Third-party Certification: The example of Rainforest Alliance certification

The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal is a well-known sustainability label found on agricultural and forestry products such as coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, banana, and wood products. The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization founded in 1986 which brings together companies, farmers, foresters, communities, and consumers to conserve forests and biodiversity and cultivate sustainable community livelihoods (Rainforest Alliance, 2019). The certification requires farms to meet the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard (Rainforest Alliance, 2017) which is built on the principles of biodiversity conservation, improved livelihoods and human well-being, natural resource conservation, and effective planning and farm management systems. Certified farms are audited regularly to ensure compliance with the Standard (Rainforest Alliance, 2018).