Information booklet brochure eng coffee latinamerica
Revolutionizing farm
management
Introduction
As a result of an increased awareness of environmental degradation, in recent years consumers have begun to prefer products that
generate the least ecological impact and the greatest positive social impact.
This has led to the implementation of sustainable processes based
on new forms of production, which enable us to continue using natural resources more efficiently in activities such as agriculture.
Traditionally, the lack of appropriate techniques and information
among rural producers, together with their need to generate credits
in the short term, has led to practices that caused problems ranging from inequitable labor relations to deforestation, soil erosion and
water pollution.
Mission of the Rainforest Alliance
Sustainable Agriculture Program
Integrate agricultural production,
biodiversity conservation and
community development
1
Today, with the support of the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit international organization, there has been an upsurge in what is termed
“sustainable agriculture,” which integrates improving production
with adopting solutions that are profitable and environmentally and
socially responsible. Sustainable agriculture also aims to encourage
an ethical economy by opening new market niches.
Maintaining productivity and conserving
natural resources and are among
the goals of sustainable agricultural
certification.
Rainforest Alliance administers a sustainable farm certification program and acts as the Secretariat of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), a coalition of NGOs that links responsible farmers with
conscientious consumers through the development of the Sustainable Agriculture standards and the use of the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal of approval.
Sustainable farms leave a minimal
environmental footprint.
In addition to conserving ecosystems, sustainable farms can supply healthier foods at reasonable prices, provide respectable living
conditions for workers and are profitable enough to compete with
conventional agriculture.
The farmers, cooperatives and landowners who participate in the
program comply with rigorous social and environmental standards,
benefiting the entire agricultural production chain, including communities, consumers and business owners and especially the farmers themselves.
2
A paradigm
for commitment and action:
Farmers win with
certiication
Beneits
Globally, crops take up one-quarter of the world’s land. Agriculture
has already destroyed millions of hectares of forest, and the pressure on the planet’s limited resources continues to grow, as farmers depend on crops for their subsistence and also due to consumer
demand.
As a solution, the Sustainable Agriculture Network promotes the implementation of best sustainable practices and certification. It also
promotes changes in consumer behavior, changes in land uses in
order to conserve wildlife and ecosystems and protects the rights of
workers and neighboring communities.
Rainforest Alliance offers incentives to
farmers to comply with the sustainable
agriculture standards and encourages
businesses and consumers to support
farmers who improve their farms.
Products from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms are harvested
based on a responsible farm management model.
3
Beneits
Certified farms have succeeded in:
1.
Reducing water contamination by controlling sources of contaminants such as pesticides and fertilizers, sediments, wastewaters, solid wastes and fuels.
2.
Reducing erosion through practices such as contour crop planting on slopes and maintaining ground cover.
3.
Eliminating the use of the most toxic pesticides, with direct impacts on improving human and ecosystem health.
4.
Often increasing farm efficiency by reducing production costs
and improving farm or agribusiness administration.
Cofee with a taste of the forest
Coffee farmers in South America, Central
America, Mexico, Africa and Asia have distinguished themselves by increasing client
satisfaction and maximizing the value of
their golden bean. The concept of sterile
monocultures devoid of biological diversity
has been left behind, and farms are self-sustaining agroforestry systems that can provide refuges to scores of wildlife species.
Join the Program and support
farming practices that are positive
for your health and for your
country’s economy.
Buying certified products helps fight climate change
because certified farms protect trees that help
capture carbon.
4
5.
Setting an example of environmental stewardship by halting deforestation, protecting riverbanks with buffer zones, conserving
fragile ecosystems like wetlands and preserving forest patches
within the farms.
6.
Reducing waste, since organic by-products such as banana
stems, coffee pulp, orange peels and foliage are composted and
returned to the fields as fertilizer.
7.
Recycling plastic, glass and metals.
8.
Motivating their workers with just wages, decent housing, potable water, sanitation and safe, wholesome work areas. Workers
and their families have access to education, medical assistance,
transportation and training.
9.
Optimizing the use of water through conservation and recycling
programs and through improvements to systems for irrigation,
washing and packing plants and housing.
10. Differentiating products and improving competitiveness, helping
farmers to remain in markets and open new consumer niches.
11. Increasing publicity and technical assistance opportunities.
12. Better relations with neighbors and surrounding communities.
Farm owners have made important
changes to comply with the certification
criteria, ranging from separating garbage
and converting their organic wastes into
compost to planting trees and increasing
the wages of workers. They have moved
from commitment to action.
An example to follow
In response to the growing environmental awareness, increasing numbers of large
supermarket chains and international coffee traders prefer suppliers whose products bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified
seal of approval.
Reasons to choose farm certiication:
•
Client preference.
•
Recognition of the seal in destination markets.
• Quality and punctuality of the services.
• Greater and better production.
Sustainable agriculture is a business
that benefits everyone.
5
People,
resources and money:
A process in which
everyone wins
Process
Rainforest Alliance certification guarantees that natural resources on
certified farms are conserved, that those who practice responsible
farm management are well compensated for their efforts and that
consumers and business owners are rewarded for their purchases.
Eicient
farming
Biodiversity
Certification standards show farmers
how to manage their crops sustainably.
Community
development
These are the three pillars on which the certification
program and the standards for sustainable
agriculture were based.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal is not awarded to products or
companies, but rather to production units or farms - from small family farms to plantations owned by large international corporations.
Certification may also be extended to groups of farms coordinated
by an administrator, such as cooperatives, producers’ associations
and groups of suppliers linked to export companies.
6
Certification focuses on the management of a farm or farms and covers the social and environmental aspects specified in the standards.
The scope of the certification process is the farm and the areas of influence outside the farm that are affected by its production systems.
Rainforest Alliance certification is voluntary. The process begins with
the preparation of the farm to comply with the standards and culminates when the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal is awarded.
The certification contract is granted for three years. Farms remain
certified as long as they comply with the SAN standard as demonstrated during annual audits. The certification contract is renewed at
the end of the three-year period, after a full audit.
With certification, integrated pest
management aims to limit the use
of agrochemicals and opt for biological
pest control alternatives.
All farmers are welcome
to participate – all that is required
is a serious commitment
to comply with the requirements.
7
Towards certiication
Before beginning the formal process of Rainforest Alliance certification, the farmer should ensure that his farm complies with the sustainable agriculture standards. A certification audit can be requested
from the local authorized entity.
The Rainforest Alliance
certiication process
is as follows:
Steps
1.
Request for service. When a farm
or a group of farms is ready for the
certification audit, a completed
application is sent to the local entity. The application contains all
the necessary information to contact the farm or the group administrator and to plan the audit.
8
2.
Planning the service. Based on
information contained in the application, the local entity prepares
a budget and proposes dates for
the field audit. Once the budget
has been approved, the client receives the audit plan, and the audit team prepares.
3.
Audit. The auditing team arrives
at the farm and meets with representatives of the farm or group of
farms. This is followed by a review
of the relevant documents, an assessment of the field operations
and the farm’s infrastructure, and
concludes with a final meeting to
discuss the findings.
