RAINFOREST ALLIANCELABELING & TRADEMARKSPOLICYUSE AND APPROVAL OF THE RAINFOREST
ALLIANCE TRADEMARKS
2020 EDITION (Version 1.2)
Updated: May 2022

BUILDING TRUST BY CREDIBLELABELING & MARKETING

CONTENTS
Introduction............................................................................................................................................... 2
1.1

Version History .................................................................................................................................. 4

1.2

Overview of the Rainforest Alliance Trademarks ......................................................................... 5

1.3

Pre-conditions for Trademarks Use................................................................................................. 7

Product Labeling ...................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1

Single-Ingredient Products.............................................................................................................. 8

2.2

Multi-Ingredient Products ................................................................................................................ 9

2.3

Products Not Eligible for Seal Use................................................................................................. 13

2.4

Labeling Requirements for Special Cases ................................................................................. 14

Palm Oil Product Labeling ..................................................................................................................... 16
3.1

Eligibility for Seal Use ...................................................................................................................... 16

3.2

Labeling Requirements ................................................................................................................. 16

Herbs & Spices Product Labeling.......................................................................................................... 18
4.1

Single-Ingredient Products............................................................................................................ 18

4.2

Multi-Ingredient Products .............................................................................................................. 19

Forest Product Labeling ......................................................................................................................... 25
5.1

Eligibility for Seal Use ...................................................................................................................... 25

5.2

Labeling Requirements ................................................................................................................. 26

Promotional Materials ............................................................................................................................ 27
6.1

Advertising Materials ..................................................................................................................... 27

6.2

Websites, Press Releases ............................................................................................................... 28

6.3

Corporate Materials ..................................................................................................................... 28

How to talk about the Rainforest Alliance .......................................................................................... 30
Third-Party Trademark Use ..................................................................................................................... 31
8.1

Rainforest Alliance Marketing Support........................................................................................ 31

Approval Process.................................................................................................................................... 31
9.1

Preparing your Materials ............................................................................................................... 32

9.2

Submitting your Materials ............................................................................................................. 32

9.3

Approval Timelines ........................................................................................................................ 33

9.4

Approval Validity ........................................................................................................................... 33

Exceptions ............................................................................................................................................... 34
10.1

The Rainforest Alliance Non-Frog Seal ........................................................................................ 34

10.2

Force Majeure ................................................................................................................................ 34

10.3

Temporary Supply Shortages........................................................................................................ 35

10.4

Other Exceptions ........................................................................................................................... 36

About This Document ............................................................................................................................ 37
11.1

Language Versions ........................................................................................................................ 37

11.2

Contact Us ..................................................................................................................................... 37

Appendix.......................................................................................................................................................... 38

INTRODUCTION

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We debuted the Rainforest Alliance certification seal along with a new Labeling& Trademarks Policy in May 2020. In an ongoing effort to improve our labelingprogram, we are now publishing this revised version, with the goal to optimize
accuracy, credibility and consistency in the use of the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal as well as other trademarks1 worldwide. This will help protecting
the value and integrity of the Rainforest Alliance, and those organizations using
our trademarks.
As an increasingly recognized symbol globally, the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal assures organizations and consumers alike that buying a labeledproduct supports more environmentally and socially responsible practices.
This document serves three key purposes to assist organizations in:a) determining if products or promotional materials are eligible to carry the
Rainforest Alliance certification seal or other trademarks1;b) understanding the requirements that relate to each specific case; andc) following the process of obtaining approval to use the Rainforest Alliance
trademarks1.
This document is complemented with the Rainforest Alliance Seal Graphic
Guidelines which are incorporated into this policy by reference. Where this policy
sets out the requirements, eligibility and procedure for trademark use, theGraphic Guidelines explain the rules for formatting when designing materials
carrying the Rainforest Alliance certification seal.
The requirements set out in this document are applicable to any organization
wishing to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks on product packaging designs,
promotional materials (e.g. website, point-of-sale assets) or any othercommunication that promotes Rainforest Alliance Certified crops and/or
collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance, for both B2C and B2B audiences. This
also includes third-party use by e.g., journalists or academics. To understand thespecific requirements that relate to each specific case, please see the respective
chapters.

1Rainforest Alliance trademarks include:

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

the Rainforest Alliance certification seal
The Rainforest Alliance Forest Allies seal
the Rainforest Alliance logo
the name ‘Rainforest Alliance’the sentence ‘Rainforest Alliance Certified’

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VERSION HISTORYThe Rainforest Alliance revises and updates this document (and related
language versions) periodically in an ongoing effort to improve our services andthe labeling program. Through these efforts we aim to constantly evaluate andimprove the efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility of our program. The Rainforest
Alliance may clarify sections or correct grammatical or other errors without
notice, but will provide at least three months’ notice for more material updates.
Please find a version history below:
Version 1.0(May 2020)

Version 1.1(October
2020)

Version 1.2(May 2022)

The first version of the Rainforest Alliance Labeling &Trademarks Policy, published in May 2020, introducing
the new Rainforest Alliance certification seal, following
the merger between the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ in2018 and the development of a new organizational
strategy. By incorporating the best of what is in theRequirements & Guidelines for Use of the Rainforest
Alliance Trademarks and the UTZ Labeling andTrademark Policy, this new Labeling & Trademarks Policy
was simplified and contains newly created content.
An updated version, published in October 2020,
providing clarifications and several updates:•
The superscript TM was removed from the seal itself
and in the text•
A non-frog seal version was introduced•
A chapter on Forest Allies was inserted•
Clarification on labeling multi-ingredient products,
such as non-core ingredients, etc.
•
Expanding the list of herbs & spices and moving
Appendix B online•
Incorporating a link to our translation guide, which
will also be updated over time
In an ongoing effort to improve our labeling program, werevised the policy on several points. The main changesare:•Changing the labeling rules for multi-ingredientproducts, introducing the updated certified
ingredient requirement, replacing the “coreIngredient requirement”•
Added chapter on seal use on promotional materials•
Updated requirements for forest product labeling•
Updated requirements for herbs & spices productlabeling due to the introduction of mass balancesourcing from Q4 of 2022•
Changes in what material requires approval•
Updated procedure for temporary supply shortages

If your organization would like to provide feedback regarding improvements for
future versions of this policy, please email us at customersuccess@ra.org.

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OVERVIEW OF THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE TRADEMARKSThe Rainforest Alliance certification seal
For whom: Farm enterprises that meet the relevant
certification standard (see Appendix A for moredetails on this as we transition to the 2020
Sustainable Agriculture Standard), supply chain
actors that source, handle and/or sellingredients/crops from these certified farms, incompliancewith
ourrequirementsforcertification.
Where: On product packaging, promotional
materials or other communications that promote
Rainforest Alliance Certified products and/or
make claims related to certification.
How: Refer to chapters 2, 3, 4, and 6 for labelingrequirements and chapter 9 for the approval
process.
The Rainforest Alliance non-frog seal
For whom: For a few select markets where frogs
are culturally unacceptable for use on products.
For more information, please refer to section 9.1.
Where: On product packaging, promotional
materials or other communications that promote
Rainforest Alliance Certified products and/or
make claims related to certification, in markets
where the non-frog seal is allowed.
How: Please refer to section 9.1.
The Rainforest Alliance Forest Allies seal
For whom: Organizations that are part of our Forest
Allies initiative and are actively meeting therequirements of Forest Allies membership.
Where: On FSC certified products meeting
eligibility criteria, and promotional materials orother communications that promote membershipin Rainforest Alliance’s Forest Allies initiative andrelated activities.
How: Refer to chapters 5 and 6 for labelingrequirements and chapter 9 for the approval
process.

