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Home » Issues » Human rights

Human rights

Advancing the rights of rural people

What's at Stake

The production of many commonly traded goods—coffee, chocolate, tea, bananas, palm oil, and timber—often involves human rights abuses. While progress has been made in recent years, thorny problems such as child labor, forced labor, poor working conditions, low wages, gender inequality, and the violation of Indigenous land rights are still embedded in many supply chains.

Learn more about...


  • Child labor
  • Forced Labor
  • Gender equality
  • Indigenous communities
  • Worker rights

Human rights and sustainability

Advancing the rights of rural people goes hand-in-hand with improving planetary health. Project Drawdown cites gender equality, for instance, as one of the top climate solutions, and in our own work, we have seen that farmers and forest communities can better steward their land when their human rights are respected. Everyone deserves to live and work with dignity, agency, and self-determination—and promoting the rights of rural people is key to a sustainable future.

Our Impact


Improving lives and promoting rights of rural communities is a central part of our mission. Our field results, backed by independent studies, demonstrate, for instance, that workers on certified farms are more likely to enjoy better working conditions and important protections.

Better Working Conditions on Certified Tea Estates

96 percent

of workers on Rainforest Alliance Certified tea estates in Tamil Nadu, India, receive paid annual and sick leave*

In Tamil Nadu, India, a study of 300 farmworkers on seven Rainforest Alliance Certified tea estates and one noncertified estate found a significantly higher percentage of workers on certified estates had contracts and annual paid leave, sick leave, and maternity leave.

Read the report

*Source: Lalitha N, Nelson V, Martin A, Posthumus H. 2013. Assessing the poverty impact of sustainability standards: Indian tea. Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, London.

Better health and safety on banana plantations

100 percent

of Rainforest Alliance Certified banana farms studied in Colombia have a health and safety professional for their workers*

A study of 13 newly certified banana plantations in Colombia found health and safety professionals to be practicing on all the farms. These professionals identify risks, conduct trainings, and facilitate medical exams. 50 percent more managers on certified farms than non-certified also reported providing in-kind health benefits to permanent workers.

*Based on 2018 survey of newly certified farms in Colombia (Beekman, G. M. Dekkers, and T. Koster (2019). Towards a sustainable banana supply chain in Colombia; Rainforest Alliance certification and economic, social and environmental conditions on small-scale banana plantations in Magdalena, Colombia. Wageningen, Wageningen Economic Research, Report 2019-019: 1-49)

Our Work: Human Rights


The Rainforest Alliance brings together producers, companies, governments, nonprofit organizations, and consumers to advance human rights in the landscapes where we work. We work both to transform business practices and government policy, as well as promote the rights of our partner communities within our certification system and sustainable development initiatives.

Article

Strengthening Worker Rights and Well-Being in Agriculture

Through certification, landscape and community programs, tailored supply chain services, and advocacy, we are helping to protect and promote the rights of farmworkers around the world.

Learn More
Article

Advancing the Human Rights of Rural People

Addressing human rights abuses in agriculture and forestry is a key focus of our work to make responsible business the new normal.

Learn More
Article

It Takes a Global Village to Tackle Child Labor on Farms

We can all play a crucial role to ensure that all children grow up in dignity.

Learn More
Nguetsop Kana Madeleine
Article

The Future is Female: Inspiring Women in Sustainability

Meet 5 incredible women in sustainability who have successfully transformed their communities and the landscapes around them.

Learn More

All resources for Human rights


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Coffee farmer Anna Cheptoek Chemutai and her husband Alfred

European Parliament Vote on the CSDDD: Significant Improvements for the Rights of Smallholder Farmers

While there is still work to be done in the negotiation process, this parliamentary vote sets us on the right path toward a more responsible and sustainable business landscape.

Published on June 1, 2023

Farm workers at Platanera Río Sixaola banana farm in Costa Rica
Organizational Updates

Rainforest Alliance Certification and Beyond: Useful Tools for Company Due Diligence

The Rainforest Alliance considers human rights and environmental due diligence a fundamental corporate responsibility. Our certification program and tailored supply chain services can help companies adhere to the due diligence laws we’re advocating for.

Published on April 24, 2023

Article

An Entrepreneur Championing Women Cocoa Farmers in Côte d’Ivoire 

Meet Kpomin Minrienne Kole Edi, a successful farmer and entrepreneur who has spent her life breaking barriers—from helping other women farmers in her community to advocating for global policy reform. This is her story.

Published on April 4, 2023

White Paper

Living Income Position Paper

The Rainforest Alliance’s vision is a world in which people and nature thrive in harmony. Critical to achieving this is ensuring that agricultural farmers, workers, and communities are able to achieve... View more

Published on March 27, 2023
Available in: English

Videos

Who Are the Best Guardians of the Forest?

Indigenous and local communities manage almost a quarter of the world’s lands, which means they care for an astonishing 80 percent of Earth’s biodiversity.

Published on March 16, 2023

Videos

Can We Grow Food in Harmony with Nature?

What if farming not only fed people, it also nourished the land? With regenerative agriculture practices, farming can do just that. Planting native trees and shrubs, for example, improves soil fertility; improving soil fertility makes crops more productive and resistant to pests; eventually, pesticides can be eliminated.

Published on March 16, 2023

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The Rainforest Alliance is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-3377893.

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