Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance is pleased to see that the #EUDR discussions have come to a close, and the 12-month delay has now been adopted without any further amendment to the regulation. We are also relieved that the “no risk” category put forth by the Parliament was abandoned, as it would have exempted producers in select countries in the Global North from most provisions of the EUDR while Global South producers would have been subject to all provisions of EUDR. The additional 12 months are an opportunity for more producers, in particular smallholders, to align with this ambitious legislation. However, the burden of compliance cannot be the sole responsibility of smallholders. With the implementation date now clear, it’s time for companies and governments to make smallholder inclusion a priority, to ensure the EUDR implementation is a success. Since the EUDR was introduced, the Rainforest Alliance has worked tirelessly in our advocacy efforts to ensure that the rights and interests of smallholder producers are represented in this ambitious legislation. Moreover, in 2023 alone, the Rainforest Alliance certified more than 2.9 million smallholder farmers. We’ll continue to call for an increase in financial and technical resources to support them, and to work with our partners that share the same purpose. 📸 Photo credit: 1. Dòng Truong Kiên / Acorn 3. Matt Ehnes of Jared's Detours #RainforestAlliance #DeforestationRegulation #SupplyChains #Sustainability #Smallholders

No matter where you find yourself in the world, tropical forests are closer to you than you think. Beyond being home to half of all terrestrial animal and plant species on Earth, forests sustain us with food, clean air and water, and climate stability. 🌏 🚨 Here’s the harsh reality: forests—and everything they protect—are in crisis. In 2023 alone, the tropics lost an average of 10 soccer fields of forest every minute. This alarming rate of deforestation threatens not only biodiversity but the very future of our planet. 🌟 But there's hope, and you can make a difference! Donate today while your gift goes twice as far for the ecosystems that give us so much 👉 https://bit.ly/49LAOWt Together, we can protect forests to pave the way to a more sustainable future. 🌱 #RainforestAlliance #Rainforests #ProtectForests #Donate #GiveBack #KeepForestsStanding #Biodiversity #Conservation

Last week, our coffee sector lead, Miguel Gamboa, joined the Innovation Forum with other experts from the coffee and cocoa sectors to discuss the ongoing impact of #EUDR on these industries. ☕🍫 Miguel emphasized how voluntary certification schemes, like the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program, can be a powerful tool to help businesses and farmers navigate and comply with EUDR requirements. He specifically pointed out how smallholder farmers can leverage the Rainforest Alliance Certification program to demonstrate their commitment to deforestation-free, legally produced coffee and cocoa on their farms. 🌱 💡 A consensus emerged from the discussion: we need to shift the focus from 𝘄𝗵𝘆 EUDR is necessary to 𝗵𝗼𝘄 this ambitious regulation can be effectively implemented to create more sustainable supply chains. ⛓️ 📸: Farmer Truong Thi Mâu, taken by Dòng Truong Kiên / Acorn #RainforestAlliance #Smallholders #DeforestationRegulation #Coffee #Cocoa #SupplyChains #Certification #RainforestAllianceCertified

#DidYouKnow? 👉 Only 14% of global public climate finance for agriculture and land between 2021-22 went to small-scale farmers, despite the fact that they produce as much as 80% of all the food in Africa and Asia. 🧑🌾 This staggering statistic highlights the urgent need for more investment in smallholders and nature-based solutions to protect our food systems. In a recent Reuters article, Duncan Williamson, head of public affairs and advocacy at the Rainforest Alliance, voiced his disappointment at #COP29, where food systems were largely absent from climate discussions: “There is a still a lack of understanding or recognition of how global food systems are deeply vulnerable to climate change, biodiversity loss and water shortages...Many people called for more funds to go towards smallholders, nature-based solutions and adaptation, but no progress was made. Most of the money goes towards large projects, conventional farming, tech solutions and production streamlining." 🌱 But there’s hope: Countries like the UK and Brazil have pledged to work together to make #COP30 the "Turnaround COP"—a moment to get back on track and invest in the future of smallholders and our food systems. Click on the link below to read the full article!👇 #RainforestAlliance #COP #Smallholders #Farmers #ClimateFinance #FoodSystems #ClimateAction #Biodiversity

In Chiapas, Mexico, we’re working hand-in-hand with Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) with funding from OXO to support coffee-farming families in adopting more sustainable practices! ☕ As part of a comprehensive food and nutrition strategy, we've involved about 10 families in the Gloria Tiaquil community during the first phase. Before starting intervention activities in the field, we needed to understand the current health and nutrition of the community to design the most effective approach: 🔍 Researchers, professors and graduate students of the Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas assessed the nutritional status of community members by measuring their weight, height, and age. 📝 Our team in Mexico conducted interviews with the Tzeltal ethnic group—coffee farmers who grow Arabica under shade—to learn more about their eating habits and food access. Through this partnership, we’re not only supporting sustainable coffee farming, but also fostering healthier, more resilient communities! 🌱 📸 Behind the scenes: 1. Nutritional health assessments underway—gathering important data to improve nutrition in the community. 🩺 2. Despite this year's delays and low coffee harvest, you can see the first batch of Arabica coffee beans drying in the courtyard! 🫘 3. One of the family homes showcases a traditional wooden table and red plastic tool for shelling corn, along with corn cobs, shelled corn, and pumpkins—essential elements of the local Indigenous diet. 🌽 #RainforestAlliance #Chiapas #Mexico #Sustainability #ArabicaCoffee #Nutrition #FoodAccess #Health #IndigenousCommunity #GloriaTiaquil