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The Rainforest Alliance logo
For whom: Organizations that wish to denote a
cause marketing relationship, or to represent
another partnership (e.g. corporate advisory) with
the Rainforest Alliance. Farm enterprises andsupply chain actors that wish to promote certified
products shall use the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal instead.
Where: Off-pack only. Shall therefore not appear
on product packaging nor be used in reference
to certification.
For more information, please reach out tocustomersuccess@ra.org
The name “Rainforest Alliance” and the sentence “Rainforest Alliance Certified”
For whom: Registered farm enterprises andbusinesses.

Rainforest Alliance&Rainforest Alliance Certified

Where: On product packaging, promotional
materials or other communications related toRainforest Alliance Certified products. The name“Rainforest Alliance” can be used when writing
about the collaboration with the Rainforest
Alliance.
How: Find guidance on how to talk about the
Rainforest Alliance in this communication piece,
our messaging templates, and the translation
guide. Refer to chapter 9 for the approval
process.

For more information on trademark use by third-parties, please see chapter 8.

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PRE-CONDITIONS FOR TRADEMARKS USE
Organizations wanting to use one of our trademarks, for product labeling and/or
promotional materials shall:
1. be covered by a valid License Agreement 2020 (LA 2020). Organizations
may request their own LA or alternatively may be added as a sublicensee
to another company’s LA. This LA must be signed and validated by the
Rainforest Alliance before trademark use approval can be granted(although trademark use requests may be made in advance so that
review can be completed in parallel). See here for more details on how torequest this LA;
2. meet the applicable compliance requirements to their supply chains(traceability, chain of custody, etc.). See Appendix A for more details on
this as we transition to the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard2; and3. receive official approval via the Claims Platform before using ourtrademarks publicly on any material. See chapter 10 for more details on
how to request approval.
For third-party users, such as journalists, academics or media professionals using
our trademarks, other conditions and procedures apply. Please see chapter 8 forfurther details.
Further details on the pre-conditions of trademarks use on forest products can befound in chapter 5.

2For organizations that are part of the new Rainforest Alliance Certification Program, a valid
certificate and a license to trade is required to be able to receive approval to use the Rainforest
Alliance trademarks.

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PRODUCT LABELING
Organizations are strongly encouraged to use the Rainforest Alliance certification
seal on qualifying product packaging. This includes branded packaging andproduct labels as well as cups, fruit stickers, etc.
Product labeling requirements are determined by two main factors: a) whether
a product is made of a single or multiple ingredients, and b) how much of a given
ingredient is Rainforest Alliance Certified. See Appendix A for further information
on what is included in the definition “Rainforest Alliance Certified”. See chapter
5 for information on labeling forest products.

SINGLE-INGREDIENT PRODUCTS
Definition: A single-ingredient product is defined as one that includes only one
crop or ingredient. For example, a bag of ground coffee would be classified asa single- ingredient product, even if it contained a mixture of both Arabica andRobusta beans in the blend.

1.1.1 Eligibility for Seal Use
Content / Sourcing
A single-ingredient product is eligible to carry the seal on-pack when it:
EITHER

Physically contains (through identity preserved or segregated supply
chains) at least 90%3 Rainforest Alliance Certified content;

OR

If 100% of the equivalent certified volume has been purchased from
Rainforest Alliance Certified farms via a mass balance supply chain(crops that allow the mass balance option include cocoa, palm oil,hazelnuts, flowers, processed fruits (including juices, purees andcoconut oil) and herbs and spices4 (including rooibos).

1.1.2 Labeling Requirements
Single-ingredient products that qualify for seal use according to the above cancarry the Rainforest Alliance certification seal on their packaging if they comply
with the Seal Graphic Guidelines, and:1. Web Link: Include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforestalliance.org or the shortened version ra.org) on all consumer-facing
materials. We recommend including the statement “Rainforest Alliance
Certified. Find out more at ra.org”. Organizations may use their own
formulated statement as long as it includes the mandatory URL.
3 Calculated by weight
4 From Q4, 2022, the option of Mass Balance will be introduced for herbs, spices and herbal tea

ingredients (as listed in Appendix B and including rooibos), certified against the Rainforest Alliance2020 Standard or the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements. For changes relating to other crops,
please see the applicable Chain of Custody Standard for an up-to-date list (standards as explainedin Appendix A).

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Alternatively, only the URL itself may be used. The URL can be placed
anywhere on-pack, but at a location that is clearly connected to the
Rainforest Alliance certification seal, certified ingredient or voluntary text
statement (if used).
Good to know
A voluntary text statement can be added to product packaging to explain
what the seal stands for, or on the work of the Rainforest Alliance. To findmore guidance on how to use text statements on product packaging andother promotional materials, please refer to chapter 7.

MULTI-INGREDIENT PRODUCTS
Definition: A multi-ingredient product is defined as one that includes more than
one ingredient, of which at least one is Rainforest Alliance Certified. For example,
a chocolate bar for which Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa has been sourced
and contains multiple other ingredients.

1.1.3 Eligibility for Seal Use
Please note: After consultation and review, we have revised the previous existing‘core ingredient’ requirement (to be found here). Please find below all further
information on the updated requirement as well as the applicable transition
period.
Updated ‘Certified Ingredient Requirement' (applicable starting June 1st, 2022)
For any multi-ingredient product containing banana, cocoa, coffee, hazelnut ortea, at least one5 of these crops (including the ingredients derived from theserespective crops) MUST BE Rainforest Alliance Certified (while meeting thecontent/sourcing and labeling requirements for these crops) to be able to use
the seal.
Multi-ingredient products that do not contain any ingredients from the abovementioned crops, are free to use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal torepresent any certified crop (while meeting the content/sourcing and labelingrequirements for these crops).
For a multi-ingredient product which contains one or more certified crops and iseligible for seal use, the organization may choose which one(s) of the certified
crops to claim on-pack. The examples below explain the updated requirement
as well as the options for seal use eligibility, in case multiple Rainforest Alliance
Certified crops are sourced for a product.
Example: Updated Certified Ingredient Requirement & Seal Use Eligibility
5 For now, only at least one of these crops needs to be Rainforest Alliance Certified. It is our intention

to evolve this policy so that ingredients derived from any and all of these five crops would need to becertified for the overall product to be eligible to carry the seal.

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Product Example

A Chocolate Chip
Cookie (containing
Cocoa and Vanilla)

A Cappuccino Drink(containing Coffee
and Cocoa)

A Mixed Juice with
Orange and Mango

Rainforest Alliance
Certified Crop(s)Eligibility for seal use

Cocoa & Vanilla

Use seal for Cocoa & Vanilla;
Use seal for only Cocoa;
Use seal for only Vanilla

Cocoa

Use seal for Cocoa

VanillaNot eligible for seal use; due to thecertified ingredient requirement thecocoa needs to be Rainforest
Alliance Certified to be eligible forseal use.

Coffee & Cocoa

Use seal for Coffee & Cocoa;
Use seal for only Coffee;
Use seal for only Cocoa

CoffeeUse seal for Coffee

Cocoa

Use seal for Cocoa

Orange & Mango

Use seal for Orange & Mango;
Use seal for only Orange;
Use seal for only Mango

OrangeUse seal for Orange

Mango

Use seal for Mango

More examples to clarify this requirement are in Appendix D.
Notice / Transition Period
From the publication of this revised policy, a 6-month transition period6 is being
granted, to allow all organizations adjusting to the revised requirement.
1.
2.
3.

4.

Trademarks requests meeting the revised requirement during the 6-monthtimeframe can already be submitted and receive approval.
Trademark requests meeting the previous ‘core ingredient requirement’ canstill be submitted during the 6-month timeframe and will receive approval.
Trademark requests that had already been approved based on the previous‘core ingredient requirement’ will be considered valid for the period of
approval, or until the original artwork is modified. After this, the revised
requirement needs to be met.
Any material that is submitted after the 6-month transition period needs tocomply with the revised requirement in order to be able to use our seal.

