Labeling and Claims Policy

What is this document about?

This document serves three key purposes to assist organizations in:

• Determining if products or promotional materials are eligible to carry the Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) or other trademarks,

• Understanding the requirements that apply to each scenario, and

• Following the process of obtaining approval to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks.

When and how to use this document?

This document lists the conditions for which Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims can be used both on and off product. Certificate holders and organizations wishing to make a Rainforest Alliance claim shall use this policy to understand the rules for labeling requirements, seal eligibility, promotional materials, system approval, monitoring of claims including misuse and exceptions. The Rainforest Alliance License Agreement Terms and Conditions defines what constitutes a “claim”.

Changes From the Rainforest Alliance Labeling & Trademarks Policy to The Rainforest Alliance Labeling and Claims Policy

1. Introduction

As our program expands to include the new Rainforest Alliance Regenerative Agriculture Standard, we are pleased to provide a new set of predefined claims and trademarks that clearly communicate this new element of our certification program. In addition to enhancing accuracy, credibility and consistency in the use of our Rainforest Alliance certification seals as well as other trademarks^[1] worldwide, this revision of the policy launches our new regenerative agriculture seal.

In response to stakeholder feedback, we are also excited to provide certificate holders and organizations with a predefined list of claims (See Appendix C) that can be used to communicate about their sustainability commitments and impacts by producing and/or sourcing their volumes as Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture or Rainforest Alliance Regenerative Agriculture certified.

This document aligns with the Rainforest Alliance Seal Graphic Guidelines which are incorporated into this policy by reference. While this policy outlines the requirements, eligibility and procedure for trademark use, the Graphic Guidelines detail the formatting rules for materials carrying the Rainforest Alliance certification seal.

The requirements in this document apply to any organization wishing to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and or claims on product packaging, off-pack promotional materials or any other communication promoting Rainforest Alliance Certified crops or related collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance, for both B2C and B2B audiences. This also includes recommended third-party use by journalists or academics. Below are the requirements and examples for each applicable scenario.

1.1 Overview of The Rainforest Alliance Trademarks

1.2 Pre-Conditions for Trademark and Claim Use

Organizations wanting to use one of our trademarks and/or claims, for product labeling and/or off-pack materials shall:

1. Register in the Rainforest Alliance platform, ensuring that the profile and/or scope information is accurate.

2. Be covered by a valid License Agreement 2020 Version (LA 2020). Organizations may sign their own LA or alternatively may be added as a sublicensee to another company’s LA. This LA must be signed before trademark use approval can be granted (although trademark requests may be submitted in advance so that review can be completed in parallel). See here for more details on how to request this LA.

3. Achieves certification, if applicable. ^[2]

4. Receive official approval via our Claims Platform before using our trademarks and/or claims publicly on any material. See chapter 7 for more details on how to request approval.

2. Product Labeling

Product labeling requirements are determined by two main factors:

a) Whether a product is made of a single or multiple ingredients, and

b) How much of a given ingredient is Rainforest Alliance Certified.

2.1 Single-Ingredient Products

Definition: A single-ingredient product is defined as one that includes only one crop or ingredient.  For example, a bag of ground coffee would be classified as a single- ingredient product, even if it contained a mixture of both Arabica and Robusta beans in the blend.

2.1.1 Eligibility for Use of Seal(s) and On-Pack Claims

A single-ingredient product is eligible to carry our seal(S) on-pack when it:

EITHER Physically contains (through identity preserved or segregated supply chains) at least 90% Rainforest Alliance Certified content.^[3] To use the Regenerative Agriculture seal and/or the Sustainable Agriculture seal on a product, the 90% threshold must be met for volumes certified to each standard.

OR If 100% of the equivalent certified volume has been sourced from Rainforest Alliance farms certified to the sustainable agriculture standard. Crops that allow the mass balance option include cocoa, hazelnuts, flowers, processed fruits (including juices, purees and coconut oil) and herbs and spices (including rooibos).

2.1.2 Labeling Requirements

Single-ingredient products that qualify for the use of our seal(s) according to the above can carry a Rainforest Alliance certification seal on their packaging if they comply with our seal Graphic Guidelines, and:

Web Link: Unless a QR code seal is used, include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforest-alliance.org or the shortened version ra.org) on all consumer-facing materials. We recommend including the statement “Rainforest Alliance Certified. Find out more at ra.org” with respect to products certified under the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard or Regenerative Agriculture Standard. Organizations may use their own formulated statement if it includes the mandatory URL. Alternatively, only the URL itself may be used. The URL can be placed anywhere on-pack, but if a graphic seal is used, it should appear adjacent to the seal and, certified ingredient or statement (if used).

2.2 Multi-Ingredient Products

Definition: A multi-ingredient product is defined as one that includes more than one ingredient, of which at least one is Rainforest Alliance Certified. For example, a chocolate bar for which Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa has been sourced and contains multiple other ingredients.

