The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organisation working to build a future in which nature is protected and biodiversity flourishes, where farmers, workers, and communities prosper, and where sustainable land use and responsible business practices are the norm. We envision a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.
In January 2018, the Rainforest Alliance merged with UTZ, a global program and label for sustainable farming. Our head offices are in Amsterdam and New York, with regional offices around the world.
Find out more about Rainforest Alliance at - https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/
ISEAL Code Compliant designates members who have successfully undergone independent evaluations against the ISEAL Codes of Good Practice in Standards-Setting, Assurance and Impacts.
The ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Sustainability Systems (‘the ISEAL Code’) v1.0 became effective as of 1 March 2024. There is an 18-month transition period of ISEAL Code Compliant organisations to align their systems to the ISEAL Code.
During the transition period, no independent evaluations against the Standard-Setting, Impacts, or Assurance Codes are conducted, but Code Compliant organisations will engage in compliance activities and are expected to align their systems with the ISEAL Code. Independent evaluations against the scope of the ISEAL Code are anticipated from Q4 2025. Information on the transition period is publicly available on the ISEAL Code of Good Practice revision and integration page.
As a result of this independent evaluation, Rainforest Alliance made the following improvements to how they set their standards:
- Make the standards development procedure accessible on the website.
- Updated the website and standard document to include the postal address and other available contact information.
- Updated the grievance procedure to clarify that complaints related to the standard setting process are accepted and investigated.
As a result of this independent evaluation, Rainforest Alliance made the following improvements to their assurance system:
- Updated the grievance mechanism to make it explicit that stakeholders can report cases of misrepresentation or corruption.
As a result of this independent evaluation, Rainforest Alliance has made the following improvements to their M&E system:
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Updated the website to give interested stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback on the M&E system.
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Updated the Standard Operating Procedure to provide guidance and act as a tool for internal accountability.
ISEAL Code Compliant members provide publicly available reports that give a comprehensive and accessible overview of a member's system.
ISEAL System Overview Rainforest Alliance 2022