We launched our global consultation on the proposed Sustainable Agriculture Standard–Cocoa (SAS-Cocoa) on August 11, 2026, with a stakeholder webinar introducing the proposed standard and consultation process. The webinar provides an overview of why the standard is being developed, what it proposes, and how stakeholders can share their feedback. You can watch the recording and access the presentation slides below. The consultation is open until October 13, 2026.
Webinar Recording:
Slides:
Q&A:
Will this new standard apply to both supply chain and farm certificate holders? Or will there be a separate cocoa standard: one for supply chain and one for farm?
One global SAS-Cocoa standard for cocoa Farm Certificate Holders.
Supply Chain Certificate Holders remain under the existing Supply Chain requirements.
No separate SAS-Cocoa supply chain standard is currently planned but that is a possibility.
Once the SAS cocoa standard goes live, how will the transition work? Will we need to undergo a specific audit to transition from the SAS standard to the cocoa SAS standard?
Based on the current proposal, the transition is expected to occur through the normal certification cycle rather than through a dedicated one-off transition audit, although further implementation details will be provided closer to the final version.
We are in supply chain and we buy RA beans but no control on Premium
The proposed premium distribution requirements are intended to apply to those managing and distributing premiums at farm/group level, not to supply chain actors that do not control premium allocation. However, we welcome feedback on whether the responsibilities and expectations are sufficiently clear in the draft standard.
How will the program take care of the environmental degradation caused by mining especially on farms belonging to producers in certified groups.
While the draft SAS-Cocoa does not currently contain a dedicated chapter on mining, several proposed requirements are relevant to addressing mining-related environmental impacts. These include:
Prohibiting the conversion of natural forests and natural ecosystems.
Strengthening protections for protected areas and their buffer zones.
Requiring measures to conserve natural ecosystems and address environmental risks identified through risk assessments.
Strengthening riparian buffer protections and safeguards for drinking water sources.
Supporting sustainable agricultural practices that improve soil health, resilience, and long-term land productivity.
Under traceability chapter, will the new standard still cater for mass balance level of traceability?
Based on the current draft, SAS-Cocoa does not propose changes to the existing traceability models, and Mass Balance traceability is expected to continue.
When do you expect the CLMRS opt-in to be available? Would the team consider full integration of CLMRS into the standard, ensuring availability to purchase via Market ("spot")?
The current proposal is for CLMRS to launch as an optional assurance module in 2027, separate from the core SAS-Cocoa requirements.
Voluntary standards are RA and FT. How would you align with ARS-1000 also in development and consultation process currently?
SAS-Cocoa is being developed with ARS 1000 in mind, and alignment with ARS 1000 is an explicit objective of the process. As both initiatives continue to evolve, Rainforest Alliance will continue to assess opportunities for alignment while ensuring the standard remains credible, practical, auditable, and responsive to the needs of cocoa farmers and supply.
To clarify: 25 shade trees/ha; 3 species of which 1 has to be native?
Yes, that is the current proposal in the draft SAS-Cocoa Standard.
The proposed shade tree requirement would require:
At least 25 shade trees per hectare in the production area; and
At least 3 shade tree species, including native species.
What about natural vegetation cover requirement (currently 15%) - does that change?
The draft SAS-Cocoa does not retain the explicit 15% natural vegetation cover target. The proposed approach focuses on maintaining natural vegetation while introducing the new requirement of 25 shade trees/ha and at least three species, including native species
Why are you not adujusting the amount of premiums to the premiums paid under the Fairtrade system? The RA premium has not significantly changed in the past five years (if at all), while requirements and expectations to cooperatives and farmers have raised highly.
The current draft does not propose aligning Rainforest Alliance Premium levels with Fairtrade Premiums. However, stakeholder feedback on whether the Premium approach remains appropriate, given rising requirements and implementation costs, is highly relevant and will be considered as part of the consultation process.
How are you thinking about address the gaps and challenges associated with the mass balance model for cocoa that exists today? Have you explored adding "controls" at the first certitifed buyer level to avoid controversial sources mixing in?
SAS-Cocoa currently retains the mass balance model but strengthens, geodata, volume reconciliation, and product-flow mapping requirements. The question of additional controls at the first certified buyer level is a valuable consultation input and one that we encourage stakeholders to elaborate on through the consultation process.
What is the timeline for the new standard release, and do you have a transition plan?
