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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.... Continue Reading

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.... Continue Reading

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.... Continue Reading

Learn More
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.... Continue Reading

Learn More

All resources for Human rights


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Mother & children in La Ramona, Mexico
Article

An Indigenous Community Finds a New Home—and Restores a Landscape

Once violently displaced, an Indigenous community in Chiapas, Mexico now flourishes.

Published on September 14, 2023

Article

Addressing Child Labor on Hazelnut Farms in Türkiye

We've trained more than 7,600 farmers in child labor prevention, monitoring, and remediation strategies.

Published on September 14, 2023

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.

Published on September 12, 2023

Elder woman from the Mam Indigenous community in Cajolá, Quetzaltenango standing in a tree nursery
Article

The Indigenous Roots of Regenerative Agriculture 

While a new wave of enthusiasm has crested in recent years, regenerative agriculture is an ancient concept that originated with Indigenous peoples around the world more than a thousand years ago.

Published on August 9, 2023

Annual Report

2022 Annual Report: We’re all in.

Dive into our 2022 Annual Report—and discover the extraordinary people and places at the heart of our global mission. We’re all in. Are you?... View more

Published on June 27, 2023
Available in: English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese

Al Jazeera
Media Coverage

Forest Recognition for Papua Tribe Raises Hopes for Climate

Published on June 8, 2023 | Al Jazeera

Indigenous peoples are increasingly recognized as the most effective custodians of the world’s remaining forests.

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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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In 2022, 75% of our income supported sustainability programs. Learn More »

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