To submit feedback on the Sustainable Agriculture Standard - Cocoa, click here.
The Rainforest Alliance invites cocoa farmers, cooperatives, companies, traders, certification bodies, civil society organizations, governments, and other stakeholders in the cocoa sector to participate in the public consultation on the proposed Sustainable Agriculture Standard-Cocoa (SAS-Cocoa).
This consultation is a key step in the standard development process and aims to ensure the proposed standard is practical, globally applicable, and responsive to the evolving challenges facing the cocoa sector.
We started this consultation process with a global stakeholder webinar on August 11, 2026. Watch the webinar recording and view the presentation here.
Why are we developing a cocoa-specific version of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard?
In 2025, the Rainforest Alliance streamlined the requirements of our Sustainable Agriculture Standard (SAS) to make them more accessible and easier for farmers to implement. Now, we are taking the next step by developing the Sustainable Agriculture Standard-Cocoa (SAS-Cocoa), a certification solution tailored to the evolving needs of cocoa farmers and supply chain actors.
Our commitment to robust requirements remains unchanged. The goal is to create a more focused and nuanced standard that supports cocoa farmers, their communities, and supply chain actors in building more resilient, productive, and transparent cocoa supply chains.
Key elements of the proposed standard:
A streamlined, cocoa-specific certification solution that brings together existing cocoa requirements into a single, crop-specific standard, making implementation and verification clearer and more efficient.
A stronger focus on cocoa-sector challenges, including farm and group management, farmer support systems, traceability, geodata, deforestation, human rights risks (notably child labor and forced labor), livelihoods, and sustainable agricultural practices, such as soil health and integrated pest management.
Alignment with evolving regulatory and market expectations, including the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and European Union Forced Labor Regulation (EUFLR), the Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo), and the African Regional Standard 1000 (ARS 1000).
Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) module
In addition to the proposed cocoa standard, the consultation covers a Rainforest Alliance Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) module. This is an optional module to the Sustainable Agriculture Standard-Cocoa and the Sustainable Agriculture Standard in West and Central Africa. The module is designed to help cooperatives strengthen the effectiveness, credibility, and transparency of their efforts to tackle the urgent and complex issue of child labor in cocoa supply chains.
Consultation Documents
Please download the following documents before submitting your comments.
Draft Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard-Cocoa V0.1
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (Coming in September, based on questions received during the Global Launch Webinar)
How to Submit Feedback
Complete the online questionnaire below
Consultation timeline
August 11 – October 13, 2026: First consultation round
August 11, 2026: Global stakeholder webinar. Webinar recording available here.
August—September: In-person consultation sessions across key cocoa-producing countries
December 14, 2026—January 4, 2027: Second consultation round
March 8, 2027: Publication of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard-Cocoa, CLMRS Module, and summary of stakeholders feedback
If you have questions about the consultation process, please contact: