
The Rainforest Alliance is strengthening its pioneering cocoa certification program, which is the world’s largest scale initiative to drive more sustainable cocoa farming. Key priorities of the cocoa strategy are assurance, shared responsibility, supply chain transparency, and profitability and resilience.

With the support of the cocoa industry, the Rainforest Alliance is taking this unprecedented action to facilitate greater accountability and oversight in the cocoa sector. The organization’s goal is to improve the economic, social, and environmental conditions of the cocoa industry – beginning with the millions of smallholder farmers in the first mile of cocoa production.
Quick Links
Moving the Strengthened Cocoa Assurance Plan to Phase 3
Phase 3 of our Cocoa Assurance Plan invites new groups from West Africa to become certified, provides an updated policy for farm and supply chain certification, and further addresses farm encroachment in protected areas and deforestation.
Your Questions, Answered: Measures to Strengthen the Cocoa Sector 2020
This Q&A has been developed to provide guidance to certificate holders and certification bodies with regards to the Measures to Strengthen the Cocoa Sector.
Policy for Farm and Supply Chain Certification in Cocoa
This policy sets out specific implementation requirements for certificate holders at both producer and supply chain actor levels (Certification Criteria) and for reinforcing the assurance process (Assurance Process Rules).
Audit Allocation System: Implementation in Ivory Coast and Ghana
Information about a new approach we will implement in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana beginning in June 2020 to strengthen assurance of our certification system.
Must Reads


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Cocoa: The Sustainability Differential

Help Center
Full Mutual Recognition
All resources for Cocoa
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Media Coverage
New ‘Business Case’ launched to reduce cocoa and other commodity-driven deforestation
The Rainforest Alliance, CDP, Clarmondial, Conservation International, and USAID announce a transformational public-private ‘Business Case’ partnership to reduce cocoa and other commodity-driven deforestation, and contribute to global climate and biodiversity goals.
Topics: Cocoa
Policies and rules
Certification Timelines and Procedures for Cocoa Groups in Côte d’Ivoire
This policy sets out the certification timelines and procedures for cocoa groups in Côte d’Ivoire for the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program.
View: Certification Timelines and Procedures for Cocoa Groups in Côte d’Ivoire
Understanding End-to-End Cocoa Traceability and the MultiTrace Platform
The Rainforest Alliance is transitioning all cocoa traceability to our new digital platform MultiTrace.[Read more...]
Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa
We work with almost one million cocoa farmers to build thriving livelihoods and climate resilience through certification and training.[Read more...]
Policies and rules
Policy for Farm and Supply Chain Certification in Cocoa
This policy sets out specific implementation requirements for certificate holders at both producer and supply chain actor levels (Certification requirements) and for reinforcing the assurance process
View: Policy for Farm and Supply Chain Certification in Cocoa