December 18th

Certification Management Committee (CMC) decisions

The next CMC is on December 21st. Decisions will be shared early January

Key updates

Important Update on Shared Responsibility Simplification Process (SD/SI reboot) 

This message is to bring you up to date on the status of the Shared Responsibility Simplification Process (SD/SI reboot). 

Pause on Project Launch: While we initiated a process in 2023 to simplify our approach to SD/SI, aiming for a mid-2024 launch, we have now decided to postpone this launch. This decision is to ensure we can present a fully integrated suite of changes, offering a more coherent and impactful implementation. 

Why the Delay? 

• Prioritization of EUDR: Our immediate focus is on launching the EUDR policy efficiently. Pausing the updates shift allows us to allocate our resources more effectively, ensuring a timely and cost-effective roll-out. 
• Comprehensive Shared Responsibility Approach: We aim to launch a fully developed Shared Responsibility package. The initial 2024 launch, focused on the update of Shared Responsibility requirements, would not have covered all sectors, notably excluding tea, to avoid disrupting its ongoing SD/SI rollout. Moreover, the Sustainability Investment platform, separate from the certification standard, requires additional development time. By postponing, we can ensure a more impactful and unified launch. 

Next Steps: In the coming months, our focus will shift to developing the Integrated Sustainability Investment. Chris Gallup, with support from Cristina Colosi of the Innovation Team, will lead this initiative, focusing on building a robust business case, exploring market potential and ensuring strategic fit. 

Your Role: It's crucial that we all stay informed and ready to address any questions from stakeholders regarding this change. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you might have. 

We’re excited to work on this full package next year and will keep you posted as we go.  

Contact: Cristina Colosi 

Publication of the Kenya Tea Policy

We are happy to inform you that the Kenyan Tea Policy is now published, and it will be binding from 1st January 2024. Please find the link to the policy here Policy for Tea Farm Certification in Kenya. This policy has been developed to align the requirements of the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Farm Standard with the context of Tea farming operations in Kenya. It is applicable to both Rainforest Alliance Farm Certificate Holders and Certification Bodies operating in the Tea Sector in Kenya. 

Contact: Lisa Ryser

The new Rainforest Alliance Claims platform is live!

Our partners have been informed on December 18 through email (check them out here General users; Design Agencies; Forest Allies) 

From 18 December 2023:  

• All approval requests for the use of our trademarks should be requested through the new Claims platform accessible through the RACP. 
• Historical data from Marketplace 2.0 is accessible through PowerBI (for RA staff) 
• Marketplace 2.0 can still be accessed for historical data, and will be permanently closed on 5 January 2024 

Knowledge resources for our partners; 

• The Claims Platform Manual is now available! Please consult it here to learn more about the new platform. 
• Read about how to get access to the Claims platform and external FAQ here. 
• (Re) watch our recorded webinar ‘Introduction to the new Claims platform’ from December 14th here. 

Additional knowledge resources for RA staff; 

• All communication, internally and externally, can be found here. 
• Internal FAQ Claims for RA Staff  
• Knowledge Hub training/demo: Demo introduction to the Claims platform // Session #49 & Practice session // Session #50

Please collect all feedback received from partners on the new Claims platform on this Confluence page.  

Contact: Anais Hellwig  

Status of cocoa certification in Côte d’Ivoire

As at 11th December 2024 we have 850 approved cocoa farm licenses in CdI, with more still coming in. This is the most Farm CHs we have ever had in 1 country. While we see demand growing, it seems supply is growing faster. The team will be taking stock of the situation in early 2024 and discussing with the industry to better understand any implications.

Contact: Zenab Diarrassouba ZDiarrassouba@ra.org 

New content published

No updates