If you are interested in becoming certified
or in receiving further information, please
refer to the local entities authorized for
these services at this address:
www.sustainablefarmcert.com
4.
Preparation and review of the report. The audit
team prepares a report based on its observations
and findings. Part of this process involves an assessment of the farm’s performance, based on
the standards. In the report, the team indicates
whether or not the farm complies with the certification requirements. Audit teams do not recommend or make decisions on certification. The client subsequently receives a preliminary version
of the report in order to provide further information or correct any inaccurate information.
5.
6.
Certiication decision. Sustainable
Farm Certification International
(SFC), an independent organization, reviews the certification report prepared by the audit team
and decides whether or not to
award certification. The client has
the opportunity to appeal the decision, which the SFC would consider on the basis of the evidence
and justifications submitted.
Monitoring and annual audits. The local entity returns to the farm each year
to check on its general performance
and on the progress made in correcting any non-conformities with respect
to the standards.
Costs
Direct certification costs include the audit fee, which will depend on
the farm’s location, size and access, plus an annual quota based on the
size of the farm. The indirect costs include all the changes that must
be implemented to comply with the certification requirements.
The costs incurred during Rainforest Alliance certification are an
investment in the farm’s sustainability and in future generations of
farmers and local residents. It is important to obtain an information
packet and submit an application to receive an official estimate of
the audit costs.
9
Today, more than ever before, consumers are inclined to buy
products that represent a cause in which they believe, and many
companies are willing to pay more for goods produced in socially
and environmentally responsible ways.
10
Purchase and sale of certiied products
Being a member of the produce market that uses the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal offers major advantages:
• Your farm or group will be listed in the official directory of certified product sources published at:
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/farmproducts
• You will be able to locate producers and buyers throughout the
agricultural production chain.
• You will be able to use the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal on
your products or packaging.
• You will have access to high-quality promotional materials to
increase your sales.
• You will receive regular information on products, tools and
services.
• You will receive the Farm to Market bulletin that contains up-todate information on certified products.
Thousands of banana plantations
and coffee farms have drastically
reduced the use of pesticides, invested
in recycling and improved benefits
for their workers after obtaining the
Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, and
the numbers are rising.
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Ten Principles
of Sustainable Agriculture
8
7
10
6
1
5
2
3
Sustainable Agriculture
9
4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Management System
Ecosystem Conservation
Wildlife Protection
Water Conservation
Fair Worker Treatment
Occupational Health and Safety
Community Relations
Integrated Crop Management
Soil Conservation
Waste Management
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Sustainable Agriculture
Standards
Standards
The ten principles of sustainable agriculture underpin the sustainable agriculture standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network,
laying out a path to sustainable agriculture through a set of good
social and environmental practices.
These standards show producers how to manage their farms sustainably and how to minimize or eliminate long-term negative impacts
on natural resources.
The original standards were developed between 1991 and 1993 as
a result of a concerted technical effort by the members of the SAN,
and they benefitted from extensive public consultation with contributions from farmers, academic institutions and governments.
They synthesize more than 15 years of experience in sustainable agriculture auditing and research in several Latin American countries.
The standards are revised periodically.
The standards’ development and review process complies with the
“Code of Best Practices for Setting Social and Environmental Standards” of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation
and Labeling Alliance (ISEAL). The Rainforest Alliance is the Secretariat of the SAN and is a full member of ISEAL.
Social and environmental performance is evaluated by auditors
based on the guidelines contained in the sustainable agriculture
standards.
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Standards Structure
Each one of the ten principles of the sustainable agriculture standards consists of criteria that describe the best practices for social
and environmental management. Some of the criteria are critical and
must be complied with fully.
The criteria describe the means for evaluating compliance. There are
local indicators that orient the farm in its efforts to comply with the
standards, which can be changed according to conditions found in
different countries, regions or cultures.
Growers of certified crops maintain
their productivity and are able to sell to
discerning consumers who are concerned
with healthy and ethical production, for
which they often are willing to pay higher
prices.
Requirements
To obtain Rainforest Alliance certification, each farm or group of
farms must:
1.
Be audited.
2.
Achieve overall compliance with at least 80% of all the applicable criteria of the sustainable agriculture standards.
3.
At least 50% compliance with the applicable criteria for each
principle of the standards.
4.
Comply with all the critical criteria.
5.
Sign and comply with the certification agreement.
To maintain its certification, the farm or group of farms must be audited each year, comply with the above-mentioned requirements
and correct any non-conformities identified during previous audits
within two years or within the compliance period stipulated in the
audit reports.
15
1
Critical criteria: The farm must have a system to avoid mixing certified and non-certified products in its facilities and during
harvesting, packaging and transportation.
Products leaving the farm must be duly
identified and accompanied by documentation indicating their origin.
Social and Environmental
Management System
This includes policies, programs and procedures necessary to implement best practices, in accordance with respective national legislation. The system evolves according to the results of the evaluations,
and its scale and complexity depends on the type of crop, the size
and complexity of the agricultural operations and on the farm’s internal and external environmental and social factors.
Farms with good management systems maintain their infrastructures,
offer training programs in occupational health and environmental
education, monitor and carry out analyses of potable and waste waters and control erosion and fertilization and waste management.
The programs stipulated in this principle must include work plans
carried out by trained personnel, timetables and a description of the
resources necessary to implement each action. Farm documents,
such as maps and records of corrective actions implemented, should
be accessible and well organized.
A certified farm or group must have mechanisms for evaluating if their
suppliers of chemical products, transportation providers, waste collection services and others are complying with the standards.
16
Ecosystem Conservation
Carbon sequestration, crop pollination and pest control are some of
the services provided by natural ecosystems on farms. Rainforest Alliance certification requires farms to protect ecosystems or carry out
activities to restore them.
2
Critical criteria: All the natural ecosystems
affected by production activities within
and outside the farms should be identified and maintained intact, conserved or
restored through a reforestation or shade
cultivation program.
MAGGIE’S FARM
ON THIS FARM
WE PROTECT
NATURE
Production areas must not be located in places where
they might have negative impacts on parks, wildlife refuges, biological corridors or other conservation areas.
natural ecosystems. A vegetated buffer zone created by
planting or natural regeneration must separate different
crop areas.
The standards prohibit the extraction of threatened or endangered plants or animals. There are exceptions for tree
felling and the extraction of plants, seeds and other nontimber forest products, but only if the farm has a plan for
sustainable management approved by the appropriate
authorities.
Natural water channels must be protected by establishing protected zones on the banks of rivers, streams, creeks
and lakes. Farms must not alter natural water channels to
create new drainage or irrigation canals.
A buffer zone, where the use of agrochemicals is prohibited, must be established to separate production areas from
Areas of vegetation must be maintained along roadsides
and around areas of human activity, such as schools, dining
areas, clinics, recreation areas, homes, storage areas, packing
stations, warehouses, workshops and processing plants.
17
Wildlife Protection
3
Certified farms provide a refuge for all types of wildlife, including
endangered species, both resident and migratory. Hunting is prohibited on certified farms and the capture of wild animals must be
reduced and eventually eliminated, even though this traditional for
many cultures.