2.2.1 Eligibility for Use of Seal(s) and On-Pack Claims

Certified Ingredient Requirement For any multi-ingredient product containing banana, cocoa, coffee, hazelnut or tea, at least one of these crops (including the ingredients derived from these respective crops) MUST BE Rainforest Alliance Certified (while meeting the content/sourcing and labeling requirements for these crops) to be able to use our seal(s). ^[4]

Multi-ingredient products that do not contain any ingredients from the above-mentioned crops, may use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) only to represent any certified crop for which they are available (while meeting the content/sourcing and labeling requirements for these crops).

For a multi-ingredient product which contains one or more certified crops and is eligible for use of our seal(s), the organization may choose which one(s) of the certified crops to claim on-pack. The examples below explain the requirement as well as the options for use of our seal(s) in cases where multiple Rainforest Alliance Certified crops are sourced for a product.

Example: Certified Ingredient Requirement & Use of Seal(s) Eligibility

More examples to clarify this requirement are in Appendix A.

A multi-ingredient product is eligible to carry our Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) on-pack in reference to the certified crop when it:

EITHER physically contains (through identity preserved or segregated supply chains) at least 90% of the ingredient content of this crop as Rainforest Alliance Certified. To use the Regenerative Agriculture seal and/or the Sustainable Agriculture seal on a product, the 90% threshold must be met for volumes certified to each standard.

OR If 100% of the equivalent certified volume (of the certified crop) has been purchased from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms via a mass balance supply chain. Crops that allow the mass balance option include cocoa, hazelnuts, flowers, processed fruits (including juices, purees and coconut oil) and herbs & spices (including rooibos).

2.2.2 Labeling Requirements

Multi-ingredient products can use our Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) on their packaging when they comply with the Seal Graphic Guidelines, and:  

1. Seal: Identify the certified crop(s) name(s) directly under our seal(s), so it’s clear what our seal(s) refer to. Ingredients that originate from the same crop type (such as cocoa liquor and cocoa butter) should be declared under our seal(s) by naming the crop (‘Cocoa’ in this example). If preferred, and when having multiple qualifying crops, the words “Multiple Ingredients” can be used under our seal(s) instead of the individual crop names.

AND

2. Ingredients List: Place a superscript symbol (e.g., an asterisk or another symbol that is not already used elsewhere on the design) directly after each certified ingredient(s) in the list of ingredients. The same superscript symbol is then additionally placed at the end of the ingredient list, followed by the text ‘Rainforest Alliance Certified’. Where not legally permitted, the superscript symbol is omitted and the text near to the ingredient list identifies the certified ingredients instead, e.g., “Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa”.

AND

3. Web Link: Unless a QR code seal is used, include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforest-alliance.org or the shortened version ra.org). We recommend including the statement “Find out more at ra.org” and place it directly after the ingredients list and the statement “Rainforest Alliance Certified”. Organizations may use their own formulated statement as long as it includes the mandatory URL. Alternatively, only the URL itself may be used. The URL can be placed anywhere on-pack, but at a location that is clearly connected to our Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s), certified ingredient(s) or statement (if used).

Example: A Chocolate Bar

Multi-ingredient products where the certified ingredient (or multiple certified ingredients together) represent at least 95% of the total product formulation by weight (such as flavored coffee beans) may be labeled without identifying a specific crop name under our seal(s).  However, the certified ingredient must still be identified in the list of ingredients, by placing a superscript symbol directly after the certified ingredient(s) in the list of ingredients. The same superscript symbol is then additionally placed at the end of the ingredient list, followed by the text ‘Rainforest Alliance Certified’. The web link must also be used on-pack.

When a multi-ingredient product is eligible for the use of our seal(s), but the organization elects not to use a seal on-pack, the certified ingredient(s) can be highlighted in text on-pack and/or indicated in the list of ingredients as Rainforest Alliance Certified with a reference to ra.org without using a seal on the product. These products may also be promoted with our seal(s) off pack.

Grouping Multiple Ingredients

When a multi-ingredient product includes similar certified ingredients (such as several kinds of flowers in a bouquet), it is possible for this group of ingredients to be considered as a single crop and qualified as such within these rules.

When this approach is taken, the wording under our seal(s) must represent the group, such as “Flowers” or “Fruit” or an appropriate group description for the product in question. If the group of certified ingredients represents at least 95% of the total product formulation by weight, no crop or group descriptor under our seal(s) is required.  The ingredients list (if present) must continue to call out the individual Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients, following the labeling rules for multi-ingredient products for the ingredients list and weblink.

Example: Mixed Fruit Juice

2.3 Products not eligible for the Use of Our Seal(s)

In the case that a product contains ingredients that are sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, but the product is not eligible for use of our seal(s), the ingredients list of these products may still call out the Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients, as described in the following scenarios:

When the ingredient(s) meet the content/sourcing requirement (as set out in this policy for this crop), but the product is not eligible for use of our seal(s) for other reasons: The certified ingredient(s) can be highlighted in the ingredients list accompanied with the statement “Rainforest Alliance Certified” at the end of the ingredients list and reference to “ra.org”.

Please note: For crops with a minimum certified threshold (herbs & spices) the certified percentage needs to be part of the statement if less than 90% for segregated or identity preserved supply chains, as in the labeling rules for these crops.

When the ingredient(s) do not meet the content/ sourcing requirements (as set out in this policy for this crop): The certified ingredient(s) can be highlighted in the ingredients list accompanied with the statement “XX% Rainforest Alliance Certified” (including the certified percentage of the ingredient) at the end of the ingredients list and reference to “ra.org”.

