Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance is a non profit organisation based in New York and works with a coalition of independent conservation groups who actively promote well managed tropical agriculture and sustainable farm management. Their aim is to set global standards that will help advance human commitment to living responsibly with nature, protect bio-diversity and provide economic equity to populations in need. They work with farms from small co-operatives and family run farms, to plantations owned by multinational companies. They currently have projects covering the production of coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas, citrus fruits, flowers and foliage. Their programme is unusual in that it includes both social and environmental standards including a full range of worker protection issues and unique in that it is managed by local groups who understand the culture, ecology, farming traditions and the governments concerned. The inspection process organized by the Rainforest Alliance guides farmers and their workers to meet standards that will ultimately benefit local communities, farm workers, tropical wildlife and consumers.