Content / Sourcing

6 June 1st, 2022 - November 30th, 2022

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A multi-ingredient product is eligible to carry the Rainforest Alliance certification
seal on-pack in reference to the certified crop when it:
EITHER

Physically contains (through identity preserved or segregated supply
chains) at least 90%7 of the ingredient content of this crop as Rainforest
Alliance Certified;OR

If 100% of the equivalent certified volume (of the certified crop) has
been purchased from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms via a massbalance supply chain (crops that allow the mass balance option
include cocoa, palm oil, hazelnuts, flowers, processed fruits (including
juices, purees and coconut oil) and herbs & spices8 (including rooibos)).

1.1.4 Labeling Requirements
In those instances, multi-ingredient products can use the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal on their packaging when they comply with the Seal Graphic
Guidelines, and:
1.

2.

3.

Seal: Identify the certified crop(s) name(s) under the seal, so it’s clear
what the seal refers to. Ingredients that originate from the same crop
type (such as cocoa liquor and cocoa butter) should be declaredunder the seal by naming the crop (‘Cocoa’ in this example). If
preferred, and when having multiple qualifying crops, the words‘Multiple Ingredients’ can be used under the seal instead of theindividual crop names;
AND
Ingredients List: Place a superscript symbol (e.g., an asterisk or anothersymbol that is not already used elsewhere on the design) directly after
each certified ingredient(s) in the list of ingredients. The same
superscript symbol is then additionally placed at the end of theingredient list, followed by the text ‘Rainforest Alliance Certified’. Where
not legally permitted, the superscript symbol is omitted and the text next
to the ingredient list identifies the certified ingredients instead, e.g.,“Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa”.
AND
Web Link: Include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website(www.rainforest-alliance.org or the shortened version ra.org). We
recommend including the statement “Find out more at ra.org” andplace it directly after the ingredients list and the statement “Rainforest
Alliance Certified”. Organizations may use their own formulated
statement as long as it includes the mandatory URL. Alternatively, only
the URL itself may be used. The URL can be placed anywhere on-pack,but at a location that is clearly connected to the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal, certified ingredient(s) or voluntary text statement (ifused).

7 Calculated by weight
8 From Q4, 2022, the option of Mass Balance will be introduced for herbs, spices and herbal tea

ingredients (as listed in Appendix B and including rooibos), certified against the Rainforest Alliance2020 Standard or the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements. For changes relating to other crops,
please see the applicable Chain of Custody Standard for an up-to-date list (standards as explainedin Appendix A).

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Good to know
We recommend adding a voluntary text statement about the certification or
the Rainforest Alliance on your product packaging. To find more guidance on
how to use text statements on product packaging and promotional materials,
please refer to chapter 7.
Example: A Chocolate Bar
Seal

Ingredients List+

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass1, Sugar,
Cocoa Butter1, Flavouring.
1Rainforest Alliance Certified. Findout more at ra.org

Cocoa
Multi-ingredient products where the certified ingredient (or multiple certified
ingredients together) represents at least 95% of the total product formulation byweight (such as flavored coffee beans) may be labeled without identifying a
specific crop name under the seal. However, the certified ingredient must still beidentified in the list of ingredients, by placing a superscript symbol directly after
the certified ingredient(s) in the list of ingredients. The same superscript symbol isthen additionally placed at the end of the ingredient list, followed by the text
‘Rainforest Alliance Certified’. The web link must also be used on-pack.
Good to know
In instances where a multi-ingredient product does not have a nutritional label
or an ingredients list since it is not required by a country’s food labeling laws
and regulations, the superscript symbol can be omitted and only the link to
the Rainforest Alliance website “ra.org” is sufficient along with the certified
crop name under the seal.
When a multi-ingredient product is eligible for seal use, but the organization elects
not to use the seal on-pack, the certified ingredient(s) can be highlighted in text
on-pack and/or indicated in the list of ingredients as Rainforest Alliance Certified
with a reference to ra.org without using the seal on the product. These products
may also be promoted with the seal off pack.

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Grouping Multiple Ingredients
When a multi-ingredient product includes similar certified ingredients (such as
flower stems in a bouquet), it is possible for this group of ingredients to beconsidered as a single crop and qualified as such within these rules.
When this approach is taken, the wording under the seal must represent thegroup, such as “Flowers” or “Fruit” or an appropriate group description for the
product in question. If the group of certified ingredients represents at least 95% of
the total product formulation by weight, no crop or group descriptor under theseal is required. The ingredients list (if present) must continue to call out theindividual Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients and include our web link.
Example: A Mixed Fruit Juice
Seal

Ingredients List+

Ingredients:
Orange1(55%),
1
Pineapple (25%), Passion Fruit(12%), Mango1 (8%).
1Rainforest Alliance Certified. Findout more at ra.org

Fruit

PRODUCTS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR SEAL USE
In case a product contains ingredients that are sourced from Rainforest Alliance
Certified farms, but the product is not eligible for seal use, the ingredients list ofthese products may still call out the Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients, as
described in the following scenarios:•

When the ingredient(s) meet the content/sourcing requirement (as set out
in this policy for this crop), but the product is not eligible for seal use forother reasons: The certified ingredient(s) can be highlighted in theingredients list accompanied with the statement “Rainforest Alliance
Certified” at the end of the ingredients list and reference to “ra.org”.
Please note: For crops with a minimum certified threshold (palm oil, herbs& spices) the certified percentage needs to be part of the statement if<90% for segregated or IP supply chains, as in the labeling rules for thesecrops.
When the ingredient(s) do not meet the content/ sourcing requirements(as set out in this policy for this crop): The certified ingredient(s) or can behighlighted in the ingredients list accompanied with the statement “XX%Rainforest Alliance Certified” (including the certified percentage of theingredient) at the end of the ingredients list and reference to “ra.org”.

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LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIAL CASES
1.1.5 Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
Loose fresh fruit and vegetables that qualify for seal use, can carry the seal
printed on a sticker accompanied with a link to the Rainforest Alliance website(www.rainforest-alliance.org or the shortened version ra.org). Small stickers (lessthan 25mm wide or tall) may omit the link to the Rainforest Alliance website aslong as it is included on the outer case or box.

1.1.6 Multi-Pack ProductDefinition: A multi-pack product combines several individually packed
items/smaller packages sold together as one product.
Multi-pack products that are eligible for seal use may carry the seal on theoutermost surfaces of the packaging, if the ingredient sourced for all
items/smaller packages within the multi-pack product is Rainforest Alliance
Certified. The same labeling requirements as in chapter 2 (single-ingredientproducts, multi-ingredient products) shall then apply.
If the sourced ingredient within at least one individual item/smaller package,
packed within the overall multi-pack product, is not Rainforest Alliance Certified,then the multi-pack product does not qualify for seal use. The certified ingredient
may still be highlighted with a superscript symbol in the list of ingredients
accompanied with the statement “Rainforest Alliance Certified” at the end of
the ingredients list and reference to “ra.org”. The individual items/smaller
packages within the multi-pack product can still carry the seal, as long as theymeet the content/sourcing and labeling requirements.
Example: Multi-Pack of ice cream

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1.1.7 Shelf-Ready Packaging
Shelf trays/open boxes that carry individual items (e.g., avocados) or packaged
products (e.g., chocolate cookies) may carry the seal, as long as the individual
items/packaged products are eligible for seal use. The same labeling requirements
as in chapter 2 (single-ingredient products, multi-ingredient products) shall thenapply, with the exception that if both the shelf tray/open box as well as theindividual items/packaged products are visible to the consumer, the URL must beplaced on at least one of them.

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PALM OIL PRODUCT LABELING
Phase out of Palm Oil
The Rainforest Alliance has made the strategic decision to phase out ofpalm oil certification and not to include palm oil in the scope of the new
Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program. More details can be found in
this policy.
Please note that due to the phase out of palm oil from our program, labelingapprovals for use of the Rainforest Alliance certification seal will only be
granted until June 30th, 2023.