2.4 Labeling requirements for special cases

2.4.1 Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Loose fresh fruit and vegetables that qualify for the use of our sustainable agriculture seal, can carry our sustainable agriculture seal, with QR code, printed on a sticker. Small stickers may omit the QR code as long as the URL to the Rainforest Alliance website is included on the outer case or box.

2.4.2 Multi-Pack Product

Definition: A multi-pack product combines several individually packed items/smaller packages sold together as one product.

Multi-pack products that are eligible for the use of our seal(s) may carry our seal(s) on the outermost surfaces of the packaging, if the ingredient sourced for all items/smaller packages within the multi-pack product is Rainforest Alliance Certified. The same labeling requirements as in sections 2.1 and 2.2 (single-ingredient products, multi-ingredient products) shall then apply.

If the sourced ingredient within at least one individual item/smaller package, packed within the overall multi-pack product, is not Rainforest Alliance Certified, then the multi-pack product does not qualify for the use of our seal(s). The certified ingredient may still be highlighted with a superscript symbol in the list of ingredients accompanied with the statement “Rainforest Alliance Certified” at the end of the ingredients list and reference to “ra.org”. The individual items/smaller packages within the multi-pack product can still carry our seal(s), if they meet the content/sourcing and labeling requirements.

Example: Multi-Pack of ice cream

2.4.3 Shelf-Ready Packaging

Shelf trays or open boxes that carry individual items (e.g., avocados) or packaged products (e.g., chocolate cookies) may carry our seal(s), as long as the individual items or packaged products, are eligible for the use of our seal(s). The same labeling requirements as in sections 2.1 and 2.2 (single-ingredient products, multi-ingredient products) shall then apply.

If both the shelf tray/open box as well as the individual items/packaged products are visible to the consumer, the URL must be placed on at least one of them.

3. Herbs & Spices Product Labeling

3.1 Herbs & Spices Program

The Rainforest Alliance and the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) have developed a joint Herbs and Spices Program. As a result, any usage of the term “Rainforest Alliance Certified” in this document with respect to herbs and spices can be defined as relating to crops, farms or other organizations certified against one the standard owned by the Union for Ethical BioTrade in accordance with our partnership. Therefore, all ingredients certified under this program are defined as “Rainforest Alliance Certified” for purposes of this document and able to carry the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture seal to the extent they meet the other requirements described in this document.  

3.2 Single-Ingredient Herbs and Spices Products

Definition: A single-ingredient product is defined as one that includes only one crop or ingredient, e.g., peppermint tea.

3.2.1 Eligibility for The Use of Our Seal(s) and on Pack Claims

As we work to scale up the availability of segregated supply of Rainforest Alliance Certified herbs and spices across the sector, the minimum certified content threshold of ingredients that fall into the herbs and spices portfolio is currently set at a lower level. The herbs and spices portfolio and the minimum certified content threshold are specified in Appendix B.

Single ingredient products that consist of one of the herbs and spices from the portfolio that originate from segregated supply chains can carry the Rainforest Alliance certification seal, if the product physically contains at least the minimum percentage of content from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms as listed in Appendix B (currently set at 50%) at the time of labeling approval. The minimum certified content threshold will be gradually increased over time to align with the 90% threshold in other crops and updated in Appendix B accordingly.

Rainforest Alliance offers the option of mass balance sourcing for the herbs and spices mentioned in Appendix B and Rooibos. For ingredients sourced through mass balance supply chains, 100% of the equivalent certified volume of herbs and/or spices in the product needs to be sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms (as described in chapter 2) to be eligible for the use of our seal.

To summarize, a single-ingredient product that consists of any of the herbs and spices from the portfolio is eligible to carry our seal(s) on-pack when it:

EITHER physically contains (through identity preserved or segregated supply chains) at least 50% Rainforest Alliance Certified content;^[5]

OR if 100% of the equivalent certified volume has been sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms via a mass balance supply chain.

3.2.2 Labeling Requirements

Single-ingredient products that qualify for the use of our sustainable agriculture seal according to the above can carry the Rainforest Alliance certification seal on their packaging if they comply with the Seal Graphic Guidelines, and:

Seal: Declare the percentage of Rainforest Alliance Certified content under the seal, so it’s clear how much of the product is certified. This is for products that physically contain (through identity preserved or segregated supply chains) a percentage of Rainforest Alliance Certified content is above the minimum certified threshold (currently set at 50%) but below 90%.

Please note: If the certified content is greater than or equal to 90%, the rules in chapter 2 apply, and the product can be labeled without declaring the percentage. For mass balance sourcing, 100% of the equivalent certified volume needs to be Rainforest Alliance Certified, hence no percentage needs to be declared under the seal.

AND

Web Link: Unless a QR code seal is used, include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforest-alliance.org or the shortened version ra.org) on all consumer-facing materials. We recommend including the statement “Rainforest Alliance Certified. Find out more at ra.org”. Organizations may use their own formulated statement as long as it includes the mandatory URL. Alternatively, only the URL itself may be used. The URL can be placed anywhere on-pack, but at a location that is clearly connected to the Rainforest Alliance certification seal, certified ingredient or statement (if used).

