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Home » Cocoa

Cocoa

Photo credit: Nice & Serious

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


Help Center

Cocoa: Origin Matching Mass Balance Timelines

Farmer poverty is an enduring issue in the cocoa sector. Our 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard addresses this critical issue from many angles, including the introduction of Origin Matching Mass Balance in cocoa.
Learn More
Help Center

Cocoa: The Sustainability Differential

Our 2020 Certification Program includes two financial requirements for the buyers of Rainforest Alliance Certified commodities: the Sustainability Differential (SD) and Sustainability Investments (SI). For cocoa, we will require a minimum SD of $70 per MT as of July 2022.
Learn More
Help Center

Full Mutual Recognition

An explanation of the Rainforest Alliance full mutual recognition to ensure traceability.
Learn More

All resources for Cocoa


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Confectionery News
Media Coverage

New ‘Business Case’ launched to reduce cocoa and other commodity-driven deforestation

Published on May 11, 2022 | Confectionery News

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

Published on April 15, 2022
Available in: English

Topics: 2020 Certification ProgramAssurance SystemBinding DocumentsCertificationCocoaCôte 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...]

Published on March 24, 2022

Topics: 2020 Certification ProgramCertificationCocoaMultitraceSupply Chain Certification

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...]

Published on March 21, 2022

Topics: CocoaInsights

Terms & Conditions

Rainforest Alliance License Agreement General Terms and Conditions

View: Rainforest Alliance License Agreement General Terms and Conditions

Published on January 28, 2022
Available in: English

Topics: 2015 Chain of Custody Standard2017 Sustainable Agriculture Standard2020 Certification ProgramBinding DocumentsCertificationCocoaFarm CertificationSupply Chain CertificationSustainability LabelsTraceability

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

Published on December 17, 2021
Available in: English, French

Topics: 2020 Certification ProgramAssurance SystemBinding DocumentsCertificationCocoaFarm CertificationSupply Chain CertificationSustainability LabelsTraceability

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