ELIGIBILITY FOR SEAL USE
Eligibility for palm oil products differs from chapter 2 only in terms of the minimum
certified content threshold for identity preserved and segregated supply chains.
As for all other crops, the Certified Ingredient Requirement is also applicable tomulti-ingredient products containing Rainforest Alliance Certified palm oil as per
the timelines and requirements set out in the previous chapter.
Palm oil products are eligible to use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal if
they:
EITHER
Physically contain (through identity preserved or segregated supply
chain) at least 30%9 certified content from Rainforest Alliance
Certified farms;
OR

If 100% of the equivalent volume has been purchased from
Rainforest Alliance Certified farms via a mass balance supply chain.

LABELING REQUIREMENTS
Palm oil products need to comply with the same labeling requirements as set out
in chapter 2, with the exception that:
When the certified physical content of the palm oil ingredient meets the 30%
threshold, but not the 90% threshold set in chapter 2, users must comply with theSeal Graphic Guidelines, the appropriate labeling requirements from chapter 2,
and:
1. Seal: Specify the percentage of certified palm oil content under the seal;AND
2. Ingredients List: Place a superscript symbol (such as an asterisk or anothersuperscript symbol that is not already used elsewhere on the design)
directly after the palm oil ingredient(s) in the list of ingredients. The same
superscript symbol is then additionally placed at the end of the ingredients
list, followed by the text ‘XX% Rainforest Alliance Certified’.

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Example: Vegetable Shortening
Seal

Ingredients List+

Ingredients: Expeller Pressed Palm
Fruit Oil1. 140% Rainforest Alliance
Certified. Find out more at ra.org

40% Certified
Palm Oil
Please see section 2.3 for labeling products that are not eligible for seal use. Section
2.4 explains labeling requirements for special cases such as multi-packs.

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HERBS & SPICES PRODUCT LABELINGSINGLE-INGREDIENT PRODUCTS
Definition: A single-ingredient product is defined as one that includes only one
crop or ingredient, e.g., a peppermint tea.

1.1.8 Eligibility for Seal Use
Content / Sourcing
As we work to scale up the availability of segregated supply of Rainforest Alliance
Certified herbs and spices across the sector, the minimum certified content
threshold of ingredients that fall into the herbs and spices portfolio is currently set
at a lower level. The herbs and spices portfolio and the minimum certified content
threshold are specified in Appendix B.
Single ingredient products that consist of one of the herbs and spices from theportfolio that originate from segregated supply chains can carry the Rainforest
Alliance certification seal, if the product physically contains at least the minimum
percentage of content from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms as listed inAppendix B (currently set at 50%) at the time of labeling approval. The minimum
certified content threshold will be gradually increased over time to align with the
90% threshold in other crops and updated in Appendix B accordingly.
From Q4 2022, the Rainforest Alliance will offer the option of mass balancesourcing for the herbs and spices mentioned in Appendix B and Rooibos. For
ingredients sourced through mass balance supply chains, 100% of the equivalentcertified volume of herbs and/or spices in the product needs to be sourced from
Rainforest Alliance Certified farms (as described in chapter 2) to be eligible forseal use.
To summarize, a single-ingredient product that consists of any of the herbs andspices from the portfolio is eligible to carry the seal on-pack when it:
EITHER

Physically contains (through identity preserved or segregated
supply chains) at least 50%10 Rainforest Alliance Certified content;

OR

From Q4 2022, if 100% of the equivalent certified volume has beensourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms via a mass balance
supply chain.

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1.1.9 Labeling Requirements
Single-ingredient products that qualify for seal use according to the above cancarry the Rainforest Alliance certification seal on their packaging if they comply
with the Seal Graphic Guidelines, and:1. Seal: Declare the percentage of Rainforest Alliance Certified content
under the seal, so it’s clear how much of the product is certified. This is for
products that physically contain (through identity preserved or
segregated supply chains) a percentage of Rainforest Alliance Certified
content is above the minimum certified threshold (currently set at 50%) but
below 90%;
Please note: If the certified content is greater than or equal to 90%, therules in chapter 2 apply, and the product can be labeled without
declaring the percentage. For mass balance sourcing, 100% of theequivalent certified volume needs to be Rainforest Alliance Certified,hence no percentage needs to be declared under the seal.
AND
2. Web Link: Include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforestalliance.org or the shortened version ra.org) on all consumer-facing
materials. We recommend including the statement “Rainforest Alliance
Certified. Find out more at ra.org”. Organizations may use their own
formulated statement as long as it includes the mandatory URL.
Alternatively, only the URL itself may be used. The URL can be placed
anywhere on-pack, but at a location that is clearly connected to the
Rainforest Alliance certification seal, certified ingredient or voluntary text
statement (if used).

Good to know
Add a voluntary text statement to your product packaging. To find moreguidance on how to use text statements on product packaging as well as
promotional materials, please refer to chapter 7.

MULTI-INGREDIENT PRODUCTS
Definition: A multi-ingredient product is defined as one that includes more than
one ingredient, of which at least one is Rainforest Alliance Certified. For example,
an Herbal & Fruit Infusion for which Rainforest Alliance Certified hibiscus has beensources and contains multiple other ingredients (e.g., apple, raspberries,
blueberries).

1.1.10 Eligibility for Seal Use
Please note: After consultation and review, we have revised the previous existing‘core ingredient’ requirement (to be found here). Please find below all further
information on the updated requirement as well as the applicable transition
period.
Updated ‘Certified Ingredient Requirement’ (applicable starting June 1st, 2022)
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For any herbs, spices, rooibos or other herbal tea multi-ingredient productcontaining banana, cocoa, coffee, hazelnut or tea11, at least one12 of thesecrops (including the ingredients derived from these respective crops) MUST BE
Rainforest Alliance Certified (while meeting the content/sourcing and labelingrequirements for these crops) to be able to use the seal.
Multi-ingredient products that do not contain any ingredients from the abovementioned crops, are free to use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal torepresent any certified crop (while meeting the content/sourcing and labelingrequirements for these crops).
For a multi-ingredient product which contains one or more certified crops and iseligible for seal use, the organization may choose which one(s) of the certified
crops to claim on-pack. The examples below explain the updated requirement
as well as the options for seal use eligibility, in case multiple Rainforest Alliance
Certified crops are sourced for a product.
Please note that for herbs and spices product labeling, the following exceptions
are applicable:
1. If the cocoa, coffee, tea, hazelnut or banana content in the product is lessthan 3% of total product (weight) volume, the above requirement does not
apply.
2. If tea leaves are used as carrier material for aromas in blends/infusions withherbs & spices and/or rooibos, the above requirement does not apply.
Example: Updated Certified Ingredient Requirement & Seal Use Eligibility
Product Example

A Tea Blend(containing Black Tea
and Cinnamon)

A Fruit Infusion withApple and Rosehip

Rainforest Alliance
Certified Crop(s)Eligibility for seal use

Tea & Cinnamon

Use seal for Tea & Cinnamon;
Use seal for only Tea;
Use seal for only Cinnamon

Tea

Use seal for Tea

CinnamonOnly eligible for seal use for
Cinnamon if the Tea content
is <3%, OR if the Tea is acarrier material for aromasApple & Rosehip

Use seal for Apple & Rosehip;
Use seal for only Apple;
Use seal for only RosehipApple

Use seal for Apple

Rosehip

Use seal for Rosehip

More examples to clarify this requirement are in Appendix D.
11 The tea crop (Camellia Sinensis)
12 For now, only at least one of these crops needs to be Rainforest Alliance Certified. It is ourintention to evolve this policy so that ingredients derived from any and all of these five crops would
need to be certified for the overall product to be eligible to carry the seal.

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Notice / Transition Period
From the publication of this revised policy, a 6-month transition period13 is being
granted to allow all organizations to adjust to the revised requirement.
1.
2.
3.

4.

