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The Impacts of Certification: Farmers Share Their Stories

Filed Under: In the Field  |  Tagged: , , ,

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What is the Sustainable Agriculture Standard?

This standard is the bedrock of Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Certification. It defines a robust set of requirements that support the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and economic.

Independent auditors visit periodically to check that farms and companies are meeting these requirements. If so, they are awarded certification and may display our green frog seal on their products.

Our Sustainable Agriculture Certification—recognized the world over by our little green frog seal— has been transforming farming since the early nineties, when the first banana farm became Rainforest Alliance Certified. Now, nearly eight million farmers and workers around the world work on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, striving each day to make a positive impact on people and nature.

Wondering what it’s like to work on a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm? Don’t take it from us—hear it directly from the myriad voices doing so every day. Below, farmers, farm management, and farm workers share the impacts of certification in their own words.

Farmers at the center

In the spirit of continuous improvement, we’re always working to make certification even more effective for farmers and companies. In 2024, we incorporated extensive feedback to create Version 1.4 of the SAS, featuring streamlined certification requirements, more focused inspections and audits, and strengthened data quality.

  • “I highly appreciate the simplification brought by SAS v1.4. We now spend less time on documentation and more on practical activities in the field, which is very beneficial for both our staff and farmers.” 

    Duy Dang, sustainability manager at TUANLOC commodities, Vietnam

  • “I can already identify which producer this coffee is from. Two coffees, one non-certified and one Rainforest Alliance Certified—the Rainforest Alliance coffee will do better in the market in terms of price.”

    Marcos Ribeiro, quality supervisor at MonteCCer, Brazil

  • “I previously struggled with marketing my crops, but with the Rainforest Alliance seal, I’ve gained an opportunity to boost my sales.”

    Sushena Devi, small-scale farmer and owner of Jain Foods, India

  • “Everything that this seal has brought to us in relation to sustainability, traceability, respect for the environment, agricultural practices. All this was a major turning point for us.”

    Lislane Parro, coffee farmer and member of Expocacer Cooperative, Brazil

  • “Simplification in [version] 1.4 made it easier to explain to farmers, workers, or field staff.”

    Cao Xuân Lộc, sustainability manager at NKG Vietnam, Vietnam

Building climate resilience

Through certification, we train farmers in climate-smart agriculture, helping them to adapt to current climate impacts—like drought or extreme heat—and prepare for future challenges. Together, our work focuses on protecting forests and ecosystems while strengthening local livelihoods.

  • “After establishing distance and living barriers between our crop and water sources, as required by Rainforest Alliance certification, water sources on that farm that were once temporary have become permanent.”

    Marlon Mejía, manager at Montesol coffee farm in Jinotega, Nicaragua

  • “Climate change is not imaginary, it’s real. We all need to adapt, protect the forest, focus on the land we already have, and apply good practices. That’s how we’ll increase yields, attract partners, and secure our future.”

    Jean Louis Mva Ze, cocoa farmer and president of SCOOPS PROCAM cooperative, Cameroon

  • “[Certification] has made us more proactive in monitoring and responding to weather variability. […] In regions with limited rainfall, shade trees have been strategically planted, and cover crops and mulching techniques are used to preserve soil moisture during harsh conditions.”

    Teferi Oljira, certification coordinator at LIMMU in Jimma, Ethiopia

Strengthening human rights

Promoting the rights of rural people is key to a sustainable future. Sustainable Agriculture Certification program works to prevent, disrupt, and eradicate child labor and forced labor, improve working conditions and wages, and create more opportunities for women, Indigenous peoples, and youth.

  • “We’ve been able to improve the lives of people in our community by building two schools and funding income-generating activities like poultry farms for women in the cooperative.”

    Adou Constant, sustainability program manager at SOCAAN, in Adzope, Cote D’Ivoire

  • “As a result of [establishing an assess-and-address committee], school attendance has increased by 20 percent. To support the education of workers’ families, the farm has also established schools, including kindergartens, and set up a strong system for monitoring school attendance.”

    Teferi Oljira, certification coordinator at LIMMU in Jimma, Ethiopia

  • “Since we introduced the assess-and-address and gender committees, women feel empowered and confident to run for and get voted into various positions of the executive board.”