Some measures to protect ecosystems vital for feeding, reproduction and
breeding are:
Critical criteria. The hunting, capture, extraction and trafficking of wild animals is
prohibited, except in the case of ethnic
groups, and only when such activities are
regulated by policies and procedures and
are carried out for non-commercial purposes and without generating negative
impacts on the ecosystems.
18
Identify and keep an inventory of the wildlife found on the farm and its
habitat.
Keep an up-to-date inventory of animals held in captivity or in workers’
homes, and demonstrate that these are kept in appropriate conditions, in
line with national legislation.
Farms may breed wild animals, provided that the national legislation is
followed.
Reintroduction of wildlife on farms must be based on scientific programs
approved by authorities. The introduction of exotic (i.e. non-native) species is not permitted.
Water Conservation
4
Clean water is vital for agriculture. Certified farms must prevent the
contamination of surface and ground water sources by treating and
monitoring wastewater.
Critical criteria. Farms must not discharge
industrial or domestic wastewater into
natural bodies of water, unless these discharges comply with the parameters established to prevent the degradation of
clean water. Domestic or industrial waste,
such as rubble, may not be deposited.
Wastewater Treatment
JOINT 45°
FOAM
PIPE 3”
JOINT 3”
VALVE 3”
FOAM POOL
VALVE 2”
1st Pool
Segmentation & Flotation
Large Sand
Filter
PIPE 3”
Gravel
Rocks
1 m3
Farms must have programs that promote sound water use with the
best technology and resources available, including measures such as
re-circulation, an inventory of surface and ground water sources, annual records of the volume of water provided by these sources and
the amount of water consumed by production processes.
Other measures to consider are:
• All water sources exploited must have the respective concessions or permits from the corresponding environmental authorities.
• Irrigation systems must be designed based on
climate, humidity and other characteristics to
prevent waste or leakage.
2nd Pool
Filtration
& Percolation
3rd Pool Green Filter
• Responsible personnel should be designated for
each operation and areas set aside exclusively for
washing contaminated equipment.
• Farms that discharge wastewater into the environment must undergo an analysis and sampling
program conducted by an accredited laboratory.
• The use of septic tanks must be restricted to domestic waste water.
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5
Just Treatment and Good
Working Conditions for Workers
All employees benefit from the working conditions established by
international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the
International Labour Organization (ILO), including the right to organize and associate freely.
Workers must be informed of their rights and of the farm’s policies
and should enjoy fair working hours, rest periods, vacations, bonuses
and all the benefits stipulated in national legislation. They should
also be familiar with the farm’s policies and procedures related to
payments and deductions.
If housing is provided, it must be in good condition, with potable
water, sanitation facilities and domestic waste collection. Families living on certified farms must have access to medical services and the
children must have access to education.
PAY
WINDOW
HEALTH
POST
WORKER
RIGHTS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
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Other measures:
• The farm must have a written policy covering workers’ rights and
benefits, which is approved by the farm’s management or owner
and that is disseminated and made available to the workers.
• The workforce should be hired directly, not through
intermediaries.
• Overtime work must be voluntary and must be paid at a higher
rate than the standard wage. When national laws permit, workers may exceed the maximum of 60 hours per week during seasonal production peaks or due to unforeseen circumstances.
• All forms of sexual, verbal, physical and psychological abuse are
prohibited and the farm must have established procedures for
receiving and dealing with complaints.
• An environmental education program should be implemented for employees and their families, with an emphasis on
certification.
CAFETERIA
Critical criteria. The farm must not discriminate in its labor and hiring policies and
procedures along the lines of race, color,
gender, age, religion, social class, political
affiliation, nationality, medical condition,
sexual orientation or marital status.
The basic wage should be equal to or
greater than the legal minimum for the region. The costs of housing, food and other
services may not be considered as part of
the salary, unless permitted by the national legislation.
PUT
TRASH
HERE
Forced labor and the employment of children are forbidden, except in the case of
minors aged 12 to 14 years who work parttime on family farms, providing that they
are family members or neighbors in communities where children traditionally help
with agricultural tasks and that the work
does not affect their school attendance or
other educational opportunities or their
normal development. In cases where national laws are stricter, those are applied.
21
Occupational Health and Safety
6
EMPLOYEES ONLY
In order to comply with the requirements for health, order and cleanliness, and especially to reduce and prevent the risk of accidents, all
workers must receive training on how to do their work safely, especially with regard to the use of machinery, heavy equipment and
agrochemicals.
This must form part of a program in which the required services, resources and working conditions must be identified and the employees’ suggestions included in the analysis.
Farm administrators should provide the necessary equipment to
protect workers and ensure that the farm’s infrastructure, machinery
and tools are in good condition and do not pose a danger to human
health or the environment.
Other measures:
• Workers who carry heavy loads, handle dangerous machinery or
use agrochemicals should receive an annual medical checkup.
• Farms should keep an up-to-date inventory of chemical substances and store only the necessary quantities. Personal
protection equipment must not be stored next to chemical
substances.
• Legible signs should be placed in areas where agrochemicals
are stored.
• Agrochemicals must be separated according to their biocidal
action, toxicity and chemical formulation and should not be
kept on the floor or in contact with absorbent materials.
• Specific procedures must be adopted to reduce the risk of accidents and spillage of chemical substances during transportation to and within the farm.
• Workers, local residents and visitors must be continuously protected from the effects of agrochemical applications and biological and organic inputs.
Critical criterion. All workers who apply,
handle or have contact with agrochemicals, including those who launder clothing, should use protection equipment
supplied by the management.
22
• Showers and changing rooms must be provided for all personnel who apply or have contact with agrochemicals.
The standards contain additional detailed criteria for establishing a
safe working environment, identifying potential hazards and being
dealing with emergencies.
Community Relations
Certified farms are good neighbors. Farm owners and managers
communicate, consult with and respect surrounding communities
and local interest groups. Farm activities must not affect activities of
social, cultural, biological, environmental and religious importance.
7
Put
trash
here
Playground
donated
by Maggie’s Farm
Farms must follow procedures to consider the interests of
local populations regarding new construction, production
areas or operational changes that could have a negative
impact on their quality of life.
Priority must be given to hiring and training local workers and
to contracting and acquiring local services and products.
Farms should also contribute to the conservation of the
community’s natural resources, collaborate with the local
economic development and contribute to the costs of local infrastructure, such as schools, roads and aqueducts.
Certified farms must also support environmental education efforts in local schools, when possible. For example,
a large farm might be expected to contribute materials,
courses or lectures or to organize events, while a small
farm could provide access to its facilities for lectures, field
days or other similar activities.
23
Integrated Crop Management
8
Critical criteria. Use of chemical or biological substances that are not legally registered in the country or that are banned
by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) of the United States and by the European Union is prohibited.
Also prohibited are substances identified
as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) in the
Stockholm Convention, those prohibited
or restricted by the Rotterdam Convention
and the UN Environmental Program’s Prior
Informed Consent Program (PIC). Other
prohibited pesticides are those on the Pesticide Action Network’s Dirty Dozen list.
Farms must take steps to avoid introducing, cultivating or processing transgenic
crops, i.e. organisms modified using modern biotechnology techniques to have
genetic material from more than one species. If the presence of such material is detected on nearby farms, measures must
be adopted to prevent their accidental
introduction.