🌟 Wrapping up the year with some of our favorite highlights! ⏭️ Swipe to unwrap the hits that we just couldn’t skip, and click here for a deeper dive in our latest #AnnualReport 👉 https://lnkd.in/guqKmCMa We’re incredibly proud of the strides we’ve made in protecting the world’s most iconic—and threatened—landscapes, as well as advancing sustainability through our certification program. 🐸 Looking ahead, we’re more determined than ever to scale our impact. By 2030, we’re committed to growing our alliance from 7.5 million to 100 million farmers and workers, accelerating the change needed to protect our planet for generations to come. 🌿 📸 Thriving Landscape photo credit: 1. Mount Kenya: Joost Bastmeijer 3. Sui River: Nu Image Communications 4. North Luwu: Prokopim Setda Luwu Utara #RainforestAlliance #WeAreAllIn #SpotifyWrapped #Sustainability #Certification #RegenerativeAgriculture #ThrivingLandscapes #ClimateWrapped #ClimateAction

🇵🇪 Great news from Peru! We're thrilled to announce that Quinde Coffee is the first Peruvian Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee brand. ☕ Quinde Coffee is produced, roasted, managed, and sold by small-scale farmers, who are members of the cooperative COOPBAM in the Upper Mayo River Valley. 🏞️ This incredible milestone will: 📈 Boost their products' value in local markets, and help them find new markets in Peru 🗣️ Help them communicate their efforts to protect the Alto Mayo natural area 💡 Inspire brands in Peru and around the world to do their part for our planet Together with the Rainforest Alliance, Quinde Coffee is brewing a brighter, more sustainable future for Peru’s coffee farmers and forests. ☀️ #RainforestAlliance #Rainforests #Sustainability #Coffee #Peru #COOPBAM #Smallholders

🎉 Exciting news: Climate Insider has recognized the Rainforest Alliance's own Duncan Williamson as one of the 15 notable speakers at #COP29! 🌍 As our Senior Manager for Public Affairs & Advocacy, Duncan champions sustainable agricultural practices to combat deforestation and protect rainforest ecosystems. At COP29, he discussed the importance of certification schemes and their role in supporting farmers to implement climate-smart agriculture practices at scale. 🌱 Discover more inspiring voices from COP29 at the link below!👇 https://bit.ly/3Vsgjs9 #RainforestAlliance #WeAreAllIn #Sustainability #COP #ClimateAction #Certification #RegenerativeAgriculture

Smallholder farmers are at the heart of what we do. 🧑🌾 In 2023 alone, the Rainforest Alliance certified more than 2.9 million smallholder farmers—accounting for over 99% of the farmers we certified that year! 🌱 💡 What challenges has the Rainforest Alliance helped smallholder farmers overcome? 👇 💬 “As small-scale farmers, we often want to expand our farms, hoping to increase yields. There was a huge expansion of plots into untouched forests, but the Rainforest Alliance has helped us develop a plan to restore our cocoa plots without the need for expansion. Now we know that we can stay in the same plot and increase our yields by rejuvenating or increasing the density of cocoa plants. This is what we are doing now, and it is taking away the need for farmers to convert forests.” — Mva Ze Jean Louis, President of SCOOPS-PROCAM, a cocoa farmers’ cooperative in Mintom, Cameroon, certified with us since 2022. 📊 Curious to learn more about the farmers we certify? Check out our Certification Data Reports! 👉 https://bit.ly/3CZgo02 #RainforestAlliance #Smallholders #Farmers #Sustainability #Agroforestry #Cocoa #Certification #SustainableFarming

At the core of sustainability lies the protection of #HumanRights. When communities are treated fairly, paid decent wages, and have safe working conditions, they can build resilience and reduce the need for practices that harm our planet, like destructive farming methods. Upholding these rights strengthens the social fabric needed for long-term environmental stewardship. 🤲🌱 That's why the Rainforest Alliance integrates human rights principles into sustainable agriculture and forestry. For example, our certification standards promote better wages and working conditions, while supporting farmers with sustainable techniques like agroforestry. These efforts help communities break cycles of poverty and protect forests and biodiversity. 🌿 Through collaboration with local stakeholders, governments, and companies—like in our NORAD-funded projects—we’re ensuring rights are respected across supply chains, creating a ripple effect that benefits people, ecosystems, and the global climate. 🌎 Protecting human rights is more than a moral duty—it’s a vital step toward a future where people and nature thrive together. Join us in our commitment to building a sustainable and equitable future, because together, we can make a lasting impact. We’re ALL IN! 🤝 📸 Photo credit: 1. Charlie Watson 2. Joost Bastmeijer 3. Passion Growers, Wander Films and Kroger #RainforestAlliance #WereAllIn #HumanRightsDay #Sustainability #Forestry #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateResilience #Livelihood