Rainforest Alliance Training Approach

The Rainforest Alliance Producer Support teams in key geographical areas help farmers prepare for certification and work with those who are already certified to address areas that still need improvement. The trainings provided by our Producer Support Officers are critical to achieving the mission of protecting forests, improving livelihoods, and promoting human rights.  

Training is not limited to the environmental aspects of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard; it also covers the standard’s social and economic elements, such as worker rights and financial literacy. The work includes integrating new knowledge on farms: changing their practices and attitudes. 

Our Producer Support teams rely on many different techniques to achieve their goals, and these have evolved over time. Our current approach is comprehensive and includes the use of tools such as flyers, posters, hands-on learning, audio recordings, and virtual platforms. Indeed, when we are unable to visit the farms in person, trainers use virtual learning platforms to simulate a face-to-face environment and foster as much interaction as possible.

The Rainforest Alliance also develops e-courses on key topics, which are available in more than ten languages although their use is limited by the community’s internet connection and its members’ digital skills. 

In person or virtual classroom training

Our skilled staff trainers in the regions provide of trainings on variety of relevant topics throughout the year, across the globe. Our Producer Support Senior Managers coordinate the training work across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Producer Support Staff are located and assigned to most of the countries we operate in.