3.3 Multi-Ingredient Herbs and Spices Products

Definition: A multi-ingredient product is defined as one that includes more than one ingredient, of which at least one is Rainforest Alliance Certified. For example, an Herbal & Fruit Infusion for which Rainforest Alliance Certified hibiscus has been sourced and contains multiple other ingredients (e.g., apple, raspberries, blueberries).

3.3.1 Eligibility for The Use of the Seal and on Pack Claims

Please note: Please find our ‘core ingredient’ definition here.

Certified Ingredient Requirement

For any herbs, spices, rooibos or other herbal tea multi-ingredient product containing banana, cocoa, coffee, hazelnut or tea^[6], at least one^[7] of these crops (including the ingredients derived from these respective crops) MUST BE Rainforest Alliance Certified (while meeting the content/sourcing and labeling requirements for these crops) to be able to use our sustainable agriculture seal.

Multi-ingredient products that do not contain any ingredients from the above-mentioned crops, are free to use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal to represent any certified crop (while meeting the content/sourcing and labeling requirements for these crops).

For a multi-ingredient product which contains one or more certified crops and is eligible for the use of our sustainable agriculture seal, the organization may choose which one(s) of the certified crops to claim on-pack. The examples below explain the updated requirement as well as the options for eligibility for the use of the seal, in the case where multiple Rainforest Alliance Certified crops are sourced for a product.

Please note that for herbs and spices product labeling, the following exceptions are applicable:

1. If the cocoa, coffee, tea, hazelnut or banana content in the product is less than 3% of total product (weight) volume, the above requirement does not apply.

2. If tea leaves are used as carrier material for aromas in blends/infusions with herbs & spices and/or rooibos, the above requirement does not apply.

Example: Updated Certified Ingredient Requirement & Eligibility for the Use of our Seal(s)

More examples to clarify this requirement are in Appendix A.

As noted above, as we work to scale up the availability of the segregated supply of Rainforest Alliance Certified herbs and spices across the sector, the minimum certified content threshold of ingredients that fall into the herbs and spices portfolio is currently set at a lower level. The herbs and spices portfolio and the minimum certified content threshold are specified in Appendix B.

Multi-ingredient products that contain any ingredient(s) from the herbs and spices portfolio that originate from segregated supply chains can carry the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture seal, if the product physically contains at least the minimum percentage of content (of the certified ingredient) from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms as listed in Appendix B (currently set at 50%) at the time of labeling approval. The minimum certified content threshold will be gradually increased over time to align with the 90% threshold in other crops and updated in Appendix B accordingly.

The Rainforest Alliance will offer the option of mass balance sourcing for the herbs and spices mentioned in Appendix B and Rooibos. For ingredients sourced through mass balance supply chains, 100% of the equivalent certified volume of herbs and/or spices in the product needs to be sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms (as described in chapter 2) to be eligible for the use of the seal.

To summarize, a multi-ingredient product is eligible to carry the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture seal on-pack in reference to the certified crop from the herbs and spices portfolio when it:

EITHER physically contains (through identity preserved or segregated supply chains) at least 50%^[8] of the ingredient content of this crop as Rainforest Alliance Certified;

OR If 100% of the equivalent certified volume (of the certified crop) has been purchased from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms via a mass balance supply chain.

3.3.2 Labelling Requirements

Multi-ingredient products can use the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture seal on their packaging materials when they comply with the Seal Graphic Guidelines, and:

1. Seal: Identify the certified crop(s) name(s) under our sustainable agriculture seal, so it’s clear what the seal refers to, along with the percentage of the respective crop that is Rainforest Alliance Certified (if this is less than 90%). This is for crops with segregated supply chains for which the percentage of Rainforest Alliance Certified content of the certified ingredient is above the minimum certified threshold (currently set at 50%) but below 90%.

Please note: If the certified content of the certified ingredient is greater than or equal to 90%, the rules in chapter 2 apply, and the product can be labeled without declaring the percentage. For mass balance sourcing, 100% of the equivalent certified volume of the certified ingredient needs to be Rainforest Alliance Certified, hence no percentage needs to be declared under the seal.

AND

2. Ingredients List: Place a superscript symbol (e.g., an asterisk or another symbol that is not already used elsewhere on the design) directly after each certified ingredient(s) in the list of ingredients. The same superscript symbol is then additionally placed at the end of the ingredient list, followed by the text ‘XX% Rainforest Alliance Certified’ (if less than 90%), or just ‘Rainforest Alliance Certified’ if at least 90%. Where not legally permitted, the superscript symbol is omitted and the text next to the ingredient list identifies the certified ingredients instead, e.g., “Rainforest Alliance Certified hibiscus”.

AND

3. Web Link: Unless a QR code link is used, include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforest-alliance.org or the shortened version ra.org). We recommend including the statement “Find out more at ra.org” and place it directly after the ingredients list and the statement “XX% Rainforest Alliance Certified”. Organizations may use their own formulated statement as long as it includes the mandatory URL. Alternatively, only the URL itself may be used. The URL can be placed anywhere on-pack, but at a location that is clearly connected to the Rainforest Alliance certification seal, certified ingredient(s) or statement (if used).