    Victoria Nyalugwe, gender committee chairperson and assess-and-address committee member, Msuwadzi Tea Association, Malawi

  • “Rainforest Alliance certification has greatly improved working conditions for the well-being of farm workers. It ensures that workers have a safe and healthy working environment.”

    Crysthara Lúcia Alves dos Reis, sustainability manager at Daterra, Brazil

  • “More workers, particularly women, are now approaching the committees with their cases, which are being addressed efficiently.”

    Winnie Mhuriyengwe, packing manager, Tanganda Tea Company, Zimbabwe

  • “Before certification, health and safety rules and systems existed, but they weren’t adequately enforced. After certification, we are seeing higher health and safety standards, and the number of workplace injuries has dropped.”

    Salesio Kaberia, certification manager at KTDA, Kenya

  • “Before certification, I only provided basic things to workers like drinking water. After certification, I now also provide workers with a clean and safe place to eat their food and safety equipment like raincoats and rain boots.”

    Sushena Devi, small-scale farmer and owner of Jain Foods, India

Boosting local livelihoods

We believe in building strong, rural economies rooted in sustainable growing practices. Certification helps farmers to adopt methods that boost yields while improving the health of the land.

  • “We don’t even need to tell them the advantage of being certified. They see how our lives are improving, and they want to join.”

    Adou Constant, sustainability program manager at SOCAAN, Côte d’Ivoire

  • “I gained more knowledge [on] how to take care of my farms after joining certification, such as pruning, sanitation, fertilization. Previously, I had never thought about rejuvenating my cocoa plants.”  

    Luther T Bilangi, cocoa farmer with Jebe Cocoa Trading Indonesia, Southeast Indonesia

  • “Not only do we benefit directly, but we also attract partners. Today, SCOOPS PROCAM is recognized—even internationally. People know what we’re doing here in southern Cameroon, near the Dja Reserve. And our cocoa stands out.”

    Jean Louis Mva Ze, cocoa farmer and president of the SCOOPS PROCAM cooperative, Cameroon

  • “Yields, yields, yields. In my farm, you’ll see old and young trees. Before the cooperative, I could harvest maybe three bags. But with the farmer field school and cooperative, I’m now reaching 10 to 15 bags. That’s around two tons. All thanks to good agricultural practices.”

    Avelin Mintong, cocoa farmer, Cameroon

  • “Over the past decade, our production has increased about 10 percent. This growth comes from our farm’s strategic investment in implementing good agricultural practices. […] Herbicide usage is also down 10 percent compared to five years ago and pest damage has decreased by 5-8 percent.”

    Teferi Oljira, certification coordinator at LIMMU, Ethiopia

  • “…Certification not only benefits the farm but also has a positive impact on local communities, promoting decent employment, supporting economic development, and improving the quality of life for people who live and work near the farm.”

    Crysthara Lúcia Alves dos Reis, sustainability manager at Daterra, Brazil

Protecting forests and biodiversity

With certification, we’re working to protect nature on and around farms by helping farmers adopt better alternatives to clearing forestland for cultivation—from growing practices that improve soil and water quality to agroforestry systems that offer additional income to farmers along with healthy habitats for wildlife.

  • “As small-scale farmers, we often want to expand our farms, hoping to increase yields. As a result, there was a huge expansion of plots into untouched forests, but the Rainforest Alliance has helped us develop a plan to restore our coffee plots without the need for expansion.”

    Cyrus Chomba, manager at Baragwi coffee cooperative, Kenya

  • “Fewer pesticides mean fewer chemicals being released into the environment, which benefits the health of local rivers, soils, and wildlife. We’ve also noticed improved crop quality—with less pesticide residue, the quality of food grown on the farm is better and can be sold in sustainable markets.”

    Crysthara Lúcia Alves dos Reis, sustainability manager at Daterra, Brazil

  • “Yes, I believe my children will continue in cocoa farming like I did. It’s a legacy. We inherited it from our parents. That’s why I’m working hard to preserve it. This was the work of my late grandfather. And now, these young trees I’m planting—they’ll stay. My children will take care of them.”

    Avelin Mintong, cocoa farmer, Cameroon

  • “By adopting Rainforest Alliance farming practices, such as organic composting and planting fruit or forest trees alongside crops, our soil health has improved significantly, leading to better yields and quality.”

    Darwin Castro, Microfinanciera Pueblos en Acción Comunitaria S.A., Nicaragua
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