Trademarks requests meeting the revised requirement during the 6-monthtimeframe can already be submitted and receive approval.
Trademark requests meeting the previous ‘core ingredient requirement’ canstill be submitted during the 6-month timeframe and will receive approval.
Trademark requests that had already been approved based on the previous‘core ingredient requirement’ will be considered valid for the period of
approval, or until the original artwork is modified. After this, the revised
requirement needs to be met.
Any material that is submitted after the 6-month transition period needs tocomply with the revised requirement in order to be able to use our seal.

Content / Sourcing
As noted above, as we work to scale up the availability of the segregated supplyof Rainforest Alliance Certified herbs and spices across the sector, the minimum
certified content threshold of ingredients that fall into the herbs and spices
portfolio is currently set at a lower level. The herbs and spices portfolio and theminimum certified content threshold are specified in Appendix B.
Multi-ingredient products that contain any ingredient(s) from the herbs andspices portfolio that originate from segregated supply chains can carry the
Rainforest Alliance certification seal, if the product physically contains at least theminimum percentage of content (of the certified ingredient) from Rainforest
Alliance Certified farms as listed in Appendix B (currently set at 50%) at the timeof labeling approval. The minimum certified content threshold will be gradually
increased over time to align with the 90% threshold in other crops and updated
in Appendix B accordingly.
From Q4 2022, the Rainforest Alliance will offer the option of mass balancesourcing for the herbs and spices mentioned in Appendix B and Rooibos. For
ingredients sourced through mass balance supply chains, 100% of theequivalent certified volume of herbs and/or spices in the product needs to besourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms (as described in chapter 2) tobe eligible for seal use.
To summarize, a multi-ingredient product is eligible to carry the Rainforest
Alliance certification seal on-pack in reference to the certified crop from theherbs and spices portfolio when it:
EITHER

Physically contains (through identity preserved or segregated
supply chains) at least 50%14 of the ingredient content of this cropas Rainforest Alliance Certified;

13 June 1st, 2022 – November 30th, 2022
14 Calculated by weightRA-P-SE-20-V1.2

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OR

From Q4 2022, If 100% of the equivalent certified volume (of thecertified crop) has been purchased from Rainforest Alliance
Certified farms via a mass balance supply chain.

1.1.11 Labeling Requirements
In those instances, multi-ingredient products can use the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal on their packaging materials when they comply with the Seal
Graphic Guidelines, and:
1.

2.

3.

Seal: Identify the certified crop(s) name(s) under the seal, so it’s clear
what the seal refers to, along with the percentage of the respective
crop that is Rainforest Alliance Certified (if this is less than 90%). This is forcrops with segregated supply chains for which the percentage ofRainforest Alliance Certified content of the certified ingredient is above
the minimum certified threshold (currently set at 50%) but below 90%;
Please note: If the certified content of the certified ingredient is greaterthan or equal to 90%, the rules in chapter 2 apply, and the product canbe labeled without declaring the percentage. For mass balancesourcing, 100% of the equivalent certified volume of the certified
ingredient needs to be Rainforest Alliance Certified, hence nopercentage needs to be declared under the seal.
AND
Ingredients List: Place a superscript symbol (e.g., an asterisk or anothersymbol that is not already used elsewhere on the design) directly after
each certified ingredient(s) in the list of ingredients. The same
superscript symbol is then additionally placed at the end of theingredient list, followed by the text ‘XX% Rainforest Alliance Certified’ (ifless than 90%), or just ‘Rainforest Alliance Certified’ if at least 90%. Where
not legally permitted, the superscript symbol is omitted and the text next
to the ingredient list identifies the certified ingredients instead, e.g.,“Rainforest Alliance Certified hibiscus”;
AND
Web Link: Include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website(www.rainforest-alliance.org or the shortened version ra.org). We
recommend including the statement “Find out more at ra.org ” andplace it directly after the ingredients list and the statement “XX%Rainforest Alliance Certified”. Organizations may use their own
formulated statement as long as it includes the mandatory URL.
Alternatively, only the URL itself may be used. The URL can be placed
anywhere on-pack, but at a location that is clearly connected to the
Rainforest Alliance certification seal, certified ingredient(s) or voluntary
text statement (if used).

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Example: Fruits of the Forest Herbal Tea Infusion
Seal

Ingredients List+

Ingredients:
Hibiscus1,
apple,
raspberry, rosehip, acidifiers, citricacid, blueberry. 150% Rainforest
Alliance Certified. Find out more atra.org

50% Certified
HibiscusMultiple Certified Ingredients
Grouping Herbs and Spices
When more than one ingredient within the herbs and spices crop list (seeAppendix B) is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, it is possible togroup ingredients. This group of ingredients can be considered as a single cropand qualifies as such within these rules. The required minimum percentage ofRainforest Alliance Certified ingredients in the product is calculated by taking into
account the percentage of certified ingredients of the total of ingredients within
the specified crop group, not the certified percentage of the total product.
When this approach is taken the crop name used under the seal may be “Herbal
Ingredients”, “Herbs”, “Spices”, “Fruits” or a combination, depending on the mostappropriate for the product in question (and subject to Rainforest Allianceapproval). The ingredients list must continue to call out the individual ingredients.
When herbs and spices are grouped, and each ingredient meets the minimum
certified content outlined above, and the group of certified ingredients
represents at least 95% of the total product formulation by weight, no crop orgroup descriptor under the seal is required. The ingredients list must continue tocall out the individual certified ingredients, the percentage of certified content if
less than 90%, and the web link is still required.
Example: An Herbal Infusion
Seal

Ingredients List+
Ingredients: Peppermint1 (50%),
Chamomile1 (20%), Liquorice (20%),Fennel1 (10%). 160% Rainforest
Alliance Certified. Find out more atra.org60% Certified Herbal
Ingredients

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Example: A Tea, Fruit and Herbal Infusion
Seal

Ingredients List+
Ingredients: Black Tea1 (50%),
Cinnamon1 (17%), Orange peel(17%), Cardamom1 (8%), Cloves1(8%). 1Rainforest Alliance Certified.
Find out more at ra.org

Tea
66% Certified Herbal
Ingredients
Explainer: In this example, the cinnamon, orange peel, cardamom and cloves
are considered herbal ingredients (as part of the herbs and spices portfolio in
Appendix B) and counted in the total percentage of herbal ingredients. Thismeans that only 50% of the ingredients in the product are herbal ingredients. Outof the total of herbal ingredients, the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves are
Rainforest Alliance Certified, which together make up 66% ((17 + 8 + 8)/50 * 100)of the total of herbal ingredients. Hence, 66% of the herbal ingredients in thisproduct are Rainforest Alliance Certified. Additionally, in order to be eligible forseal use for the herbal ingredients in this product, the tea needs to be sourced
from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms as well, in order to meet the “Certified
Ingredient Requirement” as introduced in the previous section (unless any of theaforementioned exceptions apply).
Please see section 2.3 for labeling products that are not eligible for seal use. Section
2.4 explains labeling requirements for special cases such as multi-packs.

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FOREST PRODUCT LABELING
ELIGIBILITY FOR SEAL USE
Eligibility for seal use on forest products – such as paper, furniture and guitars –differs from chapter 2 in that the Rainforest Alliance does not offer forest andsupply chain certification for this sector. Therefore, chapter 2 requirements are
not applicable to forest products.
Forest products can be labeled and promoted using the distinct Forest Allies seal
(left side below) and are not eligible to use the Rainforest Alliance certification
seal.

Forest products are eligible to use the Forest Allies seal if:
1. The product is Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC)certified and meets all
requirements for use of FSC trademarks according to the normative
framework established and maintained by FSC, including but not limited
to FSC-STD-50-001;
AND
2. The company/brand/organization is a member of Forest Allies and isactively meeting the requirements of Forest Allies membership.