Example: Fruits of the Forest Herbal Tea Infusion

Grouping Herbs and Spices

When more than one ingredient within the herbs and spices crop list (see Appendix B) is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, it is possible to group ingredients. This group of ingredients can be considered as a single crop and qualifies as such within these rules. The required minimum percentage of Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients in the product is calculated by taking into account the percentage of certified ingredients of the total of ingredients within the specified crop group, not the certified percentage of the total product.

When this approach is taken the crop name used under the seal may be “Herbal Ingredients”, “Herbs”, “Spices”, “Fruits” or a combination, depending on the most appropriate for the product in question (and subject to Rainforest Alliance approval). The ingredients list must continue to call out the individual ingredients.

When herbs and spices are grouped, and each ingredient meets the minimum certified content outlined above, and the group of certified ingredients represents at least 95% of the total product formulation by weight, no crop or group descriptor under the seal is required.  The ingredients list must continue to call out the individual certified ingredients, the percentage of certified content if less than 90%, and the web link is still required.

Example: An Herbal Infusion

Example: A Tea, Fruit and Herbal Infusion

Explainer: In this example, the cinnamon, orange peel, cardamom and cloves are considered herbal ingredients (as part of the herbs and spices portfolio in Appendix B) and counted in the total percentage of herbal ingredients. This means that only 50% of the ingredients in the product are herbal ingredients. Out of the total of herbal ingredients, the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves are fully Rainforest Alliance Certified, which together make up 66% ((17 + 8 + 8)/50 * 100), of the total of herbal ingredients. Hence, 66% of the herbal ingredients in this product are Rainforest Alliance Certified. Additionally, in order to be eligible for the use of our sustainable agriculture seal for the herbal ingredients in this product, the tea needs to be sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms as well, in order to meet the “Certified Ingredient Requirement” as introduced in the previous section (unless any of the aforementioned exceptions apply).

4. Off-Product Claims

The Rainforest Alliance allows for the use of its trademark and claims both on product packaging and in other locations (off-pack). Unlike on-pack claims, there are no minimum percentage requirements for off-pack claims, but the approval procedures outlined below still apply.

Below is an overview of the allowed off-product claims. With the exception of third-party trademark use, any off-product claims are contingent on verification of the data through our certification process (i.e. validation of the supply chain).

The Rainforest Alliance also offers predefined claims based on our two Standards, Sustainable Agriculture and Regenerative Agriculture. You can find a table outlining these predefined claims based on traceability level and required verification in Appendix C.

4.1 Promotional Materials

The Rainforest Alliance allows the use of our seal(s) on promotional materials such as websites, event banners, social media posts, promotional brochures or flyers, radio commercials, print ads, point-of-sale materials, and other types of materials or communications that promote Rainforest Alliance Certified products and/or make claims related to certification. Any public use^[9] of these materials or communications, whether for B2C or B2B audiences, must be submitted to the Rainforest Alliance for review and approval prior to publication, as per the processes outlined in the approval process chapter.

4.1.1 Labeling Requirements

Organizations can use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) on off-pack promotional materials if they comply with the Rainforest Alliance Graphic Guidelines, and:

1. Seal: Usage of our seal(s) off-pack shall reflect the rules for use of our seal(s) on-pack (i.e. whether crop name is required or not) and be placed near the Rainforest Alliance Certified product it relates to.

AND

2. Website Link: Unless an approved QR code is used, include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforest-alliance.org or the shortened version ra.org) immediately below the seal on all consumer-facing materials, including videos.

   Specifically, applicable to video and tv commercials: For video and tv commercials, the link to the Rainforest Alliance website must be included in the video/tv commercial itself. For radio/audio commercials more than a minute long, the website link shall be mentioned (radio/audio commercials shorter than less than a minute long can omit the website link).

AND

3. Independent Relationship: The user of the Rainforest Alliance seal(s) must be separately and clearly identified as independent from Rainforest Alliance, and seal use placement must not imply that Rainforest Alliance is the advertiser/brand/user.

4.2 Websites, Press Releases

4.2.1. Labeling Requirements

Organizations can use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) on their websites and press releases if they comply with the Rainforest Alliance Graphic Guidelines, all requirements as set out in section 4.1.1, and the below additional requirement:

Placement of Seal: When displayed on websites or press releases, our seal(s) shall be governed by the relevant text section(s) above, which refer to the Rainforest Alliance and/or specific Rainforest Alliance Certified products.

4.3 Corporate Materials

Corporate materials include externally facing annual or corporate reports, employee engagement or training materials, farm signage, and any business communication to suppliers or clients.

Our seal(s) must not be displayed in any manner that could reasonably cause confusion with a business name, a product brand name, Rainforest Alliance personnel, or imply endorsement of any initiatives or entities not expressly associated with the Rainforest Alliance. For this reason, the use of our seal(s) is not permitted on certain types of corporate materials including all types of apparel and accessories, invoice templates, delivery notes, letterheads, business cards, and email signatures. However, use of our logo is permitted in these cases and must be submitted for approval via the Claims Platform.