SAS-Cocoa is expected to be published in March 2027, become binding in October 2027, and transition is currently expected to occur through the normal certification cycle rather than through a dedicated transition audit.
Will there be specific requirements or standards for each cocoa-producing country, or is the intention to develop a single global standard that applies across all producer countries?
SAS-Cocoa is being designed as a global standard. However, where necessary and relevant requirements may be contextualized. We would appreciate if such situations where contextualization is deemed necessary are shared with us through the consultation process.
You mentioned regional consultations with cocoa-producing countries. Could you please explain how these consultations will be structured and how stakeholders from each country will be involved in the process?
On the regional consultations please visit the consultation hub or reach out to your local RA contacts for more details.
With the introduction of this new cocoa standard, does this mean that the current cocoa policy will no longer apply?
Yes, the intention is for SAS-Cocoa when it becomes binding to replace the current cocoa policy by integrating those cocoa-specific requirements directly into a single global cocoa standard, rather than maintaining a separate cocoa policy document alongside the standard.
I did not hear anything on securing physical beans when doing mass balance.
SAS-Cocoa does not currently propose additional requirements for physical segregation of cocoa beans under the mass balance model. The draft maintains the existing mass balance approach while strengthening controls around geodata, production estimates, volume reconciliation, product-flow mapping. Feedback on whether further controls are needed is welcome as part of the consultation process.
Why all the social and development standards, which are really biased to the global north, instead of focusing primarily on forest preservation and traceability? What is driving this?
SAS-Cocoa is being developed to address the full range of sustainability challenges that stakeholders have identified as most material to the cocoa sector, not only deforestation and traceability. These include human rights risks, child labour, forced labour, farmer livelihoods, governance, sustainable farming practices, as well as environmental topics such as deforestation and ecosystem protection. The standard is also being designed to align with evolving regulatory and market expectations, including EUDR, CSDDD, EUFLR, EmpCo, and ARS 1000.
Can the SAS Cocoa standard still be combined with regenerative agriculture standard?
The Rainforest Alliance Regenerative Agriculture Standard is currently only available for coffee. SAS-Cocoa is being developed as a dedicated cocoa certification standard focused on cocoa-specific sustainability challenges and requirements. Any future expansion of regenerative agriculture would be communicated separately.
Polygon will be a requirement for both small and big farms? Not reserved for 4 hectare farms?
Yes. Under the current SAS-Cocoa proposal, polygon geolocation data will be required for all certified cocoa farm units, regardless of farm size. The draft proposes moving to full polygon coverage before the first certification audit to strengthen traceability, geodata quality, and deforestation risk assessment.
Why a Cocoa Standard, couldn't we build on the SAS and RAS? Are other crop growers going to request for specific standards?
We have built on SAS and RAS. SAS-Cocoa is essentially an evolution of the existing framework that consolidates cocoa-specific requirements currently spread across SAS, the Cocoa Policy, EUDR-related requirements, and other supporting documents into a single standard. The goal is to make implementation and auditing simpler, not more complex.
Cocoa was selected because of its unique combination of sector-specific challenges, including traceability, geodata, deforestation, human rights risks, and emerging regulatory requirements.
Following the consultation phase, will there be training sessions?
Yes. Following the consultation and publication of SAS-Cocoa, Rainforest Alliance plans to provide implementation support, including training. Specific training materials, guidance, and system updates will be communicated ahead of the standard becoming binding.
Is it possible for suppliers to classify volumes certified under the SAS-cocoa standard as EUDR and deforestation and conversion free compliant?
No. SAS-Cocoa is designed to support compliance with EUDR and strengthen requirements related to deforestation, geodata, and traceability, but certification under SAS-Cocoa alone does not automatically mean a volume can be classified as EUDR-compliant or deforestation- and conversion-free.
EUDR compliance remains the responsibility of the operator placing products on the EU market and requires fulfilment of all applicable legal and due diligence obligations under the regulation. SAS-Cocoa aims to provide data, controls, and assurance that can support those obligations, but it is not intended to replace the operator's legal responsibilities under EUDR.
Why is CLMRS optional?
CLMRS is proposed as an optional module because it is intended to complement, rather than replace, the child labour due diligence requirements already included in SAS-Cocoa. The module provides an additional level of independent assurance on how effectively a Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System is functioning, without affecting the certificate holder's SAS-Cocoa certification status.