Some things about Rainforest Alliance certification
Rainforest Alliance (RFA) was born as a rescue solution for farmers. Let’s take a look at some characteristics of the RFA organization and Rainforest Alliance certification with 43 Factory Coffee Roaster!
What is Rainforest Alliance( RFA)?
What is the Rainforest Alliance (RFA)?
The Rainforest Alliance is a non-governmental organization, founded in the early 1990s. This organization has an important mission to integrate efficient agricultural production, conserve biodiversity and ensure the well-being of the people. sustainable development by transforming land-use practices, promoting business and consumer behavior.
In addition, Rainforest Alliance focuses on fully exploiting market forces as part of its strategy. The purpose of this work is to help identify the main drivers of deforestation and environmental destruction. Moreover, rational logging, expanding agricultural cultivation, raising livestock and promoting tourism are also among the long-term development goals of this organization.
Rainforest Alliance helps to produce agriculture efficiently, conserve biodiversity
Origin of Rainforest Alliance Certification
When did the Rainforest Alliance certification appear?
From the late 1980s to the 1990s, the world suffered a serious crisis of deforestation and environmental pollution at an alarming rate. Add to that the sudden depletion of the ozone layer and encircling climate change.
The above crisis was a great impetus for environmentalist Daniel Katz to convene high-ranking officials from different countries to attend an emergency conference in 1986. Daniel’s brainchild – RFA was then formed. as an NGO with a noble mission: to recognize climate change as the root, the evil seed of countless difficult situations, respectively leading to food shortages, widespread poverty, and widespread poverty in rural areas and farmers.
By 1989, the Rainforest Alliance certification had rapidly developed and introduced several sustainable forestry standards, aimed at encouraging forest conservation around the world; It was not until 1992 that the organization began to provide certification to individual and cooperative farms, starting with two banana farms. The first coffee farm was officially recognized in 1995. Currently, the Rainforest Alliance certification has officially recognized 194,000 qualified coffee farmers and more than 286,461 specialty coffee farmers according to the criteria of the RFA. Currently, the organization has spread to 70 countries.
RFA certification coffee
Rainforest Alliance Certification Criteria
Farm management
The first criterion focuses on productivity, efficiency for both small and large-scale farms, and those managed by a small team. There are also regulations on leadership representation in relation to gender and age, and requirements for assessment of damages as well as accountability in claims disputes, distribution of funds, resources, training, etc. create, etc.
Income
These standards focus on a subsistence income, the payment of sustainability imbalances to farmers, and transparency in relation to partner investments in improvement schemes across sites. participating camp.
Source
Farms must be able to provide legal documentation and accurate yield estimates.
Farming practices
Standards related to farm operations include cultivation techniques and crop rotation, pruning, proper use of fertilizers, scientific application of agrochemicals and controlled pesticides. safety regulations, training and implementation of harvesting and post-harvest procedures for maximum yield.
Human right
This regulation prohibits child and forced labor, as well as violence or harassment in the workplace. Employees who have worked continuously for 3 consecutive months are entitled to a labor contract. Furthermore, the Rainforest Alliance certification upholds the rights of workers and requires basic conditions for workers, such as safe housing and sanitary conditions.
Environment
The key point of the Rainforest Alliance certification is the intersection of all of the above criteria and a set of standards for environmental protection. These certification requirements encourage action to conserve endangered species, implement reforestation projects, increase energy efficiency in farms and factories, save water,…
Why should we apply Rainforest Alliance certification standards to agriculture?
Demand for sustainable agriculture is an inevitable trend. Climate change issues are putting great pressure on global natural ecosystems, threatening agricultural production systems and biodiversity. About ¼ of the total amount of pollutant emitted into the environment due to agricultural and forestry activities, indiscriminate deforestation, agricultural emissions from livestock activities are taking place every day. Optimizing crop yields on farmland while optimizing crop yields farmland is a top urgent issue.
Agriculture is not considered sustainable if farmers are always living in poverty, not enjoying labor rights and basic human rights. On the contrary, sustainable agriculture has always put the issue of improving the income of production organizations, the source of labor, as well as the equal rights and opportunities of all being given priority.
The appearance of Rainforest Alliance certification marked a huge turning point for agriculture in general and Specialty coffee farming in particular. Since its inception, RFA has always ensured the development of comprehensive approaches that are perfectly suited to the challenges facing sustainable agriculture. The Rainforest Alliance certification has had a profound impact on bringing sustainability management practices to the forefront of business thinking and needs to be further developed to deliver great value.
Since its inception, the Rainforest Alliance has successfully completed its tasks and missions, helping the world’s agriculture make breakthrough improvements, stepping out of the quagmire of crisis for a while. It can be said that the Rainforest Alliance certification is one of the most prestigious and standard certifications for specialty coffee.
43 Factory Coffee Roaster is proud to be a Rainforest Alliance certified enterprise, producing quality coffee products, ensuring biodiversity and global sustainability.