Please note: Materials for internal training or engagement purposes must also be submitted for Rainforest Alliance approval to avoid the risk of inaccurate information being communicated externally.

4.3.1 Labeling Requirements

Except as set forth above, organizations can use our seal(s) on corporate materials if they comply with the Rainforest Alliance Graphic Guidelines and all requirements as set out in section 4.1.1.

5. Third-Party Trademark Use

The Rainforest Alliance recognizes that occasionally other types of entities or individuals such as journalists, academics, and media professionals may wish to use one of the Rainforest Alliance registered trademarks as part of a publication, such as a book, news article, or dissertation. In these cases, permission to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks should be requested via email to our Communications team at communications@ra.org prior to the publication of the material, to allow sufficient time for review and approval.

Certification bodies that want to use the Rainforest Alliance logo in combination with communications about working with the Rainforest Alliance and/or auditing against one of our standards can reach out to cbmanagement@ra.org.

Please note: Farm enterprises and supply chain actors cannot obtain approval for use of Rainforest Alliance trademarks via email as they need to follow additional compliance criteria related to their supply chains (e.g. License Agreement 2020, Traceability and Supply Chain requirements, etc.).

6. Approval Process

All public use of the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims require approval prior to printing and publication.^[10] This applies to product packaging, promotional materials, corporate materials, and/or other materials related to Rainforest Alliance Certified products and/or communications relating to collaboration with or support for the Rainforest Alliance, whether for B2B or B2C audiences.

Approval is not required for trademarks use on B2B material that is exclusively shared in a confidential commercial relationship (and therefore not publicly accessible), this includes internal signage on farm walls, gates, doors, offices or documentation for purposes of segregation, bulk packaging sold from one manufacturer to another, or a coffee bag sold between traders.^[11] As the materials are not externally facing, the Rainforest Alliance website URL is not required to be included. The burden is on the user to demonstrate compliance with this requirement.

Approval for the use of any Rainforest Alliance trademarks must be requested online via our Claims Platform. The Rainforest Alliance approval process exists so that we can review, provide feedback, and if warranted, grant approval for how our trademarks are being used. As such, we look to check compliance with the Rainforest Alliance’s requirements, but do not provide in-depth verification of all volumes or origin claims through this process. Therefore, the accuracy and credibility of such claims remain the sole responsibility of our partner organizations themselves.

6.1 Preparing your Materials

We ask organizations to keep the following in mind when preparing materials for approval:

1. Complete Files: As materials are reviewed in their entirety during the approval process, all aspects of the material should be included in the online approval request. For example, if requesting approval for product packaging, all text and imagery on every side of the pack must be legible, visible and according to the rules in our Graphic Guidelines. When using the Rainforest Alliance name in a press release, the full press release must be provided in the online Claim request, not just the paragraph mentioning Rainforest Alliance certification or the Rainforest Alliance.

2. Translated Materials: Organizations are required to seek approval for all language versions of public-facing promotional materials that use a Rainforest Alliance trademark. Requests to approve different language versions can be made together with the original language version or uploaded as a separate claim request. Either way, translation texts should be in a format (e.g. Word, PowerPoint etc.) that is copy-and-paste friendly in case the main marketing file is an image only. We offer a list of pre-translated statements like “Rainforest Alliance Certified farms” in our translation guide, and our messaging templates are also pre-translated into several languages to support you.

6.2 Submitting your Materials

Please find step-by-step guidance on how to request approval here. For assistance with the Claims Platform or the approval process above, please contact our Customer Success team at customersuccess@ra.org.  

If a third-party agency is employed to develop marketing materials, the agency may seek online approval via our Claims Platform for use of these trademarks on behalf of an organization. For any claim submitted that is not explicitly outlined in the processes of this document, additional time outside of our standard timeframe for review may be needed to receive approval for the request.

6.3 Approval Validity

After receiving online approval through the Claims Platform, the approval is valid for two years, or until such time as the claim is no longer true. At the end of the two-year period, organizations can either request to renew the validity period for another 2 years^[12] or allow the approval to expire. If changes are made to the original design or text, the new material needs to be uploaded again to the Claims Platform as a new approval request.

6.4 Conditions Requiring Claim Resubmission

6.5 Bulk Approvals

Clustering products for bulk requests: One claim request including a master file with representative artwork can be submitted for a visually similar product range with:

1. Different flavors but the same certified ingredients (note: the master file artwork should include a product with all relevant Rainforest Alliance Certified crops in the ingredient list, if possible)

2. Different weights and sizes (but similar optics)

3. Several distribution countries

4. Several different languages

Applicability: This bulk approval option is only open for companies that are submitting 10 or more SKUs at once. If a company has fewer than 10 SKUs to upload for approval, then those requests need to be submitted individually.

