements apply to companies buying from certified farms.
- For more details and exceptions, please visit our Which Standard Applies To You page.
Certification and auditing rules
The rules for certification and audits against the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements are described in the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Certification Protocol. The protocol and accompanying checklist will be published in March 2021.
Read the rules for certification and audits against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard.
Labeling and claims opportunities
All ingredients certified under the new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices Program will be able to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or UTZ certification label and/or be linked to the Rainforest Alliance or UTZ certification claims. For labeling and claims, the Rainforest Alliance Labeling and Trademarks Policy or the UTZ Labeling and Trademark Policy apply. Learn more about our mutual recognition program.
The Rainforest Alliance introduced a new certification seal in June 2020 which will replace the current Rainforest Alliance Certified seal and the UTZ label. Companies are welcome to submit labeling approval requests with the current Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or the UTZ label until 31 December 2022. Learn more about the timelines and phasing out of the current seal.
Royalties and traceability
Currently, the Rainforest Alliance charges a royalty fee of €22.50 per MT for Rainforest Alliance Certified herbal tea ingredients including rooibos. A program fee of €22.50 per MT is also charged for UTZ certified herbal tea ingredients including rooibos.
In Q2/2021, the Rainforest Alliance will be publishing the new participation royalty for herbs and spices, alongside the new royalties for fresh fruit and processed fruit. This volume-based royalty will be charged for all herbs and spices volumes that enter the Rainforest Alliance traceability system, independent of whether they originate from a UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certified or a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm. There are no additional volume-based royalties charged by UEBT.
Until the introduction of the new royalty fees, we will continue to waive the UTZ program fee for vanilla that is not part of a herbal tea product.
By mid-2021, the Rainforest Alliance will start the rollout of the new traceability platform MultiTrace for herbs, spices, rooibos and other herbal tea ingredients. Both UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certified and Rainforest Alliance Certified farm and supply chain certificate holders will become part of this platform and will be able to trade their certified volumes. The Rainforest Alliance will notify all certificate holders as soon as further information is available.
Transition timelines
Please visit our Transitions Timelines and Options page.
Your next steps and contacts
If your farm is audited against the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements, you will need to contact UEBT at herbsandspices@uebt.org. If your current license expires in 2021 please get in touch as soon as possible, latest by April 2021. If your license expires in 2022, please contact UEBT by the end of 2021.
If your farm is audited against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard, you will need to register online with the Rainforest Alliance (you will receive an email invitation to complete your registration process once your window for registration opens) and follow our Transition Rules. Contact us at herbsandspices@ra.org in case of questions.
If you are a supply chain actor, you will be audited against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard. You will need to register online with the Rainforest Alliance (you will receive an email invitation to complete your registration process once your window for registration opens) and follow our Transition Rules. Contact us at herbsandspices@ra.org in case of questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
My farm is Rainforest Alliance (or UTZ) Certified and I grow coffee/coffee/tea/fruit as well as herbs or spices on the same farm. What standard would my farm be audited against?
- For farms that are cultivating herbs, spices, rooibos or other herbal tea ingredients together with coffee, cocoa, tea, fruit, nuts, flowers, vegetables or palm oil, and that wish to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims for these crops, certification against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard applies. This certification covers all crops cultivated on the farm, including herbs, spices, rooibos and other herbal tea ingredients. Please note, that this excludes wild collection, for which an additional certification against the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements is always required in order to use the Rainforest Alliance trademark and claims.
If farmers do not wish to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims for the coffee, cocoa, tea, fruits, nuts, flowers, vegetables or palm oil they are cultivating, UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements apply. This UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification will cover all herbs, spices, rooibos and other herbal tea ingredients cultivated on the farm (but no other crops). It will also cover wild collection.
- Farms that are cultivating chili or pepper (piper nigrum) without any other Rainforest Alliance Certified crop (such as coffee, cocoa, tea, fruit, flowers, nuts, vegetables, or palm oil) may choose between certification against the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements or against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard.
If the certificate holder choses UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification, the certificate will cover chili and pepper as well as all other herbs, spices, rooibos and herbal tea ingredients, both cultivated and collected from the wild.
If the certificate holder choses the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program, the certificate will cover all crops cultivated on the farm, but no wild collection. For wild collection, a UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification is always required.
Would I need to change the Certification Body I currently use?
UEBT recognizes Certification Bodies (auditors) that Rainforest Alliance works with, so a change would not necessarily be required. For up to 12 months we will be training a range of stakeholders including certification bodies in the new requirements. It will be important to reach out to your Certification Body well before your audit to find out if they are able to assist you again.
We produce or supply herbs or spices and want to get certified. Which program would I join?
You would join the new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices Program. It applies to:
- All ingredients for herbal and fruit infusions, including rooibos
- Other herbs & spices, including vanilla, chili, or pepper
Which requirements apply for your audit will depend on a number of other factors.