For more information, request the
updated list on banned pesticides from:
agstandards@ra.org
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To reduce the risks and effects of pest infestations, preference should
be given to biological, physical and mechanical methods to control
harmful insects, plants, animals and microbes. Certified farms should
reduce and eventually eliminate agrochemical use through integrated crop management.
Farms must keep records to determine the types and quantities of
agrochemicals purchased and to demonstrate gradual reduction.
Any increase in their use must be short-term, for a specific type of
pest, and must be justified in technical and economic terms.
To reduce waste and excessive agrochemical application, farms must
have procedures and equipment for mixing chemical products and
for maintaining and calibrating application equipment. Trained personnel must perform these tasks.
Soil Management and Conservation
Soils must support long-term agricultural production, so certified
farms must work to improve them. Farms must have a program to
prevent and control erosion, with practices such as using windbreaks,
vegetative ground cover and run-off channels to reduce soil loss and
the negative impacts on bodies of water.
Farms must implement a fertilization program based on the needs of
different crops and soils, giving priority to organic fertilization using
residues generated by the farm.
Using ground cover in planted and fallow areas helps restore soils’
natural fertility and reduces dependence on agrochemicals to control
pests and weeds. Burning to prepare land for crops is not permitted.
9
Critical criteria. Trees must not be felled
to make way for new farmland; instead,
these should only be located on land with
climatic, soil and topographic conditions
suitable for the planned production.
25
Integrated Waste Management
10
Certified farms are clean and orderly thanks to waste management
programs that include waste reduction, reuse and recycling. The administration, the workers and the families that live on the farms must
be made aware of and comply with these objectives.
RECYCLING CENTER
ORGANIC
WASTE
PLASTIC
METAL
GLASS
AGROCHEMICAL
CONTAINERS
DANGER
TOXIC WASTE
PLEASE
DON’T
LITTER
Open dumping and open-air burning of wastes are not permitted. Burning waste products is
only allowed in an incinerator especially designed for that purpose. Certified farms must have
legal permits for building and operating the incinerator.
Final or semi-permanent waste disposal areas on the farm must be designed to reduce contamination risks. Their location must be based on a site analysis, on the volume and type of waste, in
accordance with current legislation regarding distances from houses and other areas of human
activity and from water channels and sources.
Farms must not transfer waste without checking that its treatment or final use complies with
legal requirements and those of the standards. Waste products or materials that have been in
contact with agrochemicals must not be released without ensuring that their use will not be
dangerous.
Farms must be clean and free of accumulations of all types of waste products in order to maintain a positive image and contribute to the workers’ well-being.
Educational activities must be organized regularly to promote cleanliness and the farm must place
trash receptacles in strategic places and periodically collect and dispose of their contents.
26
Differentiated products
Recognized by buyers
The Seal
Farmers and groups of producers whose farms are Rainforest Alliance
Certified, as well as buyers who obtain products from a certified farm
or from certified groups, may use the Rainforest Alliance Certified
seal of approval. All become part of a community committed to protecting biodiversity and natural resources and to the just treatment
of farm workers and their families.
The seal offers many advantages in international markets that demand
a high level of social and environmental responsibility, since more and
more consumers, mainly in Europe and the United States, wish to know
where the coffee that they drink comes from, or where the chocolate,
bananas, pineapple, passion fruit or ferns that they buy are produced.
The Rainforest Alliance authorizes the use of the seal to certified
farms or groups of farms. It also allows the buyers of Rainforest Alliance Certified products to use the seal once these are registered
in the organization’s marketplace data system, found here: www.
rainforest-alliance.org/farmproducts
This seal guarantees that forests are
protected; that rivers, soils and wildlife
are conserved; that workers are treated
with respect, receive a just wage and have
access to medical services and education;
and it increases the credibility, prestige
and value added of an agribusiness that
is helping the environment.
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Following
the product trail
Chain of Custody
To ensure that the products bearing the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of approval have not been mixed with other non-certified
products, the facilities that process, pack, distribute or in some way
intervene in the handling of the certified products must be assessed
to determine chain-of-custody or traceability systems.
Chain-of-custody is a system that allows for an effective
follow-up of the final processed product, beginning with
the raw material on the certified farms. The reception,
handling, storage, processing, dispatch and
delivery of certified products is controlled
from the farm to the end buyer.
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If you have any questions about the
registration process for using the seal, or
regarding its correct use in promotional
items or other corporate identification
and marketing material, you can email
the Rainforest Alliance at:
The chain-of-custody system prevents the unintentional mixing of
Rainforest Alliance Certified products with uncertified products; it
also verifies the intentional mixing of products in order to calculate
the specific contents of the final certified product.
certiication@ra.org
Examples of operations that might require chain-of-custody systems
include coffee processing and roasting plants and exporters that
pack coffee of different origins or sources. The need to inspect an
operation depends on the type of activity, the quantity of the certified product being processed and on whether or not products of
different sources are being mixed.
Elements of the Chain of Custody
• Policies and procedures to control the mixing of products
throughout the processing, handling, storage and distribution
process.
• Documents demonstrating the separation of certified from
non-certified products, as well as compliance with the applicable environmental and social legislation.
• Records of purchases and sales of certified products.
• Processes and spaces for physically separating certified from
non-certified products or for processing these at different
times.
• A training program for the key people involved in handling certified products.
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Small farmers
join together
Group certiication
Small farmers face many challenges in obtaining certification, such
as a lack of economic resources or limited access to technical knowhow in order to comply with the standards. Some do not produce
the necessary volume to attract international buyers.
The specific requirements for group
certification may be requested from
members of the SAN or by writing:
agstandards@ra.org
30
The Sustainable Agriculture Network has standards for group certification in order to make the process more accessible to small farmers.
Under this system, an organized group of farmers has responsibility
for ensuring compliance with the standards. Instead of auditing each
farm individually, the group management system and a sample of
farms are audited with advantages for the entire group,
This certification option is available to farmers organized in groups that
are managed by a “group administrator.” Examples include cooperatives, producers’ associations and even farms that supply an exporter.
To facilitate the certification of small
farms, an additional standard has been
established for cooperatives or groups.
This requires an internal control and limits
the annual audits to a random sample of
farms, all of which must pass inspection
for the group to be certified.
31
Requirements:
• A group administrator, the entity in
charge of implementing the producer management system.
• Developing and implementing an internal control system to ensure that
farmers comply with the standards
and the selection or exclusion of
farms for certification.
• The group administrator should ensure that internal audits are made on
all farms and also maintain records
on certified production data and the
number and location of farms included in the group.
• Farms in the group are not certified individually and cannot sell their products separately using the certification
seal, since it is the administrator that
has the certification contract.
Advantages
• Lower audit costs, compared with individual farm audits.
• Farms in the group can develop and share policies, programs
and systems, such as biodiversity conservation and chain- ofcustody.
• Easier farmer training through an extension and inspection
program.
• The internal control system is a platform both for quality control and product traceability purposes and for other types of
certification.
• Farms achieve a sufficient volume of certified products to attract
buyers and gain access to the international market.
