FAQ: the New Rainforest Alliance Certification Seal

This new seal is part of our vibrant new brand identity and represents a major milestone for us, following the 2018 merger between the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, and the development of our new organizational strategy.

Our mission is to create a better future for people and nature by making responsible business the new normal. Working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests, our alliance is all about changing the way the world produces, sources, and consumes. By bringing diverse allies together, we can create the positive change we all want to see. Our new 2020 Certification Program is a step forward on that journey. A fresh, modernized seal, with a sleeker and more dynamic frog on product packaging, will show consumers that they can be part of this force for good by making better purchasing choices.

Our green frog seal is a simple visual that helps consumers make better purchasing choices. It shows them that farmers and companies are taking steps to make their products more sustainable—for the benefit of people and nature alike. The seal represents our vision of sustainability as a journey of continuous improvement—one where transparency and shared responsibility can help us build a world where people and nature thrive in harmony. This seal adds credibility to your brand by offering an independent, third-party endorsement of the steps you are taking to source and produce your products more responsibly. Read more on our website and in our one-sheet .

We developed several design options for the new seal, each reflecting our vision, mission, and values. We held two company consultations—one in the briefing phase and another before the final consumer test—to understand the needs of our partners. In addition, we conducted several quantitative and qualitative tests with consumers on the potential language and visuals in order to choose the most appealing option.

All three marks (the new seal, the old Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, and the UTZ label) belong to one and the same family—the Rainforest Alliance. The new seal is a vital part of our vibrant new brand identity and represents a major milestone for us, following the 2018 merger between the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, and the development of our new organizational strategy. With this sleeker, more dynamic frog, we take the next important step on our journey of continuous improvement towards a better future for people and nature.

The new seal was developed in close cooperation with companies, followed by both qualitative and quantitative consumer testing.

• The new seal reflects the key takeaways from our consultations with companies. Namely, the need for: a modernized, yet simple, design; continued high brand equity and recognition; and new language—’People & Nature’—to better communicate our broad organizational perspective.
• The new seal also reflects what consumers are looking for: better understanding of the Rainforest Alliance mission; a favorable emotional response and positive effect on purchase intention; and high seal recognition.
• Finally, the new seal better reflects the new strategy of the Rainforest Alliance—representing our vision of sustainability as a journey of continuous improvement, based on the values of transparency and shared responsibility.

Our new seal says more about what we stand for as an organization and better represents the Rainforest Alliance mission: creating a better future for people and nature by making responsible business the new normal. That mission does not begin and end with certification alone. “People and Nature” reflects our vision of sustainability as a journey of continuous improvement that benefits both humans and nature.  Conversely, “certified” could imply that a company has already come to the end of that journey.

Yes, you can still use the word “certified” in your messaging. For more information and examples, visit “How to Talk about the Rainforest Alliance“.

Yes, the new seal can be used on product packaging and promotional materials as of September 1, 2020. Any use of the new seal will also have to be approved in accordance with the new Rainforest Alliance Labeling & Trademarks Policy and the Rainforest Alliance Seal Graphic Guidelines published in May 2020.

Organizations and entities such as publishers, journalists and NGOs may use our seal. We request that they send it to us at customersuccess@ra.org for us to review it for them, but the review is not mandatory given the independent nature of the press. They also do not need to register in our systems as they are not buying or selling Rainforest Alliance certified products.

Yes, in a few selected markets, where frogs are culturally unacceptable for use on products, we offer a version of our certification seal that does not include a frog.  Use of this version is not compulsory in these markets, and users in these cases are free to select the version that is most appropriate for their use.

Note: use of the non-frog version of the seal on promotional materials is only allowed if  a) the non-frog seal is also used on-pack, and b) the materials are referring to products for consumption in those selected markets.

Please check section 8.1 of the Rainforest Alliance Labeling & Trademarks Policy for more information.

