Rainforest Alliance

Definition

Rainforest Alliance — Certifies farms that meet standards for biodiversity, worker welfare, and climate-smart agriculture.

The Rainforest Alliance green frog seal certifies farms — primarily of coffee, cocoa, tea, bananas, and palm oil — that meet a sustainability standard combining environmental, social, and economic criteria. Certified farms must protect forests and biodiversity, reduce agrochemicals, conserve water, and respect workers' rights.

The 2020 standard added a "Sustainability Differential" — a mandatory cash payment from buyers to producers on top of market price — and a "Sustainability Investment" to fund on-farm improvements.

The Rainforest Alliance merged with UTZ in 2018, and the green frog now covers products previously bearing the UTZ label.

See Rainforest Alliance products

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Related terms

Vegan
Contains no animal-derived ingredients and no animal byproducts.
Cruelty-Free
Neither the finished product nor its ingredients were tested on animals.
B Corp
A for-profit company independently verified to meet high social and environmental standards.
USDA Organic
U.S. federal certification for food and farming free from synthetic pesticides, GMOs, and irradiation.

Using Rainforest Alliance without overreading the claim

Certifies farms that meet standards for biodiversity, worker welfare, and climate-smart agriculture.

This entry refers to a named scheme or initiative. Its published criteria and scope matter more than the general impression created by the badge.

Separate the question the term addresses from questions it does not answer. Material sourcing, labour conditions, chemical safety and disposal need different evidence. Catalogue labels are a starting point for checking that evidence, not a substitute for it.

Rainforest Alliance: verification guide

CheckActionLimitation
SchemeRead the named scheme's current criteriaStandards cover different environmental or social questions
RegisterLook up the licence or member in the scheme's directoryA logo image alone does not establish current status
ScopeMatch the company, site or exact product coveredCompany certification is not necessarily product certification

Before relying on Rainforest Alliance

  • SchemeRead the named scheme's current criteria
  • RegisterLook up the licence or member in the scheme's directory
  • ScopeMatch the company, site or exact product covered

Frequently asked

What does Rainforest Alliance mean?+

Certifies farms that meet standards for biodiversity, worker welfare, and climate-smart agriculture.

How can I check a Rainforest Alliance claim?+

Read the named scheme's current criteria. Look up the licence or member in the scheme's directory. Match the company, site or exact product covered.