32
management
Introduction
As a result of an increased awareness of environmental degradation, in recent years consumers have begun to prefer products that
generate the least ecological impact and the greatest positive social impact.
This has led to the implementation of sustainable processes based
on new forms of production, which enable us to continue using natural resources more efficiently in activities such as agriculture.
Traditionally, the lack of appropriate techniques and information
among rural producers, together with their need to generate credits
in the short term, has led to practices that caused problems ranging from inequitable labor relations to deforestation, soil erosion and
water pollution.
Mission of the Rainforest Alliance
Sustainable Agriculture Program
Integrate agricultural production,
biodiversity conservation and
community development
1
Today, with the support of the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit international organization, there has been an upsurge in what is termed
“sustainable agriculture,” which integrates improving production
with adopting solutions that are profitable and environmentally and
socially responsible. Sustainable agriculture also aims to encourage
an ethical economy by opening new market niches.
Maintaining productivity and conserving
natural resources and are among
the goals of sustainable agricultural
certification.
Rainforest Alliance administers a sustainable farm certification program and acts as the Secretariat of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), a coalition of NGOs that links responsible farmers with
conscientious consumers through the development of the Sustainable Agriculture standards and the use of the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal of approval.
Sustainable farms leave a minimal
environmental footprint.
In addition to conserving ecosystems, sustainable farms can supply healthier foods at reasonable prices, provide respectable living
conditions for workers and are profitable enough to compete with
conventional agriculture.
The farmers, cooperatives and landowners who participate in the
program comply with rigorous social and environmental standards,
benefiting the entire agricultural production chain, including communities, consumers and business owners and especially the farmers themselves.
2
A paradigm
for commitment and action:
Farmers win with
certiication
Beneits
Globally, crops take up one-quarter of the world’s land. Agriculture
has already destroyed millions of hectares of forest, and the pressure on the planet’s limited resources continues to grow, as farmers depend on crops for their subsistence and also due to consumer
demand.
As a solution, the Sustainable Agriculture Network promotes the implementation of best sustainable practices and certification. It also
promotes changes in consumer behavior, changes in land uses in
order to conserve wildlife and ecosystems and protects the rights of
workers and neighboring communities.
Rainforest Alliance offers incentives to
farmers to comply with the sustainable
agriculture standards and encourages
businesses and consumers to support
farmers who improve their farms.
Products from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms are harvested
based on a responsible farm management model.
3
Beneits
Certified farms have succeeded in:
1.
Reducing water contamination by controlling sources of contaminants such as pesticides and fertilizers, sediments, wastewaters, solid wastes and fuels.
2.
Reducing erosion through practices such as contour crop planting on slopes and maintaining ground cover.
3.
Eliminating the use of the most toxic pesticides, with direct impacts on improving human and ecosystem health.
4.
Often increasing farm efficiency by reducing production costs
and improving farm or agribusiness administration.
Cofee with a taste of the forest
Coffee farmers in South America, Central
America, Mexico, Africa and Asia have distinguished themselves by increasing client
satisfaction and maximizing the value of
their golden bean. The concept of sterile
monocultures devoid of biological diversity
has been left behind, and farms are self-sustaining agroforestry systems that can provide refuges to scores of wildlife species.
Join the Program and support
farming practices that are positive
for your health and for your
country’s economy.
Buying certified products helps fight climate change
because certified farms protect trees that help
capture carbon.
4
5.
Setting an example of environmental stewardship by halting deforestation, protecting riverbanks with buffer zones, conserving
fragile ecosystems like wetlands and preserving forest patches
within the farms.
6.
Reducing waste, since organic by-products such as banana
stems, coffee pulp, orange peels and foliage are composted and
returned to the fields as fertilizer.
7.
Recycling plastic, glass and metals.
8.
Motivating their workers with just wages, decent housing, potable water, sanitation and safe, wholesome work areas. Workers
and their families have access to education, medical assistance,
transportation and training.
9.
Optimizing the use of water through conservation and recycling
programs and through improvements to systems for irrigation,
washing and packing plants and housing.
10. Differentiating products and improving competitiveness, helping
farmers to remain in markets and open new consumer niches.
11. Increasing publicity and technical assistance opportunities.
12. Better relations with neighbors and surrounding communities.
Farm owners have made important
changes to comply with the certification
criteria, ranging from separating garbage
and converting their organic wastes into
compost to planting trees and increasing
the wages of workers. They have moved
from commitment to action.
An example to follow
In response to the growing environmental awareness, increasing numbers of large
supermarket chains and international coffee traders prefer suppliers whose products bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified
seal of approval.
Reasons to choose farm certiication:
•
Client preference.
•
Recognition of the seal in destination markets.
• Quality and punctuality of the services.
• Greater and better production.
Sustainable agriculture is a business
that benefits everyone.
5
People,
resources and money:
A process in which
everyone wins
Process
Rainforest Alliance certification guarantees that natural resources on
certified farms are conserved, that those who practice responsible
farm management are well compensated for their efforts and that
consumers and business owners are rewarded for their purchases.
Eicient
farming
Biodiversity
Certification standards show farmers
how to manage their crops sustainably.
Community
development
These are the three pillars on which the certification
program and the standards for sustainable
agriculture were based.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal is not awarded to products or
companies, but rather to production units or farms - from small family farms to plantations owned by large international corporations.
Certification may also be extended to groups of farms coordinated
by an administrator, such as cooperatives, producers’ associations
and groups of suppliers linked to export companies.
6
Certification focuses on the management of a farm or farms and covers the social and environmental aspects specified in the standards.
The scope of the certification process is the farm and the areas of influence outside the farm that are affected by its production systems.
Rainforest Alliance certification is voluntary. The process begins with
the preparation of the farm to comply with the standards and culminates when the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal is awarded.
The certification contract is granted for three years. Farms remain
certified as long as they comply with the SAN standard as demonstrated during annual audits. The certification contract is renewed at
the end of the three-year period, after a full audit.
With certification, integrated pest
management aims to limit the use
of agrochemicals and opt for biological
pest control alternatives.
All farmers are welcome
to participate – all that is required
is a serious commitment
to comply with the requirements.
7
Towards certiication
Before beginning the formal process of Rainforest Alliance certification, the farmer should ensure that his farm complies with the sustainable agriculture standards. A certification audit can be requested
from the local authorized entity.
The Rainforest Alliance
certiication process
is as follows:
Steps
1.
Request for service. When a farm
or a group of farms is ready for the
certification audit, a completed
application is sent to the local entity. The application contains all
the necessary information to contact the farm or the group administrator and to plan the audit.
8
2.
Planning the service. Based on
information contained in the application, the local entity prepares
a budget and proposes dates for
the field audit. Once the budget
has been approved, the client receives the audit plan, and the audit team prepares.
3.
Audit. The auditing team arrives
at the farm and meets with representatives of the farm or group of
farms. This is followed by a review
of the relevant documents, an assessment of the field operations
and the farm’s infrastructure, and
concludes with a final meeting to
discuss the findings.
If you are interested in becoming certified
or in receiving further information, please
refer to the local entities authorized for
these services at this address:
www.sustainablefarmcert.com
4.