1.1.12 Exceptions to Eligibility
Forest products are not eligible to use the Forest Allies seal if:
1. The FSC certification refers to packaging of a non-forest product, e.g. foodor beverage in an FSC Certified container. The primary product purchasedby the consumer and/or company shall be a forest product in order to use
the seal;
2. In the case of a private label arrangement, the brand reflected on the
product shall be a member of Forest Allies. The seal will not be accessible
to brands that are customers of private label manufacturers based on the
manufacturer’s membership of Forest Allies.

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LABELING REQUIREMENTS
Forest products are not required to comply with the labeling requirements set
out in chapter 2, but instead need to comply with the Seal Graphic Guidelines,
and:
1. Seal: The Forest Allies seal shall only be applied on product when theapplicable FSC trademark(s) is also present on product; and shall not
disadvantage the FSC trademark in terms of scale or placement;AND
2. Web Link: A reference to ra.org on consumer-facing materials shall be
included. We recommend including the statement “[Company name] isa member of Forest Allies. Find out more at ra.org”.

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26

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALSThe Rainforest Alliance encourages seal use on promotional materials such as
websites, banners, point-of-sale materials and other types of materials orcommunications that promote Rainforest Alliance Certified products and/or
make claims related to certification. In the case of Forest Allies, marketing
materials shall promote the company’s membership in Forest Allies and related
activities, it may not be used to promote specific products or brands. Any public
use15 of these materials or communications, whether for B2C or B2B audiences,must be submitted to the Rainforest Alliance for review and approval prior to
publication, as per the processes outlined in the approval process chapter. For
guidance on how to talk about the Rainforest Alliance, please refer to chapter
7.

ADVERTISING MATERIALS
Advertising materials include point-of-sale materials, promotional brochures orflyers, social media posts, radio commercials, print ads, and other types ofadvertisements.

1.1.13 Labeling Requirements
Organizations can use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal on advertisingmaterials if they comply with the Rainforest Alliance Graphic Guidelines, and:1. Seal: Usage of seal shall reflect seal use on-pack (i.e. whether crop nameis required or not) and be placed near the Rainforest Alliance Certified
product it relates to.
AND
2. Web Link: Include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforestalliance.org or the shortened version ra.org) on all consumer-facing
materials. The URL can be placed anywhere on the material but at alocation that is clearly connected to the seal, certified ingredients or text
statement.
Specifically, applicable to video and tv commercials: For video and tv
commercials the link to the Rainforest Alliance website can be omitted in
the video/tv commercial itself and instead placed wherever the video ishosted (e.g. YouTube video description, website, email newsletter, etc.).
For radio/audio commercials more than a minute long, the web link shallbe included (radio/audio commercials shorter than less than a minutelong can omit the web link).
AND
3. Independent Relationship: The seal must be clearly identified as
independent, so that in no way the Rainforest Alliance is perceived as theadvertiser/brand (e.g. by considering the size and placement of the seal).

15 Public use = being accessible to anyone/ the general public. Thus, for trademarks use on materials

shared exclusively in a commercial relationship (e.g. a coffee bag being sold from one trader toanother trader) it is not required to request approval.

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1.1.14 Labeling Requirements specific to Forest Allies
Organizations can use the Forest Allies seal on advertising materials to promote
the Forest Allies initiative and related activities if they comply with the Rainforest
Alliance Graphic Guidelines, and:1. Seal: Usage of the Forest Allies seal;AND
2. Web Link: Include a link to the Rainforest Alliance website (www.rainforestalliance.org or the shortened version ra.org) on all consumer-facing
materials;
AND
3. Independent Relationship: The seal must be clearly identified as
independent, so that in no way the Rainforest Alliance is perceived as theadvertiser/brand.

WEBSITES, PRESS RELEASES
1.1.15 Labeling Requirements
Organizations can use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal on websites andpress releases if they comply with the Rainforest Alliance Graphic Guidelines, allrequirements as set out in section 6.1.1, and the below additional requirement:
Placement of Seal: When displayed on websites or press releases, the seal shallbe tied to the relevant text section which refers to the Rainforest Alliance and/or
specific Rainforest Alliance Certified products.

1.1.16 Labeling Requirements specific to Forest Allies
Organizations can use the Forest Allies seal on websites and press releases if they
comply with the Rainforest Alliance Graphic Guidelines, all requirements as set
out in section 6.1.2, and the below additional requirement:
Placement of Seal: When displayed on websites or press releases, the Forest Allies
seal shall be tied to the relevant text section which refers to the Forest Allies
initiative and related activities.

CORPORATE MATERIALS
Corporate materials include annual or corporate reports, employee
engagement or training materials, farm signage, and any business
communication to suppliers or clients.
The seal should never be displayed in a position where it could be confused witha business name, or a brand name of a product, or in any way that implies
endorsement of initiatives not applicable to the Rainforest Alliance. For thisreason, seal use is not permitted on certain types of corporate materials including
invoice templates, delivery notes, letterheads, business cards and email
signatures.

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28

Please note: Materials for internal training or engagement purposes must also be
submitted for approval to avoid the risk of inaccurate information being
communicated externally.

1.1.17 Labeling Requirements
Organizations can use the seal on corporate materials if they comply with theRainforest Alliance Graphic Guidelines and all requirements as set out in section
6.1.1.

1.1.18 Labeling Requirements specific to Forest Allies
Organizations can use the Forest Allies seal on corporate materials to promote
the Forest Allies initiative and related activities if they comply with the Rainforest
Alliance Graphic Guidelines, and all requirements in section 6.1.2.

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HOW TO TALK ABOUT THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE
To help our partners describe the Rainforest Alliance and talk about sustainability
in a credible, transparent and effective way, we have developed this How-toGuide. It contains tips and resources to support our partner organizations in telling
their sustainability story and articulating the essence and impact of our work
together.
Text statements may be used on on-pack as well as in promotional materials on
a voluntary basis. On-pack, statements related to the company's association with
the Rainforest Alliance can only be made if the product is certified. On
promotional materials, text statements can be made about the Rainforest
Alliance, a company’s relationship with the Rainforest Alliance or about
Rainforest Alliance Certified products.
To find a variety of Rainforest Alliance text statements which may be used onpack and in promotional materials, please refer to our messaging templates aswell as our translation guide for further guidance.
Please note: The Rainforest Alliance approval process exists so that we canreview, provide feedback, and ultimately grant approval for how our trademarks
are being used. As such, we look to check compliance with the Rainforest
Alliance requirements, but do not provide verification of volume or origin claims
through this process, but we do have processes to check them. Therefore, theaccuracy and credibility of such claims remain the sole responsibility of ourpartner organizations themselves.

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THIRD-PARTY TRADEMARK USE
The Rainforest Alliance recognizes that occasionally other types of entities orindividuals such as journalists, academics, and media professionals may wish touse one of the Rainforest Alliance registered trademarks as part of a publication,such as a book, news article, or dissertation. In these cases, permission to use theRainforest Alliance trademarks should be requested via email to our
Communications team at communications@ra.org prior to the publication of thematerial, to allow sufficient time for review and approval.
Certification bodies that want to use the Rainforest Alliance logo in combination
with communications about working with the Rainforest Alliance and/or auditing
against one of our standards can reach out to cbmanagement@ra.org.
Please note: Farm enterprises and supply chain actors cannot obtain approval
for use of Rainforest Alliance trademarks via email as they need to follow
additional compliance critieria related to their supply chains (e.g. License
Agreement 2020, Traceability and Chain of Custody requirements, etc.). Pleaserefer to section 1.3 for more details.

RAINFOREST ALLIANCE MARKETING SUPPORTThe Rainforest Alliance Marketing team offers a range of services andopportunities to partner organizations sourcing Rainforest Alliance Certified
ingredients to support their sustainability communication. For strategies on how
to raise consumer awareness to tools and assets that help you get yourmessaging right, visit our website. The offerings include:
1. Collaborative opportunities to co-create activations, such as marketing
campaigns, webinars, events, conferences, employee engagement,
consumer promotion, in-store and POS materials;
2. A marketing toolkit with messaging templates, communication guidelines,
photo and video material, infographics, farmer testimonials, and creative
assets to engage your audiences with the positive impact of your workwith the Rainforest Alliance and meaning behind our seal;
3. The Follow the Frog campaign, a customizable, B2B and B2C marketing
opportunity for brands that work with the Rainforest Alliance;
4. Our Frog Business News, a bi-monthly newsletter for companies working
with us. You can subscribe here.

