When you buy coffee from Superstores or Cafes, you may have noticed a small frog logo on the packet. Ever wonder why the frog is there? If you know the reason and still buying the product, then hats off to you. And if you are on the other side, still in a deep thought- then this article is for you. The green frog inside a crown-circle is the logo of Rainforest Alliance. Rainforest Alliance is actually an NGO, which dates back to 1987. An American environment activist Daniel Katz started this ‘to create a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.
So, If your pack has the Rainforest Alliance logo, that means your coffee was produced by farmers, foresters, and/or companies working together to create a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.
The Certification Program
The seal means that the certified product or ingredient was produced using methods that support the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. Independent third-party auditors evaluate farmers in these three criteria and award the Certificate. This certification program focuses in four themes: a. Forest, b. Climate, c. Human Rights, d. Livelihoods.
Coffee and Rainforest Alliance
Almost three-fourths of the world’s coffee comes from smaller farms rather than big coffee giants. The Rainforest Alliance works with more than 4 lacs (.4 million) smallholders of coffee farm around the globe, covering an area almost a million hectares.
Rising temperature, plant diseases, climate shock, unstable price in the world market- some of the common challenges faced by coffee growers all over the world. The rainforest alliance works for betterment of the coffee farmers by creating connection with responsible markets and equipped them with training in climate-smart and regenerative growing practice that boost both yields and incomes.
A continual development approach encourages farmers to advance toward sustainability; that is also promoted by the certification program, along with innovations like digital record-keeping, mandates for coffee buyers to invest in sustainable production, and continuous improvement practices. And because the sustainability of any agricultural enterprise depends on the welfare of farmers and workers, the Rainforest Alliance certification program also supports the human rights of individuals employed in the coffee industry. They make positive changes by focusing on human rights, climate, livelihood and forest and biodiversity. They intervene the coffee growing countries by means of supporting not only with certification; they are also contributing in landscape management, advocacy and supply and chain system.
As the effects of climate change are increasingly felt around the world, it has become the responsibility of businesses across all sectors to reduce their environmental impact.
In the coffee industry, many have taken measures such as eliminating single-use plastics, setting carbon emission goals, and switching to compostable packaging.
Another popular approach is to source green coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Founded in 1986, the Rainforest Alliance is a non-profit that aims to minimise ecological damage, improve the livelihood of farmers, and work towards raising agricultural standards.
Since launching it has helped countless communities across the globe, gaining recognition as a symbol of environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
For coffee businesses, buying from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms is an effective way of not only limiting their environmental impact, but also giving back to the communities that produce coffee.