Preparation and review of the report. The audit
team prepares a report based on its observations
and findings. Part of this process involves an assessment of the farm’s performance, based on
the standards. In the report, the team indicates
whether or not the farm complies with the certification requirements. Audit teams do not recommend or make decisions on certification. The client subsequently receives a preliminary version
of the report in order to provide further information or correct any inaccurate information.
5.
6.
Certiication decision. Sustainable
Farm Certification International
(SFC), an independent organization, reviews the certification report prepared by the audit team
and decides whether or not to
award certification. The client has
the opportunity to appeal the decision, which the SFC would consider on the basis of the evidence
and justifications submitted.
Monitoring and annual audits. The local entity returns to the farm each year
to check on its general performance
and on the progress made in correcting any non-conformities with respect
to the standards.
Costs
Direct certification costs include the audit fee, which will depend on
the farm’s location, size and access, plus an annual quota based on the
size of the farm. The indirect costs include all the changes that must
be implemented to comply with the certification requirements.
The costs incurred during Rainforest Alliance certification are an
investment in the farm’s sustainability and in future generations of
farmers and local residents. It is important to obtain an information
packet and submit an application to receive an official estimate of
the audit costs.
9
Today, more than ever before, consumers are inclined to buy
products that represent a cause in which they believe, and many
companies are willing to pay more for goods produced in socially
and environmentally responsible ways.
10
Purchase and sale of certiied products
Being a member of the produce market that uses the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal offers major advantages:
• Your farm or group will be listed in the official directory of certified product sources published at:
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/farmproducts
• You will be able to locate producers and buyers throughout the
agricultural production chain.
• You will be able to use the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal on
your products or packaging.
• You will have access to high-quality promotional materials to
increase your sales.
• You will receive regular information on products, tools and
services.
• You will receive the Farm to Market bulletin that contains up-todate information on certified products.
Thousands of banana plantations
and coffee farms have drastically
reduced the use of pesticides, invested
in recycling and improved benefits
for their workers after obtaining the
Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, and
the numbers are rising.
11
Ten Principles
of Sustainable Agriculture
8
7
10
6
1
5
2
3
Sustainable Agriculture
9
4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Management System
Ecosystem Conservation
Wildlife Protection
Water Conservation
Fair Worker Treatment
Occupational Health and Safety
Community Relations
Integrated Crop Management
Soil Conservation
Waste Management
13
Sustainable Agriculture
Standards
Standards
The ten principles of sustainable agriculture underpin the sustainable agriculture standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network,
laying out a path to sustainable agriculture through a set of good
social and environmental practices.
These standards show producers how to manage their farms sustainably and how to minimize or eliminate long-term negative impacts
on natural resources.
The original standards were developed between 1991 and 1993 as
a result of a concerted technical effort by the members of the SAN,
and they benefitted from extensive public consultation with contributions from farmers, academic institutions and governments.
They synthesize more than 15 years of experience in sustainable agriculture auditing and research in several Latin American countries.
The standards are revised periodically.
The standards’ development and review process complies with the
“Code of Best Practices for Setting Social and Environmental Standards” of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation
and Labeling Alliance (ISEAL). The Rainforest Alliance is the Secretariat of the SAN and is a full member of ISEAL.
Social and environmental performance is evaluated by auditors
based on the guidelines contained in the sustainable agriculture
standards.
14
Standards Structure
Each one of the ten principles of the sustainable agriculture standards consists of criteria that describe the best practices for social
and environmental management. Some of the criteria are critical and
must be complied with fully.
The criteria describe the means for evaluating compliance. There are
local indicators that orient the farm in its efforts to comply with the
standards, which can be changed according to conditions found in
different countries, regions or cultures.
Growers of certified crops maintain
their productivity and are able to sell to
discerning consumers who are concerned
with healthy and ethical production, for
which they often are willing to pay higher
prices.
Requirements
To obtain Rainforest Alliance certification, each farm or group of
farms must:
1.
Be audited.
2.
Achieve overall compliance with at least 80% of all the applicable criteria of the sustainable agriculture standards.
3.
At least 50% compliance with the applicable criteria for each
principle of the standards.
4.
Comply with all the critical criteria.
5.
Sign and comply with the certification agreement.
To maintain its certification, the farm or group of farms must be audited each year, comply with the above-mentioned requirements
and correct any non-conformities identified during previous audits
within two years or within the compliance period stipulated in the
audit reports.
15
1
Critical criteria: The farm must have a system to avoid mixing certified and non-certified products in its facilities and during
harvesting, packaging and transportation.
Products leaving the farm must be duly
identified and accompanied by documentation indicating their origin.
Social and Environmental
Management System
This includes policies, programs and procedures necessary to implement best practices, in accordance with respective national legislation. The system evolves according to the results of the evaluations,
and its scale and complexity depends on the type of crop, the size
and complexity of the agricultural operations and on the farm’s internal and external environmental and social factors.
Farms with good management systems maintain their infrastructures,
offer training programs in occupational health and environmental
education, monitor and carry out analyses of potable and waste waters and control erosion and fertilization and waste management.
The programs stipulated in this principle must include work plans
carried out by trained personnel, timetables and a description of the
resources necessary to implement each action. Farm documents,
such as maps and records of corrective actions implemented, should
be accessible and well organized.
A certified farm or group must have mechanisms for evaluating if their
suppliers of chemical products, transportation providers, waste collection services and others are complying with the standards.
16
Ecosystem Conservation
Carbon sequestration, crop pollination and pest control are some of
the services provided by natural ecosystems on farms. Rainforest Alliance certification requires farms to protect ecosystems or carry out
activities to restore them.
2
Critical criteria: All the natural ecosystems
affected by production activities within
and outside the farms should be identified and maintained intact, conserved or
restored through a reforestation or shade
cultivation program.
MAGGIE’S FARM
ON THIS FARM
WE PROTECT
NATURE
Production areas must not be located in places where
they might have negative impacts on parks, wildlife refuges, biological corridors or other conservation areas.
natural ecosystems. A vegetated buffer zone created by
planting or natural regeneration must separate different
crop areas.
The standards prohibit the extraction of threatened or endangered plants or animals. There are exceptions for tree
felling and the extraction of plants, seeds and other nontimber forest products, but only if the farm has a plan for
sustainable management approved by the appropriate
authorities.
Natural water channels must be protected by establishing protected zones on the banks of rivers, streams, creeks
and lakes. Farms must not alter natural water channels to
create new drainage or irrigation canals.
A buffer zone, where the use of agrochemicals is prohibited, must be established to separate production areas from
Areas of vegetation must be maintained along roadsides
and around areas of human activity, such as schools, dining
areas, clinics, recreation areas, homes, storage areas, packing
stations, warehouses, workshops and processing plants.
17
Wildlife Protection
3
Certified farms provide a refuge for all types of wildlife, including
endangered species, both resident and migratory. Hunting is prohibited on certified farms and the capture of wild animals must be
reduced and eventually eliminated, even though this traditional for
many cultures.