APPROVAL PROCESSAll public use16 of the Rainforest Alliance trademarks requires approval prior toprinting and publication. This applies to product packaging, promotional
materials or other communications related to Rainforest Alliance Certified
products and/or communications relating to collaboration with or support for the
Rainforest Alliance, whether for B2B or B2C audiences. Approval is not required
for trademarks use on B2B material that is exclusively shared in a commercial
16 Public use= being accessible to anyone/the general public.

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relationship (and therefore not publicly accessible), e.g. bulk packaging soldfrom one manufacturer to another, or a coffee bag sold between traders17.
In most instances, approval has to be requested online via the Claims Platform
with a few exceptions when approval shall be requested via email (as listed inchapter 8)
We require that organizations immediately notify the Rainforest Alliance of any
unauthorized use, infringement, or dilution of Rainforest Alliance's name or othertrademarks. Legal action may be taken against any party that reproduces orcopies the Rainforest Alliance trademarks without prior permission from theRainforest Alliance. The Rainforest Alliance reserves the right to reject and/or
revoke approvals, in accordance with the terms of an organization’s License
Agreement.

PREPARING YOUR MATERIALS
We ask organizations to keep the following in mind when preparing materials forapproval:
1. Complete Files: As materials are reviewed in their entirety during the approval
process, all aspects of the material should be included in the online approval
request. For example, if requesting approval for product packaging, all text
and imagery on every side of the pack must be legible, visible and according
to the rules in our Graphic Guidelines. When using the Rainforest Alliancename in a press release, the full press release must be provided in the online
approval request, not just the paragraph mentioning Rainforest Alliancecertification, or the Rainforest Alliance.
2. Translated Materials: Organizations are required to seek online approval for
all language versions of public-facing promotional materials that use a
Rainforest Alliance trademark. Requests to approve different language
versions can be done together with the original language version, or
uploaded as a separate online Claim request. Either way, translation texts
should be in a format (e.g. Word, PowerPoint etc.) that is copy and paste
friendly in case the main marketing file is an image only. We offer a list of pretranslated statements like “Rainforest Alliance Certified farms” in ourtranslation guide, and our messaging templates are also pre-translated into
several languages to support you.

SUBMITTING YOUR MATERIALS
Due to our certification programs working with different platforms historically,
along with the transition to the new 2020 Certification Program and platform,
different processes have to be followed in order to submit Claim requests.
Please find step-by-step guidance on how to request approval, depending on
your scenario here. For assistance with the Claims Platform or the approval

17 B2B material that does require approval is e.g. a coffee bag sold to a shop where it will on display.

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process above, pleasecustomersuccess@ra.org.

contact

ourCustomer

Success

teamat

If a third-party agency is employed to develop marketing materials, the agency
may seek online approval via The Claims Platform for use of these trademarks
on behalf of an organization. On this page we explain how such agencies canobtain access to our systems.

APPROVAL TIMELINES
Claim requests uploaded to the Claims Platform will normally be reviewed within
five to ten business days.
Please note the following for timeline planning purposes:
A review of a new approval request does not always result in an approval being
granted within the ten-day timeline. This is because the Rainforest Alliance may
require design changes and/or compliance steps needed before giving
approval. Therefore, extra time should be planned in order to allow sufficient time
for the review and approval of artwork.
The Rainforest Alliance is working on the option of a fast-tracked approval
process. The details of this are still will be communicated externally accordingly
once finalized.

APPROVAL VALIDITY
After receiving an online approval through the Claims Platform, the approval isvalid for two years. At the end of the two-year period, organizations can either
request to renew the validity period for another 2 years 18 (via the Claims Platform)or allow the approval to expire. If changes are made to the original design ortext, the new material needs to be uploaded again to the Claims Platform as a
new approval request.

18 Due to the scale-up plan for herbs and spices, approvals related to trademarks use for any of theherbs & spices mentioned in Appendix B cannot be extended. After expiration of the approval, thematerial needs to be uploaded again to the Claims Platform as a new approval request.

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EXCEPTIONSTHE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE NON-FROG SEAL
In a few select markets, where frogs are culturally unacceptable for use on
products, we offer a version of our Rainforest Alliance certification seal that does
not include a frog. The requirements for use are identical to those for the regularversion of the seal.
Use of this version is based on local consumer evidence and needs to be first
requested via customersuccess@ra.org. Once this request has been reviewed by
the Rainforest Alliance, approval still needs to be obtained, as per the process
outlined in the approval chapter.
The non-frog seal is not available for use in the following markets:• North, Central and South America• Europe including Russia and Turkey• Japan• China• Australia & New Zealand

FORCE MAJEURE
Situations may arise occasionally that are genuinely outside of an organization’scontrol and despite best efforts, products bearing the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal are temporarily unable to meet the minimum certified content
threshold described in Rainforest Alliance’s labeling policy. Depending on thesituation, the Rainforest Alliance may grant temporary authorization forcontinued use of the Rainforest Alliance certification seal after a full analysis ofeach individual case and only if one of the following events has occurred at thefarm or supplier at origin, or at the factory or warehouse where the certified
products are stored or manufactured:• Natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, floods, public healthemergencies such as pandemics or similar);• War, insurrection, explosion, or other proven acts of violence;• Political, governmental, or regulatory circumstances.
If such authorization is granted by the Rainforest Alliance, the organization must
either:• post information on its website to disclose and explain the temporaryinterruption to consumers. This information should specify the period during
which the force majeure situation has affected the certified content of
products (including if the situation is ongoing) and be visible for the entire
period during which such products are supplied and shipped tocustomers;OR• correct the declared percentage of certified content on-pack during theperiod that the disruption affects production;OR

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•

cease to use the Rainforest Alliance certification seal according to theterms of the license agreement in the case of a permanent disruption.

Changes in crop prices, quality, or supply shortages are not deemed “force
majeure” situations.

TEMPORARY SUPPLY SHORTAGES
Sometimes shortages in the supply of certified crops may be caused by reasons
unrelated to the force majeure reasons listed above. These include suppliers who
fail to fulfill contracts, equipment failures, shipping problems, misaligned
scheduling of delivery etc. In these cases, the Rainforest Alliance’s objective is
twofold: to create transparency to affected consumers and to ensure that
farmers do not suffer from temporary decrease in demand.
In the event of a temporary supply shortage (e.g., lasting less than six months),
which results in a product failing to meet the requirements to use the Rainforest
Alliance certification seal, organizations can apply for a temporary supply
shortage. This policy can be used if a temporary supply shortage causes one ormore products carrying the Rainforest Alliance certification seal to:
A. not meet the minimum content/sourcing requirements (as set out in thispolicy for this crop) to be eligible to carry the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal, or;B. contain less than the percentage of Rainforest Alliance Certified content
claimed on the package.
In the case of a temporary supply shortage, organizations must follow these threesteps:
1. The organization holding or requesting the approval to use the Rainforest
Alliance certification seal must notify the Rainforest Alliance. This should bedone by filling out the request form on our website and provide all
requested information and documentation;AND
2. The organization responsible for the shortage (often a brand’s supplier)must buy an additional amount of Rainforest Alliance Certified crop equal
to the shortfall within 12 months. This amount is to compensate the shortfall
and ensure the equivalent volume of product to comply with the seal use
requirements was actually purchased from Rainforest Alliance Certified
producers. This additional amount can then be used in its non-certified
products. If possible, this additional volume should be purchased from thesame country or region to use in its other products so that the Rainforest
Alliance Certified farms do not suffer a decrease in demand. Alternatively,
the brand may buy the additional amount from another supplier or on
behalf of its supplier. If a farm is responsible for the supply shortage or fails
to deliver on a contract, the brand must buy an equivalent amount ofcertified crop from other Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Only
organizations that are already sourcing 100% of this crop as Rainforest
Alliance Certified across all their products are exempted from thisrequirement;
AND

