In terms of environmental and sustainability
requirements the Rainforest Alliance (RA) certification scheme is certainly
amongst the more ambitious. Based on multi-crop farm management guidelines
continuously developed since 1992 by the Sustainable Agriculture Network or SAN,
a coalition of independent NGOs, its work has attracted considerable support,
including substantial grant funding from the United Nations Development
Program.
Rainforest Alliance coffee production standards
incorporate the ten Social and Environmental Principles of the Sustainable
Agricultural Network:
- Social and
Environmental Management System - Agriculture activities should be planned,
monitored and evaluated, considering economic, social and environmental aspects
and demonstrate compliance with the law and the certification standards.
Planning and monitoring are essential to efficacious farm management, profitable
production, crop quality and continual improvement.
- Ecosystem
Conservation - Farmers promote the conservation and recuperation of
ecosystems on and near the farm.
- Wildlife
Conservation - Concrete and constant measures are taken to protect
biodiversity, especially threatened and endangered species and their
habitats.
- Water
Conservation - All pollution and contamination must be controlled, and
waterways must be protected with vegetative barriers.
- Fair Treatment and
Good Conditions for Workers - Agriculture should improve the well being and
standards of living for farmers, workers and their families.
- Occupational Health
and Safety - Working conditions must be safe, and workers must be trained
and provided with the appropriate equipment to carry out their activities.
- Community
Relations - Farms must be "good neighbours" to nearby communities, and
positive forces for economic and social development.
- Integrated Crop
Management - Farmers must employ Integrated Pest Management techniques and
strictly control the use of any agrochemicals to protect the health and safety
of workers, communities and the environment.
- Soil Conservation
- Erosion must be controlled, and soil health and fertility should be maintained
and enriched where possible.
- Integrated Waste
Management - Farmers must have a waste management program to reduce, reuse
and recycle whenever possible and properly manage all wastes.
SAN standards are based on an internationally
recognized integrated pest management (IPM) model, which allows for some
limited, strictly controlled use of agrochemicals. Farmers certified by the
Rainforest Alliance do not use agrochemicals prohibited by the US Environmental
Protection Agency and the European Union, nor do they use chemicals listed on
the Pesticide Action Network's "Dirty Dozen" list.
RA considers that by following the standards,
farmers can reduce costs, conserve natural resources, control pollution,
conserve wildlife habitat, ensure rights and benefits for workers, improve the
quality of their harvest, and earn the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of
approval. The seal allows producers to distinguish their coffee. This is helpful
in establishing long-term marketing relationships because the certification
guarantees that the farm is managed according to the highest social and
environmental standards. The certification process includes: 1) preliminary site
visit by SAN technicians to determine the changes necessary to achieve
certification (diagnostic); 2) a comprehensive audit of farm operations
(certification audit); 3) based on an evaluation report, the certification
committee determines whether the farm merits certification; 4) a contract that
governs and monitors the use of the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of
approval, the handling of certified products and marketplace promotion.
2008 sales of RA certified
coffee were 62,296 metric tons green bean and are the culmination of 80+ %
annual growth for the past six years. RA-certified coffee is now produced in
Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopía, Guatemala,
Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, México, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Tanzania,
Vietnam and Uganda.
For more information on RA and SAN visit www.rainforest-alliance.org
and http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/agriculture/san/index.html.
Updated 07/2009