Rainforest Alliance
Farms are audited for environmental and labour standards, but there's no guaranteed minimum price.
- Supportive: it improves the score but isn't proof on its own
What it is
Rainforest Alliance (which merged with UTZ) certifies farms growing cocoa, coffee, tea and more. Farms are checked against rules on the environment, child labour and working conditions, and buyers pay a small 'sustainability differential'.
What it checks
- Rules against child and forced labour, with a system to find and fix cases
- Basic working conditions on farms
- A sustainability differential paid to farmers
What it doesn't
- No minimum price, so farmers' incomes can stay very low
- Investigations have found child labour on certified farms
Brands with Rainforest Alliance
Whittaker'sNo living wage proof · Chocolate & cocoa · Chocolate blocksPoorPartly verifiedLindtPoverty wages likely · Chocolate & cocoa · Premium Swiss chocolatePoorPartly verifiedLiptonDocumented worker abuse · Tea · Mass-market black and herbal teaPoorPartly verifiedHaigh's ChocolatesPoverty wages likely · Chocolate & cocoa · Premium bean-to-bar chocolatePoorPartly verifiedWoolworths own brand teaPoverty wages likely · Tea · Supermarket own-brand teabagsPoorPartly verifiedTwiningsDocumented worker abuse · Tea · Mass-market tea and herbal infusionsPoorPartly verifiedNestlé (KitKat)Documented worker abuse · Chocolate & cocoa · Mass-market chocolate bars and confectioneryPoorPartly verified