The main changes in version 1.4 of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard cover:

• Simplified certification requirements: Retaining requirements that have proven to be the most valuable for both farmers and companies and removing those that were adding unnecessary burden or complexity.
• More targeted inspections and audits: Taking steps to reduce the time and resources required from farmers, supply chain actors, and Certification Bodies for both internal inspections and audits. This will support internal inspectors and third-party auditors to deliver more focused, impactful results, the Rainforest Alliance says.
• Increased data quality and focus: Streamlining its data approach to concentrate on the data points essential for supporting market needs and continued legislative alignment. This simplifies reporting for farmers while enhancing attention to data quality. Increased data verification and validation by Certification Bodies, along with better training, guidance, and digital tools, will further support more accurate reporting for all stakeholders. 

At the same time, the Rainforest Alliance is keeping requirements from version 1.3 of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard that have proven to be the most valuable for both farmers and companies. The standard will maintain the same aims and principles as well as its innovative approaches and tools—from its Assess-and-Address systems to tackle human rights abuses head-on to its child labor and forced labor risk maps—that have shown to deliver significant farm-level impacts. 

The updated standard will apply to audits conducted with Certificate Holders from October 1 onwards. But farmers and companies can already start benefiting from some of the positive changes before through the introduction of a Simplification Policy for version 1.3 of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard.

New version tailored to feedback from farmers and companies

Version 1.4 of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard was developed informed by feedback from farmers and companies. This allowed for a more user-friendly and streamlined certification program than ever, removing unnecessary complexity and strengthening the data-driven approach.

While increasing the efficiency of our program, the changes also uphold its integrity and ability to support authorized claims. The Rainforest Alliance remains committed to ISEAL Code compliance, and its certification program will continue to provide data to support companies’ compliance with regulations like the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the EU Deforestation Regulation, and the German Supply Chain Act. The evolution of the Rainforest Alliance certification program ensures that despite these growing expectations farmers and companies retain their market access.

New specialized certification solutions coming soon

In addition to the updated Sustainable Agriculture Standard, the Rainforest Alliance is developing new specialized certification solutions for three critical impact areas: regenerative agriculture, climate, and livelihoods. Available as optional add-ons for current Certificate Holders or as standalone solutions, they will provide farmers with increased market access and the opportunity to validate their specialist sustainability practices. For companies, it will be an opportunity to stand out, strengthen their sustainability commitments, and transparently report on ambitious ESG goals. As the first of the new specialized solutions, the Regenerative Agriculture Standard will be launched later in 2025.

For almost 40 years, the Rainforest Alliance has worked to restore the balance between people and nature. With farmers and forest communities at the center, the NGO pioneered certification as its primary tool for achieving impact. Today, more than 7.5 million farmers and farmworkers are part of the alliance, alongside 7,600 company partners. As one of the largest sustainability certification programs in the world and active in 62 countries, the Rainforest Alliance says that certification is making a difference in transforming markets.

Related: Rainforest Alliance publishes 2023 Annual Report