Like our organizational logo, the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal features a frog for a very good reason.

Frogs are indicator species, meaning that they are a symbol of environmental health, and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. Our green frog certification seal indicates that a farm, forest, or tourism enterprise has been audited to meet standards that require environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Thousands of products bearing the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal are found on shelves, in advertisements, and websites around the world.

For information on how to become certified or how to source products from certified farms or forestry operations, visit our business website.

Agriculture
In order to become certified, farms must meet criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard. The Standard encompasses all three pillars of sustainability—social, economic, and environmental. Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms are audited regularly to verify that farmers are complying with the Standard’s comprehensive requirements, which require continual improvement on the journey to sustainable agriculture. The Standard is built on these important principles of sustainable farming:

Biodiversity conservation
Improved livelihoods and human well-being
Natural resource conservation
Effective planning and farm management systems
For more information on the Sustainable Agriculture Standard and how Rainforest Alliance certification benefits communities, forests, and wildlife, read the SAN/Rainforest Alliance Impacts Report. Visit our business website for more information about what it means to be a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm.

The Rainforest Alliance and UTZ (a leading certification program for coffee, cocoa, tea, and hazelnuts) are merging! We will begin working to build our new organization in January 2018. The new organization will carry forward the Rainforest Alliance name. Visit our detailed Q&A to learn more about the merger.

Forestry
The Rainforest Alliance is one of the founding members of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), the largest sustainable forestry standard setter in the world. Products that bear the FSC mark and the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal are sourced from forests that:

Protect endangered species and forest areas of high conservation value
Set aside a portion of land as forest reserve
Provide workers with decent wages and protect their ability to organize
Follow FSC guidelines that determine how, when, and where timber and non-timber forest products are harvested
Respect the rights of local communities and indigenous people
You can find more information about our work to conserve forests here. For more information on what it means when you see the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal on forestry products, visit our business website.

As of October 1, 2018, the Rainforest Alliance transitioned its certification business, including all related services, staff, and clients to its long-time partner, Nature Economy and People Connected (NEPCon). Learn more about NEPCon’s FSC certification program.

Tourism
Proprietors of tourism businesses, including lodging services and inbound tour operators, who demonstrate they are minimizing their environmental footprint and supporting workers, local cultures, and surrounding communities may also be eligible for using the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal. Third-party audits and certification by NEPCon confirm these businesses meet tourism criteria, which are recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. The criteria require:

Protection of nearby ecosystems
Wise use of natural resources
Climate change mitigation
Benefits to the social and cultural development of surrounding communities
See our listing of Rainforest Alliance Certified hotels and tour operators and plan your sustainable getaway!