Preferred by Nature continues partnership with Rainforest Alliance to provide agriculture certification in over 40 countries

Preferred by Nature has expanded its agreement with the Rainforest Alliance to provide certification according to the latter’s 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard in 41 countries for farms, and 58 countries for supply chains certification. This covers almost all the countries where the Rainforest Alliance is currently making an impact in terms of sustainability projects and/or certifications.

Preferred by Nature and Rainforest Alliance have been partners since 1999, when the first ‘collaborators agreement’ was signed between the two organisations. During the first years, the main focus was within the forest areas, while the focus over the last few years have been on the agriculture sector. 

When Rainforest Alliance and UTZ merged in 2018, the main purpose was to establish a common certification scheme for the two standards. The new common standard will be enforced from 1 July 2021 onwards. 

“We see the new Rainforest Alliance standard as one of the strongest agriculture standards covering most relevant sustainability aspects. We, therefore, continue to see the Rainforest Alliance programme as a core tool in promoting sustainable land-use for the benefit of people, nature and the climate,” said Ariel Zorrilla, Preferred by Nature’s Director of Agriculture. 

To date, Preferred by Nature has been auditing farms in 49 countries and supply chain organisations in 53 countries, certifying over 800,000 farmers under this standard.  

Preferred by Nature will be involved in conducting audits of farms, farmer groups and supply chain organisations across these countries to verify if the requirements of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard are being met. The organisation will also need to ensure that these entities comply with the process requirements of the Rainforest Alliance Assurance Rules prior to being allowed to sell, ship and/or promote their products as Rainforest Alliance certified. 

The farm requirements of the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard are designed to help farmers protect the landscape where they live and work, while offering a robust framework to improve their livelihoods and protect the rights of the community. Meanwhile, the supply chain requirements outlined aims to foster transparency and responsible business practices among companies, from farm all the way to shelf. This includes taking social and environmental aspects into consideration as well.