In general, for farm level audits the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements will apply, but with the following exceptions:
- For farms that are cultivating herbs, spices, rooibos or other herbal tea ingredients together with coffee, cocoa, tea, fruit, nuts, flowers, vegetables or palm oil, and that wish to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims for these crops, certification against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard applies. This certification covers all crops cultivated on the farm, including herbs, spices, rooibos and other herbal tea ingredients. Please note, that this excludes wild collection. For wild collection, an additional certification against the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements is always required in order to use the Rainforest Alliance trademark and claims.
- If farmers do not wish to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims for the coffee, cocoa, tea, fruits, nuts, flowers, vegetables or palm oil they are cultivating, UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements apply. This UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification will cover all herbs, spices, rooibos and other herbal tea ingredients cultivated on the farm (but no other crops). It will also cover wild collection.
- Farms that are cultivating chili or pepper (piper nigrum) without any other Rainforest Alliance Certified crop (such as coffee, cocoa, tea, fruit, flowers, nuts, vegetables, or palm oil) may choose between certification against the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements or against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard.
If the certificate holder choses UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification, the certificate will cover chili and pepper as well as all other herbs, spices, rooibos and herbal tea ingredients, both cultivated and collected from the wild.
If the certificate holder choses the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program, the certificate will cover all crops cultivated on the farm, but no wild collection. For wild collection, a UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification is always required.
- If the farm cultivates also other crops next to chili or pepper (such as coffee, cocoa, tea, fruit, flowers, nuts, vegetables or palm oil) and wishes to sell these crops with the Rainforest Alliance trademarks or claims, certification against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard applies for all crops cultivated on the farm. In case of wild collection, an additional UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification is always required in order to use the Rainforest Alliance trademark and claims.
I am an herbs and spices trader or company and currently hold Rainforest Alliance Chain of Custody certification. What would change for me?
You would still be required to hold chain of custody certification to source products certified as part of the new Herbs and Spices program. The Rainforest Alliance has published new chain of custody requirements for supply chain actors as part of its 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard. These are available in the Standard’s Supply Chain Requirements document. You can find more information regarding timelines and transition to the new 2020 Certification Program here.
My company sources herbs or spices from Rainforest Alliance or UEBT/UTZ or UTZ certified farms. What would change for me?
Supply chain actors sourcing products certified as part of the new Herbs and Spices program would require Rainforest Alliance certification against the new 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard’s Supply Chain Requirements. You can find more information regarding timelines and transition to the new 2020 Certification Program here.
I am an herbs and spices trader or company holding Rainforest Alliance Chain of Custody certification and I also want to source from UEBT/UTZ or UTZ certified farms. What do I need to do?
We have mutual certification recognition in place for existing Chain of Custody certificate holders of either Rainforest Alliance or UTZ standard. You can find detailed information here.
Please note that specifically for Rainforest Alliance Certified herbal and fruit tea ingredients as well as rooibos, we have implemented a volume declaration protocol until an online traceability system is available from mid-2021. According to the protocol, packers of herbal, fruit or rooibos tea products that contain any volumes from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms need to send an Excel sheet with a quarterly overview of these Rainforest Alliance Certified volumes, starting with Quarter 3/2020 (July, August, September 2020), to customersuccess@ra.org.
Herbal and fruit tea ingredients and rooibos from UTZ certified farms are already being traced in the Good Inside Portal and no additional reporting is required.
I am an herbs and spices trader or company holding UTZ Chain of Custody certification and I also want to source from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. What do I need to do?
We have mutual certification recognition in place for existing Chain of Custody certificate holders of either Rainforest Alliance or UTZ standard. You can find detailed information here.
Please note that specifically for Rainforest Alliance Certified herbal and fruit tea ingredients as well as rooibos, we have implemented a volume declaration protocol until an online traceability system is available from mid-2021. According to the protocol, packers of herbal, fruit or rooibos tea products that contain any volumes from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms need to send an Excel sheet with a quarterly overview of these Rainforest Alliance Certified volumes, starting with Quarter 3/2020 (July, August, September 2020), to customersuccess@ra.org.
Herbal and fruit tea ingredients and rooibos from UTZ certified farms are already being traced in the Good Inside Portal and no additional reporting is required.
What is the seal/label that will be used for the new program?
All ingredients certified under the new UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices Program will be able to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or UTZ certification label and/or be linked to the Rainforest Alliance or UTZ certification claims. For labeling and claims, the Rainforest Alliance Labeling and Trademarks Policy or the UTZ Labeling and Trademark Policy apply. Learn more about our mutual recognition program.
The Rainforest Alliance introduced a new certification seal in June 2020 which will replace the current Rainforest Alliance Certified seal and the UTZ label. Companies are welcome to submit labeling approval requests with the current Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or the UTZ label until December 31, 2022. Learn more about the timelines and phasing out of the current seal options.
