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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.
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.
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.
*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
The World’s Best Forest Guardians: Indigenous Peoples
Research shows that Indigenous peoples know best how to protect forests.
Article
Our Work with the Global Living Wage Coalition
The Rainforest Alliance believes that workers around the world should be paid enough money to provide a decent life for themselves and their families.
Article
Women Are the Key to Environmental Resilience
Gender equality is not only a question of human rights, or increasing economic activity in developing countries. It is the key to effectively meeting some of the greatest challenges facing humanity.
All resources for Human rights
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Annual Report
2021 Annual Report: We Grow Together
Explore the Rainforest Alliance 2021 Annual Report! Inside you’ll meet the farmers, forest communities, businesses, and individuals who are working with us to create a world where people and nature
View: 2021 Annual Report: We Grow Together
Topics: ImpactsIn the Field
The Rainforest Alliance Suspends New Business Activities In Russia
The Rainforest Alliance is suspending all new business activities in the Russian market until further notice. [Read more...]
Topics: Certification
White Paper
Integrated Systems to Tackle Child Labor
More than 70 percent of all child labor cases are found in the agricultural sector. While banning child labor on farms is commonly perceived to be a silver bullet, it’s simply not enough. The best way
View: Integrated Systems to Tackle Child Labor
Topics: Assess and AddressInsights
Shaping Human Rights and Environmental Policy for a Sustainable Future
Advocacy complements the other main areas of our work by shaping policies and practices that will affect agriculture, forests, and business for years and decades to come.[Read more...]
Strengthening Worker Rights and Well-Being in Agriculture
The Rainforest Alliance protects and promotes the human rights of more than 1.5 million farmworkers through our certification program, and of tens of thousands more in our community-level work.[Read more...]
Topics: 35th AnniversaryIn the Field
Piloting our 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard: how our assess-and-address approach is tackling human rights issues
Our 2020 Certification Program promotes an assess-and-address approach and grievance mechanism for tackling human rights issues. This new, risk-based system focuses on prevention, engagement, and improvement and incentivizes farmers and companies to tackle human rights issues rather than hide them. It also requires farms and farmer groups to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.[Read more...]
