On December 3rd, Rainforest Alliance launched their first round of public consultation for their new standard.
In January 2018, the
Rainforest Alliance joined forces with UTZ and they have began building the new organization. In 2019, Rainforest Alliance will publish a single, new agriculture certification program that is bringing together and building upon both systems. In addition to the new standard, the new program will include a new chain of custody, a new fee structure, and a new labeling policy for companies sourcing certified products. According to Rainforest Alliance the new sustainable agriculture standard "will be designed to maximize positive social, environmental, and economic impact, while offering farmers an enhanced framework to improve their livelihoods while protecting the landscapes where they live and work."
For Rainforest Alliance the public consultation process "is an essential step to creating a stronger approach to certification—one that calls for deeper engagement and greater transparency along the entire supply chain." The consultation process for the new standard will include online consultations and regional workshops. Stakeholders are now invited to take the
online consultation survey.
The Rainforest Alliance website has
Q&A that explains the process of the external consultation and the choices that could be made in the standard.
Survey:
Public Stakeholder Consultation SurveySource:
Rainforest Alliance "New Agriculture Certification Standard Stakeholder Consultation"