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Sustainable Agricultural Production and Responsible Supply Chain
Rainforest Alliance certification strengthens your position in the marketplace – assuring your customers that your agricultural products are grown and harvested on farms that promote social, economic, and environmental standards for sustainable agriculture. Certification to this standard encompasses ecosystem conservation, wildlife protection, and fair treatment and good working conditions for workers. To become certified, participants must comply with the requirements of the Sustainable Agriculture Farm Standard or the Sustainable Agriculture Supply Chain Standard. Adding this internationally recognized Rainforest Alliance certified seal to your product enables both businesses and consumers do their part to ensure a better future for the people and planet.
The Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard (SAS) is the result of the merger of Rainforest Alliance and UTZ in 2018, to create a single agriculture sustainability standard and certification program. The new framework allows farms to perform one audit of their operations and avoid duplication of work to adhere to the world’s two most widely known sustainability certification standards.
SCS offers Rainforest Alliance auditing and certification services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ghana, Tanzania, Côté d'ivoire, Solomon Islands, Portugal, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.
Certify your agricultural products to Rainforest Alliance Standard and gain consumer trust, retailer preference and product differentiation. With over three decades of experience in sustainability certification and assessment, SCS continues to help food producers, retailers and the entire supply chain achieve their sustainability goals. Our experts can offer you the needed insight and third-party objectivity to credibly prove your responsible business practices.
Take advantage of SCS’ full suite of food and agriculture certification services. Bundle your Rainforest Alliance Certification with Food Safety certification, Fair Trade USA, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project, RSPO, and Bonsucro and earn recognition for multiple achievements cost-effectively.
Benefits
Certification enables you to:
Apply for Certification
Register with the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform and complete their Self-Assessment. Rainforest Alliance determines your scope and notifies you when your company can contract an authorized Certification Body.
Complete Application
Fill out the SCS application form to receive a complimentary quote. SCS confirms your audit scope with Rainforest Alliance.
Schedule the Audit
SCS assigns an auditor and audit dates are proposed. Once an audit date is confirmed, an audit plan is provided to ensure that your team is prepared.
Onsite Audit
During a site visit, an SCS auditor will review procedures and records, visit fields and facilities, in addition to conducting interviews of management and workers to determine compliance to the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard and/or Supply Chain Standard.
Report
SCS produces a report detailing the outcome of the audit. If any nonconformities are identified, SCS can advise on corrective actions.
Certification
If your operation meets the Standard’s criteria, you are issued a Rainforest Alliance 1-year license and a certificate of compliance valid for three years. You are permitted to use the “Rainforest Alliance Certified” seal on product packaging in accordance with the Rainforest Alliance Standard’s logo guide, which is contingent on your approval from the Rainforest Alliance. SCS can also provide client marketing support.
Annual Evaluation and 3-Year Recertification
Certified entities are subject to annual surveillance audits to maintain Rainforest Alliance certification status. Full recertification is required every three years.
Eligibility
Coffee, cocoa, tea, nuts, fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs & spices producers and handlers can apply for the Rainforest Alliance certification. Producers are certified to the Sustainable Agriculture Farm Standard, while processors who use Rainforest Alliance certified products in their products are certified to the Sustainable Agriculture Supply Chain Standard.
Program Objectives
Certification Criteria
Rainforest Alliance certified producers must conform to a wide variety of requirements including:
SCS shall make law assessments available upon request.
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