The production of many agricultural goods—coffee, cocoa, bananas, and other fruits and vegetables—often involves risks of forced labor. Advancing the human rights of rural communities is key to our vision of a world where people and nature thrive in harmony. This includes protecting farmworkers’ rights and addressing forced labor in agriculture.
This page features information about the Rainforest Alliance's work to tackle the issue and links to all our forced labor-related content and resources.
We bring together farmers, companies, governments, and civil society organizations to collaborate for systemic change. We work to advance responsible business practices and government policy, and within our own certification program and sustainable development initiatives to advance human rights in the production landscapes where we work.
Our certification program promotes an assess-and-address approach to tackling forced labor. It focuses on prevention, engagement, improvement, and incentivizing farmers and companies to tackle this issue head on.
Download this paper for an in-depth look at the Rainforest Alliance’s position and approach to tackling forced labor.
Download this sell sheet to learn how we help companies to address forced labor and other human rights risks in their supply chains and sourcing landscapes.
Manage risk with the Rainforest Alliance child labor and forced labor sectoral risk maps
This project will provide training and engagement to at least 37,093 workers in the avocado and berry (strawberry and raspberry) sectors in Mexico and the banana and pineapple sectors in Costa Rica.
Amid Ghana’s tropical forests and lush hills, the cocoa and gold industries are booming. Ghana is the largest gold producer in Africa, and Ghana and Côte D'Ivoire account for over 60% of global cocoa production.
In the rugged hills of Turkey's Black Sea coast, hazelnut production is still mostly manual and heavily reliant on seasonal hired labor.
To tackle forced labor in the coffee industry, we must also address the social, economic and political issues that go beyond the farm. The solution will require collaboration between farmer communities, companies, civil society, governments, and others.
The data sheet provides the full score of risk calculations per country. It takes into account key indicators drawn from publicly available indices and our own research.... View more
Addressing human rights abuses in agriculture and forestry is a key focus of our work to make responsible business the new normal.
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
The Child Labor and Forced Labor Sector Risk Maps are part of our improved assurance system. Working with these maps, and our certification program, will give your company or farm the information needed to tackle human rights violations in your supply chain.
In the rugged hills of Turkey's Black Sea coast, hazelnut production is still mostly manual and heavily reliant on seasonal hired labor.
There is no place in either sustainable agriculture or responsible business for human rights abuses such as forced labor. This position paper first presents how the Rainforest Alliance defines forced... View more