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3. The organization marketing the product labeled with the seal must include
a disclaimer statement on their website specifying the period during which
the supply shortage has affected the certified content of products(including if the situation is ongoing). This statement must be visible for theentire period during which such products are supplied and shipped tocustomers. The text should be uploaded to the Claims Platform19 for online
review and will only be approved once the organization has submitted
the final version of the text together with all accompanying graphics
exactly as it will appear in the public-facing online version.
Suggested Templates for Supply Shortage Situations:“[Organization] is proud of our commitment to sustainability and sourcing
Rainforest Alliance Certified [crop] for our [product(s)]. One of our suppliers
recently had a problem [include specifics if possible, here], however, and they’reunable to deliver enough of the certified [crop] to meet our needs. This meansthat from [start date] to [end date], our [product(s) name(s)] are only able tocontain [XX%] [crop] from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. We expect this tobe resolved by [date], though, and our [product(s)] will go back to [XX%]certified. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we remaincommitted to [appropriate Rainforest Alliance or sustainability commitment].”
OR“Due to supply chain disruptions [include specifics if possible, here] we are
currently unable to source enough certified [crop] for our [brand/products] with
the Rainforest Alliance certification seal. This means that these products may notcurrently contain any [or contain only XX%] Rainforest Alliance Certified
ingredients. We apologize for the inconvenience. As soon as this supply shortageis resolved, we expect to return to sourcing from Rainforest Alliance Certified
farms for these products by [date]. We will also purchase a volume of certified[crop] equivalent to what we would have used during this period, doing our partto help support farmers and protect the environment [or other appropriate
Rainforest Alliance or sustainability commitment].”

OTHER EXCEPTIONS
In certain circumstances, the Rainforest Alliance might allow for modifications to
how our partnership is represented to consumers. These exceptions are linked tothe scale and maturity of sustainability in the brand's supply chain, and acompelling need to modify such representation in order to drive a morecomprehensive dialog with consumers. Requests for such modifications should
be made via the concerned account manager for us to evaluate thecircumstances and legitimacy of such a request, and all individual artworks muststill be submitted through the Rainforest Alliance approval processes as set out inthis policy.

19 To submit the statement for approval, please follow the procedure as referred to in

RA-P-SE-20-V1.2

chapter 9.

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ABOUT THIS DOCUMENTLANGUAGE VERSIONSThis document is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese,
Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish. In the event of any inconsistency between
the English version and any translation, the English version shall control.
For current versions in these languages, please visit our website.

CONTACT US
We have a dedicated team of Customer Success representatives in multiple timezones who are happy to help your organization with questions related to
trademark use. Please feel free to contact them at: customersuccess@ra.org

RA-P-SE-20-V1.2

37

APPENDIX
APPENDIX A: CERTIFICATION STANDARDSThe Rainforest Alliance certification scheme relies on a number of certification
standards in order to classify materials, farms and other organizations as certified.
Within this policy, we refer to each of these as “Rainforest Alliance Certified”,
however different standards may be applicable in each circumstancedepending on our certification rules.
Specifically, following the merger of UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance in 2018, usersof both the 2015 UTZ Certification Program and/or 2017 Rainforest Alliance
Certification Program are in the process of transitioning to the Rainforest Alliance2020 Certification program (published in June 2020). As a result, any usage of theterm “Rainforest Alliance Certified” in this document can be defined as relatingto crops, farms or other organizations certified against one of our standards(including the standard owned by the Union for Ethical BioTrade in the case ofcertain crops and in accordance with our partnership), and in accordance withrules around mutual recognition.

APPENDIX B: HERBS AND SPICES
Crop / Ingredient List:
Please visit our website for the current Appendix B list.
Any crop / ingredient not on this list is not eligible for the specific herbs and spices
product labeling rules, and must follow those set out for general cases.

Scale Up Plan:
From 2020
to 31 Dec 2021
Certified content
threshold

RA-P-SE-20-V1.2

40%

From 1 Jan 2022
to 31 Dec 2025

From …

50%

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APPENDIX C: PHASE OUT OF LEGACY TRADEMARKSThis labeling and trademark policy relates to the use of the Rainforest Alliancecertification seal as well as our other trademarks. Organizations wishing tocontinue the use of either the previous version of the Rainforest Alliance Certified
seal or the latest version of the UTZ label continue to be governed by the policies,
guidelines and processes found in the Requirements & Guidelines for Use of the
Rainforest Alliance Trademarks or the UTZ Labeling and Trademark Policy,
respectively.
For all crops except cocoa, we will continue to accept requests for approval forthese legacy trademarks until the end of 2022. Where possible, in upcoming
design phases, the Rainforest Alliance strongly encourages organizations to
update existing designs and materials with the new version of the Rainforest
Alliance certification seal shown in this document. For further details on the phaseout of legacy trademarks, please visit our website.
For cocoa, we no longer accept requests to use the legacy trademarks as of
September 1st 2020. For further details on our approach in cocoa, please visit our
website.

RA-P-SE-20-V1.2

39

APPENDIX D: OVERVIEW OF EXAMPLES
Multi-Ingredient ProductMay use the seal if:

A chocolate chip cookie
containing:
Sugar, Flour, Butter,
Cocoa Powder, Natural
Vanilla Extract, Salt

Only Cocoa is certified
Cocoa and Vanilla arecertified-

Only Vanilla is certified

A smoothie containing: Banana, Pineapple, Milk -Only Banana is certified
Banana and Pineapple
are certified-

Only Pineapple iscertified

Earl Grey tea containing: Black Tea, Bergamot
Extract

Only Black Tea is certified
Both Black Tea andBergamot are certified

Only Bergamot iscertifiedA blueberry ice creamcontaining:
Milk, Sugar, Blueberries,
Natural Vanilla Extract

Only Vanilla is certified
Only Blueberries are
certified
Both Vanilla andBlueberry are certified

N/A

Only Coffee is certified
Only Cocoa is certified
Both Coffee and Cocoa
are certified

N/A

Only Hazelnut is certified
Both Hazelnut andVanilla are certified

Only Vanilla is certified

Moroccan mint tea
containing: Mint, licorice -Only Mint is certified
Only Liquorice is certified
Both Mint and Liquorice
are certified

N/A

Chai Tea containing:
Black Tea (20%), cocoa
shells (8%), cocoa (5%),
cinnamon, cardamom,
ginger, cloves, white
pepper-Only Tea is certified
Only Cocoa is certified
Both Tea and Cocoa are
Certified
Cocoa and/or Tea, andany combination of
Herbs/Spices ingredientsare certified

Any combination of
Herbs/Spices ingredientsalone are certified, as
the tea content is >3%and the cocoa content is>3% of product volume(weight)

Herbal tea containing:
Lemongrass, fennel,
rooibos, banana (2%)-

Any ingredient alone iscertified
A combination of theingredients is certified-

No restrictions, since
banana content is <3%
product volume (weight).

-

No restrictions, sincecocoa content is <3%
product volume (weight)
and black tea (5%) isused as carrier material
for aroma-

Chocolate covered
coffee beans containing: Coffee, Chocolate
Vanilla ice cream with
Hazelnut containing:
Milk, sugar, vanilla,
hazelnut, salt

Chai Tea containing:
Cocoa (2,9%),cinnamon, cardamom,
ginger, roasted chicory,cloves, black pepper,
aroma, black tea ascarrier material (5%)

RA-P-SE-20-V1.2

-

-

-

-

Any ingredient alone iscertified
A combination of theingredients is certified

May NOT use the seal if:

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