7. Monitoring Use of Claims

7.1 Monitoring

As part of our process for ensuring proper use of our claims, including trademarks, Rainforest Alliance uses the following steps for monitoring compliance:

1. Internal sample checks A list is pulled by Rainforest Alliance based on certificate holder risk factors for quarterly review  

2. Third party audits For certificate holders that undergo an audit, certification bodies evaluate compliance to our standard criteria on claims which require evidence of validity of the claim and approvals to be in place

3. Grievance procedure Misuse of our trademarks and claims can be reported through the publicly available Rainforest Alliance Grievance Mechanism

7.2 Misuse of Claims

We require that organizations immediately notify the Rainforest Alliance of any unauthorized use, infringement, or dilution of Rainforest Alliance's name or other trademarks. Legal action may be taken against any party that reproduces or copies the Rainforest Alliance trademarks without prior permission from the Rainforest Alliance. The Rainforest Alliance reserves the right to revoke approvals, in accordance with the terms of an organization’s License Agreement.

7.2.1 Procedures for suspension and withdrawing permissions for use of claims

Any one of the following conditions and/or actions occuring, may lead to immediate withdrawal of permissions to use certification claims:

1. Non-compliance with this policy

2. Refusal to address an identified case of misuse within the agreed upon resolution

3. Suspension, cancellation, termination or non-certification of the certificate holder or organization using our claims, including trademarks

4. Non-compliance with cease of sale rules as outlined in our Certification and auditing rules, or

5. Non-compliance with our termination and suspension rules as outlined in our License Agreement/terms and conditions

Upon receipt of written notice of cancellation, termination or non-certification, certificate holders and organizations that use our trademarks shall immediately:

1. Cease to sell or ship product with a Rainforest Alliance Certified claim.

2. Remove all uses of names, initials, logos, certification marks or other trademarks of the Rainforest Alliance from its products (or, where removal is not possible, recall any such products), documents, advertising and/or marketing materials, physical or electronic promotion material or media, in brochures or on webpages, signs or other documentation and business-to business communications.

Upon suspension, certificate holders and/or organizations using our trademarks shall immediately cease to sell or ship product with a Rainforest Alliance Certified claim until the suspension is lifted. To lift suspension, verification that the underlying reasons for suspension have been satisfactorily addressed is conducted by either the certification body or Rainforest Alliance based on risk.

8. Exceptions

8.1 Force Majeure

Situations may arise occasionally that are genuinely outside of an organization’s control and despite best efforts, products bearing the Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) are temporarily unable to meet the minimum certified content threshold described in Rainforest Alliance’s labeling policy. Depending on the situation, the Rainforest Alliance may grant temporary authorization for continued use of the Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) after our analysis of each individual case and only if one of the following events has occurred at the farm or supplier at origin, or at the factory or warehouse where the certified products are stored or manufactured:

• Natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, floods, public health emergencies such as pandemics or similar)

• War, insurrection, explosion or other proven acts of violence

• Political, governmental or regulatory circumstances

If such authorization is granted by the Rainforest Alliance (in its sole discretion), the organization must either:

• Post information on its website to disclose and explain the temporary interruption to consumers. This information should specify the period during which the force majeure situation has affected the certified content of products (including if the situation is ongoing) and be visible for the entire period during which such products are supplied and shipped to customers

OR

• Correct the declared percentage of certified content on-pack during the period that the disruption affects production

OR

• Cease to use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s) according to the terms of the license agreement in the case of a permanent disruption

Changes in crop prices, quality, or supply shortages are not deemed “force majeure” situations.

8.2 Temporary Supply Shortages

In some instances, shortages in the supply of certified crops may be caused by reasons unrelated to the force majeure events listed above. These include suppliers who fail to fulfill contracts, equipment failures, shipping problems, misaligned scheduling of delivery etc. In these cases, the Rainforest Alliance’s objective is twofold: to create transparency to affected consumers and to ensure that farmers do not suffer from a temporary decrease in demand.

In the event of a temporary supply shortage (e.g., lasting less than six months), which results in a product failing to meet the requirements to use the Rainforest Alliance certification claims and seal(s), organizations can apply for a temporary supply shortage. This process can be used if a temporary supply shortage causes one or more products carrying the Rainforest Alliance certification claims or seal(s) to:

• Not meet the minimum content/sourcing requirements (as set out in this policy for this crop) to be eligible to carry the Rainforest Alliance certification claims or seal(s), or;

• Contain less than the percentage of Rainforest Alliance Certified content claimed on the package

In the case of a temporary supply shortage, organizations must follow these three steps:

1. The organization holding or requesting the approval to use the Rainforest Alliance certification claims or seal(s) must notify the Rainforest Alliance. This should be done by filling out the request form on our website and provide all requested information and documentation;

AND

2. If it wishes to continue to use the claims or seal, the organization responsible for the shortage (often a brand’s supplier) must buy an additional amount of Rainforest Alliance Certified crop equal to the shortfall within 12 months. This amount is to compensate for the shortfall and ensure the equivalent volume of product to comply with the seal use requirements was actually purchased from Rainforest Alliance Certified producers. This additional amount is then sold as non-certified. If possible, this additional volume should be purchased from the same country or region to use in its other products so that the Rainforest Alliance Certified farms do not suffer a decrease in demand. Alternatively, the brand may buy the additional amount from another supplier or on behalf of its supplier. If a farm is responsible for the supply shortage or fails to deliver on a contract, the brand must buy an equivalent amount of certified crop from other Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Only organizations that are already sourcing 100% of this crop as Rainforest Alliance Certified across all their products are exempted from this requirement;

AND

3. The organization marketing and/or selling the product as certified must include a disclaimer statement on their website specifying the period during which the supply shortage has affected the certified content of products (including if the situation is ongoing). This statement must be visible for the entire period during which such products are supplied and shipped to customers. The text should be uploaded to the Claims platform for online review and will only be approved once the organization has submitted the final version of the text together with all accompanying graphics exactly as it will appear in the public-facing version.

