Rainforest Alliance Certified

Most people know the little green frog from coffee and chocolate. The same seal can appear on cut flowers and ferns.

What it covers

The Rainforest Alliance merged with UTZ in 2018, and in 2020 published a single Sustainable Agriculture Standard. Farms are certified to the Farm Standard, and companies that handle or trade certified products are certified to the Supply Chain Standard. The requirements cover farm management, farming practices, and social and environmental issues.

One feature worth knowing: the 2020 program includes a Sustainability Differential, a mandatory extra cash payment from buyers of certified products to the certified producers.

How it's verified

Farms are audited by approved third-party certification bodies against the standard, and certified farms are registered with the Rainforest Alliance.

What it doesn't mean

Rainforest Alliance certified farms are not required to be organic. The seal tells you about the farm's management, environment and labor practices, not that no synthetic chemicals were used.

What to ask

• Is the farm certified to the current standard?
• Is your supplier certified to the Supply Chain Standard, so the claim carries through to you?
• Can you see the certificate?

Sources: SCS Global Services; Preferred by Nature (2020 program). Requirements change; check the certifier's current standard before relying on a detail.