Some measures to protect ecosystems vital for feeding, reproduction and
breeding are:
Critical criteria. The hunting, capture, extraction and trafficking of wild animals is
prohibited, except in the case of ethnic
groups, and only when such activities are
regulated by policies and procedures and
are carried out for non-commercial purposes and without generating negative
impacts on the ecosystems.
18
Identify and keep an inventory of the wildlife found on the farm and its
habitat.
Keep an up-to-date inventory of animals held in captivity or in workers’
homes, and demonstrate that these are kept in appropriate conditions, in
line with national legislation.
Farms may breed wild animals, provided that the national legislation is
followed.
Reintroduction of wildlife on farms must be based on scientific programs
approved by authorities. The introduction of exotic (i.e. non-native) species is not permitted.
Water Conservation
4
Clean water is vital for agriculture. Certified farms must prevent the
contamination of surface and ground water sources by treating and
monitoring wastewater.
Critical criteria. Farms must not discharge
industrial or domestic wastewater into
natural bodies of water, unless these discharges comply with the parameters established to prevent the degradation of
clean water. Domestic or industrial waste,
such as rubble, may not be deposited.
Wastewater Treatment
JOINT 45°
FOAM
PIPE 3”
JOINT 3”
VALVE 3”
FOAM POOL
VALVE 2”
1st Pool
Segmentation & Flotation
Large Sand
Filter
PIPE 3”
Gravel
Rocks
1 m3
Farms must have programs that promote sound water use with the
best technology and resources available, including measures such as
re-circulation, an inventory of surface and ground water sources, annual records of the volume of water provided by these sources and
the amount of water consumed by production processes.
Other measures to consider are:
• All water sources exploited must have the respective concessions or permits from the corresponding environmental authorities.
• Irrigation systems must be designed based on
climate, humidity and other characteristics to
prevent waste or leakage.
2nd Pool
Filtration
& Percolation
3rd Pool Green Filter
• Responsible personnel should be designated for
each operation and areas set aside exclusively for
washing contaminated equipment.
• Farms that discharge wastewater into the environment must undergo an analysis and sampling
program conducted by an accredited laboratory.
• The use of septic tanks must be restricted to domestic waste water.
19
5
Just Treatment and Good
Working Conditions for Workers
All employees benefit from the working conditions established by
international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the
International Labour Organization (ILO), including the right to organize and associate freely.
Workers must be informed of their rights and of the farm’s policies
and should enjoy fair working hours, rest periods, vacations, bonuses
and all the benefits stipulated in national legislation. They should
also be familiar with the farm’s policies and procedures related to
payments and deductions.
If housing is provided, it must be in good condition, with potable
water, sanitation facilities and domestic waste collection. Families living on certified farms must have access to medical services and the
children must have access to education.
PAY
WINDOW
HEALTH
POST
WORKER
RIGHTS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
20
Other measures:
• The farm must have a written policy covering workers’ rights and
benefits, which is approved by the farm’s management or owner
and that is disseminated and made available to the workers.
• The workforce should be hired directly, not through
intermediaries.
• Overtime work must be voluntary and must be paid at a higher
rate than the standard wage. When national laws permit, workers may exceed the maximum of 60 hours per week during seasonal production peaks or due to unforeseen circumstances.
• All forms of sexual, verbal, physical and psychological abuse are
prohibited and the farm must have established procedures for
receiving and dealing with complaints.
• An environmental education program should be implemented for employees and their families, with an emphasis on
certification.
CAFETERIA
Critical criteria. The farm must not discriminate in its labor and hiring policies and
procedures along the lines of race, color,
gender, age, religion, social class, political
affiliation, nationality, medical condition,
sexual orientation or marital status.
The basic wage should be equal to or
greater than the legal minimum for the region. The costs of housing, food and other
services may not be considered as part of
the salary, unless permitted by the national legislation.
PUT
TRASH
HERE
Forced labor and the employment of children are forbidden, except in the case of
minors aged 12 to 14 years who work parttime on family farms, providing that they
are family members or neighbors in communities where children traditionally help
with agricultural tasks and that the work
does not affect their school attendance or
other educational opportunities or their
normal development. In cases where national laws are stricter, those are applied.
21
Occupational Health and Safety
6
EMPLOYEES ONLY
In order to comply with the requirements for health, order and cleanliness, and especially to reduce and prevent the risk of accidents, all
workers must receive training on how to do their work safely, especially with regard to the use of machinery, heavy equipment and
agrochemicals.
This must form part of a program in which the required services, resources and working conditions must be identified and the employees’ suggestions included in the analysis.
Farm administrators should provide the necessary equipment to
protect workers and ensure that the farm’s infrastructure, machinery
and tools are in good condition and do not pose a danger to human
health or the environment.
Other measures:
• Workers who carry heavy loads, handle dangerous machinery or
use agrochemicals should receive an annual medical checkup.
• Farms should keep an up-to-date inventory of chemical substances and store only the necessary quantities. Personal
protection equipment must not be stored next to chemical
substances.
• Legible signs should be placed in areas where agrochemicals
are stored.
• Agrochemicals must be separated according to their biocidal
action, toxicity and chemical formulation and should not be
kept on the floor or in contact with absorbent materials.
• Specific procedures must be adopted to reduce the risk of accidents and spillage of chemical substances during transportation to and within the farm.
• Workers, local residents and visitors must be continuously protected from the effects of agrochemical applications and biological and organic inputs.
Critical criterion. All workers who apply,
handle or have contact with agrochemicals, including those who launder clothing, should use protection equipment
supplied by the management.
22
• Showers and changing rooms must be provided for all personnel who apply or have contact with agrochemicals.
The standards contain additional detailed criteria for establishing a
safe working environment, identifying potential hazards and being
dealing with emergencies.
Community Relations
Certified farms are good neighbors. Farm owners and managers
communicate, consult with and respect surrounding communities
and local interest groups. Farm activities must not affect activities of
social, cultural, biological, environmental and religious importance.
7
Put
trash
here
Playground
donated
by Maggie’s Farm
Farms must follow procedures to consider the interests of
local populations regarding new construction, production
areas or operational changes that could have a negative
impact on their quality of life.
Priority must be given to hiring and training local workers and
to contracting and acquiring local services and products.
Farms should also contribute to the conservation of the
community’s natural resources, collaborate with the local
economic development and contribute to the costs of local infrastructure, such as schools, roads and aqueducts.
Certified farms must also support environmental education efforts in local schools, when possible. For example,
a large farm might be expected to contribute materials,
courses or lectures or to organize events, while a small
farm could provide access to its facilities for lectures, field
days or other similar activities.
23
Integrated Crop Management
8
Critical criteria. Use of chemical or biological substances that are not legally registered in the country or that are banned
by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) of the United States and by the European Union is prohibited.
Also prohibited are substances identified
as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) in the
Stockholm Convention, those prohibited
or restricted by the Rotterdam Convention
and the UN Environmental Program’s Prior
Informed Consent Program (PIC). Other
prohibited pesticides are those on the Pesticide Action Network’s Dirty Dozen list.
Farms must take steps to avoid introducing, cultivating or processing transgenic
crops, i.e. organisms modified using modern biotechnology techniques to have
genetic material from more than one species. If the presence of such material is detected on nearby farms, measures must
be adopted to prevent their accidental
introduction.
