Sustainability
‘The hard truth is that the old sustainability models are good but not good enough’ – Rainforest Alliance calls for a new vision to address global crises
Released at the end of last month, the Rainforest Alliance 2022 Annual Report also introduces the organisation’s new strategy for fighting the underlying drivers that link these urgent problems and highlights successful interventions implemented in the last year.
About the Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working in 58 countries at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests. The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. By bringing farmers, forest communities, companies, and individuals together it addresses some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges of today.
“Drawing on three decades of experience, we reviewed our learnings about what works and what does not to shape our 2030 strategy. As we approach 2030 - a year experts mark as the potential point of no return - we must respond with unparalleled speed and scale to shift the course of sustainability transformation,” said Rainforest Alliance CEO Santiago Gowland. “The hard truth is that the old sustainability models are good but not good enough.”
Looking forward, the Rainforest Alliance said key components would involve placing producers and rural communities at the heart of sustainability action, working to bolster regenerative agriculture, and expanding the alliance of actors needed to address these interconnected challenges.
The Report highlights include:
- Priority landscapes: Discover more about our efforts to drive sustainability transformation in Cameroon, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Indonesia, and beyond. Learn about the launch and recognition of LandScale, a tool that measures, evaluates, and communicates the performance of sustainable landscapes.
- Certification and beyond: Explore crop-specific facts and figures and delve into our work beyond certification, including advocacy around the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Discover new tools such as the Regenerative Coffee Scorecard, which offers farmers and companies guidance on their transition to regenerative agriculture.
- Our 2030 vision: Dive into our forward-looking vision that emphasises the need to transform our food system through regenerative agriculture in the world's most critical tropical landscapes. We aim to drive systemic change—all while placing rural communities at the heart of the solution.
Rainforest Alliance’s global reach detailed in the Report includes:
- 58 countries with certified farms and projects; 6,000+ company partners
- Four million farmers and workers following the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard
- Six million+ hectares of farmland certified against its sustainability standards globally
- 87 projects to improve livelihoods and protect nature; 18 new projects started in 2022
- 54,000+ products with the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or UTZ label available
