Scenario 9 – UTZ certificate is aligned with the harvest in the 2nd semester and Rainforest Alliance is in the 1st semester.
You should transition in the 2nd semester of 2021.
Based on the dates of your certificate/audit deadlines and reference harvest, you should not to do any further audits to maintain these certificates. You should transition to the new certification program in the second semester of 2021.
Because your harvest and your certificate/audit deadline are in different semesters, you need to request a time extension to your Rainforest Alliance Certificate or Audit Deadline to align it with your harvest window and your UTZ Certificate. To do this you need to contact the Certification Body that issued the Rainforest Alliance 2017 certificate. Please note you can only request a volume extension if your time extension means that you skip a secondary harvest audit.
At least 4 months before the transition deadline you need to start taking the following steps to prepare for your transition: Register on the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform, hire an approved CB, undergo the transition audit and obtain your transition certificate. See details on these important steps below:
- You will receive an email from the Rainforest Alliance inviting you to register for the 2020 Certification Program. When you receive the email, you should register immediately. To register you must indicate all the IDs of your current UTZ and/or Rainforest Alliance accounts, whether farm or chain of custody. Once you receive confirmation that your account has been created you must sign in again to complete the registration process and receive your checklist of applicable requirements. If for any reason you don’t receive an email from the Rainforest Alliance, you should register at least 4 months before you need to conduct your audit to transition to the 2020 Certification Program.
- To schedule your audit, you need to hire an approved Certification Body for the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program. To do this you need to consult the list of approved CBs on the Rainforest Alliance Website and select a CB approved for your country and scope (farm/supply chain). You must contact your chosen CB by email to contract for an audit. Please be aware that you will be required to demonstrate compliance with the applicable requirements of the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program from the date of signature of the Certification Agreement with your CB
- You must schedule your transition audit from 3 months before to 3 months after the harvest of your main product you wish to certify (the one with largest volume), which begins in the second semester of 2021. This harvest may be your main harvest or a secondary harvest, if applicable to your crop and country.
- After receiving your transition audits, you have 10 weeks to correct any non-conformities identified. Once all non-conformities have been closed, or if no non-conformities were identified during your audit, you will obtain a transition certificate valid for one year.
Contact your Certification Body for more information.