For more information, request the
updated list on banned pesticides from:
agstandards@ra.org
24
To reduce the risks and effects of pest infestations, preference should
be given to biological, physical and mechanical methods to control
harmful insects, plants, animals and microbes. Certified farms should
reduce and eventually eliminate agrochemical use through integrated crop management.
Farms must keep records to determine the types and quantities of
agrochemicals purchased and to demonstrate gradual reduction.
Any increase in their use must be short-term, for a specific type of
pest, and must be justified in technical and economic terms.
To reduce waste and excessive agrochemical application, farms must
have procedures and equipment for mixing chemical products and
for maintaining and calibrating application equipment. Trained personnel must perform these tasks.
Soil Management and Conservation
Soils must support long-term agricultural production, so certified
farms must work to improve them. Farms must have a program to
prevent and control erosion, with practices such as using windbreaks,
vegetative ground cover and run-off channels to reduce soil loss and
the negative impacts on bodies of water.
Farms must implement a fertilization program based on the needs of
different crops and soils, giving priority to organic fertilization using
residues generated by the farm.
Using ground cover in planted and fallow areas helps restore soils’
natural fertility and reduces dependence on agrochemicals to control
pests and weeds. Burning to prepare land for crops is not permitted.
9
Critical criteria. Trees must not be felled
to make way for new farmland; instead,
these should only be located on land with
climatic, soil and topographic conditions
suitable for the planned production.
25
Integrated Waste Management
10
Certified farms are clean and orderly thanks to waste management
programs that include waste reduction, reuse and recycling. The administration, the workers and the families that live on the farms must
be made aware of and comply with these objectives.
RECYCLING CENTER
ORGANIC
WASTE
PLASTIC
METAL
GLASS
AGROCHEMICAL
CONTAINERS
DANGER
TOXIC WASTE
PLEASE
DON’T
LITTER
Open dumping and open-air burning of wastes are not permitted. Burning waste products is
only allowed in an incinerator especially designed for that purpose. Certified farms must have
legal permits for building and operating the incinerator.
Final or semi-permanent waste disposal areas on the farm must be designed to reduce contamination risks. Their location must be based on a site analysis, on the volume and type of waste, in
accordance with current legislation regarding distances from houses and other areas of human
activity and from water channels and sources.
Farms must not transfer waste without checking that its treatment or final use complies with
legal requirements and those of the standards. Waste products or materials that have been in
contact with agrochemicals must not be released without ensuring that their use will not be
dangerous.
Farms must be clean and free of accumulations of all types of waste products in order to maintain a positive image and contribute to the workers’ well-being.
Educational activities must be organized regularly to promote cleanliness and the farm must place
trash receptacles in strategic places and periodically collect and dispose of their contents.
26
Differentiated products
Recognized by buyers
The Seal
Farmers and groups of producers whose farms are Rainforest Alliance
Certified, as well as buyers who obtain products from a certified farm
or from certified groups, may use the Rainforest Alliance Certified
seal of approval. All become part of a community committed to protecting biodiversity and natural resources and to the just treatment
of farm workers and their families.
The seal offers many advantages in international markets that demand
a high level of social and environmental responsibility, since more and
more consumers, mainly in Europe and the United States, wish to know
where the coffee that they drink comes from, or where the chocolate,
bananas, pineapple, passion fruit or ferns that they buy are produced.
The Rainforest Alliance authorizes the use of the seal to certified
farms or groups of farms. It also allows the buyers of Rainforest Alliance Certified products to use the seal once these are registered
in the organization’s marketplace data system, found here: www.
rainforest-alliance.org/farmproducts
This seal guarantees that forests are
protected; that rivers, soils and wildlife
are conserved; that workers are treated
with respect, receive a just wage and have
access to medical services and education;
and it increases the credibility, prestige
and value added of an agribusiness that
is helping the environment.
27
Following
the product trail
Chain of Custody
To ensure that the products bearing the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of approval have not been mixed with other non-certified
products, the facilities that process, pack, distribute or in some way
intervene in the handling of the certified products must be assessed
to determine chain-of-custody or traceability systems.
Chain-of-custody is a system that allows for an effective
follow-up of the final processed product, beginning with
the raw material on the certified farms. The reception,
handling, storage, processing, dispatch and
delivery of certified products is controlled
from the farm to the end buyer.
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If you have any questions about the
registration process for using the seal, or
regarding its correct use in promotional
items or other corporate identification
and marketing material, you can email
the Rainforest Alliance at:
The chain-of-custody system prevents the unintentional mixing of
Rainforest Alliance Certified products with uncertified products; it
also verifies the intentional mixing of products in order to calculate
the specific contents of the final certified product.
certiication@ra.org
Examples of operations that might require chain-of-custody systems
include coffee processing and roasting plants and exporters that
pack coffee of different origins or sources. The need to inspect an
operation depends on the type of activity, the quantity of the certified product being processed and on whether or not products of
different sources are being mixed.
Elements of the Chain of Custody
• Policies and procedures to control the mixing of products
throughout the processing, handling, storage and distribution
process.
• Documents demonstrating the separation of certified from
non-certified products, as well as compliance with the applicable environmental and social legislation.
• Records of purchases and sales of certified products.
• Processes and spaces for physically separating certified from
non-certified products or for processing these at different
times.
• A training program for the key people involved in handling certified products.
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Small farmers
join together
Group certiication
Small farmers face many challenges in obtaining certification, such
as a lack of economic resources or limited access to technical knowhow in order to comply with the standards. Some do not produce
the necessary volume to attract international buyers.
The specific requirements for group
certification may be requested from
members of the SAN or by writing:
agstandards@ra.org
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The Sustainable Agriculture Network has standards for group certification in order to make the process more accessible to small farmers.
Under this system, an organized group of farmers has responsibility
for ensuring compliance with the standards. Instead of auditing each
farm individually, the group management system and a sample of
farms are audited with advantages for the entire group,
This certification option is available to farmers organized in groups that
are managed by a “group administrator.” Examples include cooperatives, producers’ associations and even farms that supply an exporter.
To facilitate the certification of small
farms, an additional standard has been
established for cooperatives or groups.
This requires an internal control and limits
the annual audits to a random sample of
farms, all of which must pass inspection
for the group to be certified.
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Requirements:
• A group administrator, the entity in
charge of implementing the producer management system.
• Developing and implementing an internal control system to ensure that
farmers comply with the standards
and the selection or exclusion of
farms for certification.
• The group administrator should ensure that internal audits are made on
all farms and also maintain records
on certified production data and the
number and location of farms included in the group.
• Farms in the group are not certified individually and cannot sell their products separately using the certification
seal, since it is the administrator that
has the certification contract.
Advantages
• Lower audit costs, compared with individual farm audits.
• Farms in the group can develop and share policies, programs
and systems, such as biodiversity conservation and chain- ofcustody.
• Easier farmer training through an extension and inspection
program.
• The internal control system is a platform both for quality control and product traceability purposes and for other types of
certification.
• Farms achieve a sufficient volume of certified products to attract
buyers and gain access to the international market.
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