| Rainforest Alliance |
Article Index for Rainforest |
Website Links For Alliance |
Information AboutRainforest Alliance |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT RAINFOREST ALLIANCE | |
| sustainability | |
| sustainable forestry | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
|
The Rainforest Alliance acts as an independent certification agent in agriculture, forestry and tourism. Producers of goods and providers of services are audited by trained specialists that verify that well-defined certification criteria are met. Certified products and services can then be labeled with the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, which guarantees consumers that their purchases promote sustainable practices. RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CERTIFICATION The Rainforest Alliance certification criteria are based on social, economical and environmental standards. They are meant to ensure that the people employed in the production of goods and services are not being exploited, as well as verifying that the practices in use are not damaging the environment in such a way that would make it unsuitable for economic activities in the future. They are also aimed at reducing or eliminating loss of biodiversity as it is often one of the causes of environment degradation. The goal is to create a system where economic activities can be continued indefinitely in the future, the local communities can benefit from their work and safeguard their culture, while biodiversity and quality of the environment are stable. Agriculture The Rainforest Alliance certifies coffee, bananas, cocoa, orange and fern farms. As of 2006, the number of certified farms and cooperatives is 4,554, for a total of 191,661 hectares in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and the Philippines. Auditors belong to local that in turn are partners in the [Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN). The certification criteria focus on how farms are managed. Auditors verify that workers are given the right to organize, the right to a clean and safe work environment, that they are paid at least the national minimum wage, that workers and their families have access to medical care and that their children are provided with free education. EXTERNAL LINKS Sustainable Agriculture Network Partners
|