Suggested Templates for Supply Shortage Situations:

“[Organization] is proud of our commitment to sustainability and sourcing Rainforest Alliance Certified [crop] for our [product(s)].  One of our suppliers recently had a problem [include specifics, if possible, here], however, and they’re unable to deliver enough of the certified [crop] to meet our needs. This means that from [start date] to [end date], our [product(s) name(s)] are only able to contain [XX%] [crop] from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. We expect this to be resolved by [date], though, and our [product(s)] will go back to [XX%] certified. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we remain committed to [appropriate Rainforest Alliance or sustainability commitment].”

OR

“Due to supply chain disruptions [include specifics, if possible, here] we are currently unable to source enough certified [crop] for our [brand/products] with the Rainforest Alliance certification seal(s). This means that these products may not currently contain any [or contain only XX%] Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients. We apologize for the inconvenience. As soon as this supply shortage is resolved, we expect to return to sourcing from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms for these products by [date]. We will also purchase a volume of certified [crop] equivalent to what we would have used during this period, doing our part to help support farmers and protect the environment [or other appropriate Rainforest Alliance or sustainability commitment].”

8.3 Other Exceptions

In certain circumstances, the Rainforest Alliance might allow for modifications to how our partnership is represented to consumers. These exceptions are linked to the scale and maturity of sustainability in the brand's supply chain, and a compelling need to modify such representation in order to drive a more comprehensive dialog with consumers.  Requests for such modifications should be made via the concerned account manager for us to evaluate the circumstances and legitimacy of such a request, and all individual artworks must still be submitted through the Rainforest Alliance approval processes as set out in this policy.

Appendix

Appendix A: Overview of Examples

Appendix B: Herbs and Spices

Crop / Ingredient List:

Please visit our website for the current Appendix B list.

Any crop / ingredient not on this list is not eligible for the specific herbs and spices product labeling rules and must follow those set out for general cases.

Scale Up Plan:

Appendix C: Predefined Claims

The tables below provide a new aspect of our claims offering for organizations. The use of the predefined claims listed is not mandatory but is encouraged as this language is tailored to highlight our program and can be streamlined for the approval process. Organizations can still submit claims with language that are variations of the below or their own text. However, requests for language outside of the predefined claims below may take additional time for review.  

Other information

Date of first publication of this document (v 1.0): May 2020.

Documents indicated as “binding” must be complied with for certification. Documents indicated as “non-binding” provide non-mandatory information to help readers understand and implement requirements and other binding content.

Translation Disclaimer

For any question related to the precise meaning of the information in a translation, consult the official English version for clarification. Any errors or differences in meaning due to translation are not binding and have no effect for auditing or certification purposes.

Reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of this content is strictly forbidden without prior written consent from Rainforest Alliance.

More information?

For help in obtaining a Rainforest Alliance certificate reach out to our Customer Success team at customersuccess@ra.org

For more information about Rainforest Alliance, visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org contact info@ra.org or the Rainforest Alliance Amsterdam Office, De Ruijterkade 6, 1013AA Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Footnotes

1. Rainforest Alliance trademarks include:

   the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture seal and our regenerative agriculture seal

   the Rainforest Alliance Forest Allies seal

   c) the Rainforest Alliance logo

   d) the name ‘Rainforest Alliance’  

   e) the phrase ‘Rainforest Alliance Certified’ ↑

2. For organizations that are part of the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program, a valid certificate is required to be able to receive approval to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims. In the case of retailers or brand owners that are out of scope of certification and request a claim, the certification check is made on the manufacturer.  ↑

3. Calculated by weight ↑

4. For now, only at least one of these crops needs to be Rainforest Alliance Certified. It is our intention to evolve this policy so that ingredients derived from any and all of these five crops would need to be certified for the overall product to be eligible to carry our seal(s). ↑

5. Calculated by weight ↑

6. The tea crop (Camellia Sinensis) ↑

7. For now, only at least one of these crops needs to be Rainforest Alliance Certified. It is our intention to evolve this policy so that ingredients derived from any and all of these five crops would need to be certified for the overall product to be eligible to carry our seal(s). ↑

8. Calculated by weight ↑

9. Public use = being accessible to anyone/ the general public. Thus, for trademarks use on materials shared exclusively in a commercial relationship (e.g. a coffee bag being sold from one trader to another trader) it is not required to request approval.  ↑

10. Public use= being accessible to anyone/the general public. ↑

11. B2B material that does require approval is e.g. a coffee bag sold to a shop where it will be on display. ↑

12. Due to the scale-up plan for herbs and spices, approvals related to trademarks use for any of the herbs & spices mentioned in Appendix B cannot be extended. After expiration of the approval, the material needs to be uploaded again to the claims platform as a new approval request. ↑