Product packaging with the new Rainforest Alliance seal can be sold as of September 1, 2020. December 31, 2022 is the last day when artwork related to the old Rainforest Alliance seal or UTZ label can still be submitted. While we allow for this two-year transition period, we encourage companies to change over to the new Rainforest Alliance seal at their earliest convenience. See  Timelines for new Rainforest Alliance seal use on Coffee, Tea, Banana, Hazelnut, Flower, Fruit, Juice, Palm & Coconut Oil and Herbs & Spices Products for more information.

Please note the  accelerated timelines for cocoa products.

We encourage companies to join our movement and change over to the new Rainforest Alliance certification seal at your earliest convenience. By changing to the new seal you can:

• Enjoy the competitive advantage of being a frontrunner in creating a more sustainable future;
• Benefit from our consumer-focused activities during the Follow the Frog campaign in September;
• Benefit from public and media interest in the new seal;
• Enjoy easy implementation with guidance, materials, and messaging templates for the new seal.

The new certification seal replaces the current Rainforest Alliance Certified seal and UTZ label. However, the implementation of the new seal and the phasing out of the two current marks will take some time. In practice, this means that the three marks will co-exist in the market in the coming period. Although they look different, they are all part of the one Rainforest Alliance family, and represent our vision of sustainability as a journey of continuous improvement.
With the new Rainforest Alliance seal, we take the next important step in this journey towards a better future for people and nature.

We encourage companies to join our movement and to change over to the new Rainforest Alliance seal at the earliest convenience.

For as long as the three seals co-exist, we will continue to offer marketing support for brands and products carrying each of these seals.

For more information on timelines for the new seal implementation visit:

• Timelines for new Rainforest Alliance seal use on Cocoa.
• Timelines for new Rainforest Alliance seal use on Coffee, Tea, Banana, Hazelnut, Flower, Fruit, Juice, Palm & Coconut Oil and Herbs & Spices. 

Yes, the same Rainforest Alliance Labeling & Trademarks Policy will apply to all businesses buying and selling from Rainforest Alliance certified farms, including the farms themselves.

We offer guidance, tips, and a communication toolkit for partner companies to help communicate the transition to the new seal to consumers.

Throughout the year we are continuously raising awareness about the new seal across our social media channels and website. During our annual Follow the Frog campaign, from September 27 – October 3, 2021,  we will help consumers further familiarize themselves with our new seal, and understand the meaning.

Additionally, we are working on a new consumer engagement strategy to increase consumer participation and engagement with the Rainforest Alliance brand and increase awareness around the new seal.

Yes, even if their current one is still valid, companies need to sign the new License Agreement (2020 Version) in order to receive the official approval and be able to download an approval letter from Marketplace. For more details, please check the answer to the question: “What is the process of signing a new License Agreement?”.

1. Sign into Marketplace and click on “Legal Agreements” on the left-hand side;
2. Click on “New”, review or correct your company’s information, select your legal entity and click “Send”;
3. Within a few business days, you will receive an email with the license agreement to review and sign;
4. Sign, scan, and follow the link in the email (or select the license agreement request in Marketplace) and click “Update”;
5. Click “Upload File”, upload your signed agreement and click “Send”;
6. We’ll email you the countersigned agreement for your records, and the high-resolution artwork files of the new Rainforest Alliance seal – as well as your newly valid license agreement – will be available for you to download.

Yes, companies can already download the new seal’s Labeling & Trademarks Policy and Graphics Guidelines to learn about using the new seal. Beginning in June, companies will be able to download the new certification seal from Marketplace (under “Seal Download” in the “Trademarks & Labeling” area) while the process of signing a new License Agreement is under way. Artwork request can be submitted before the License Agreement is signed, but the requests can’t be approved until the new License Agreement is finalized.

Materials can be submitted on Marketplace for review and approval in the beginning of June 2020 after the new Artwork Approval Request form is available. While companies need to sign a new License Agreement in order to receive official approval, after the new form is available, companies can submit their materials while the process of signing a new License Agreement is under way. The submissions won’t be officially approved until the new License Agreement is finalized. Note that products with the new seal may only be sold from September 1, 2020 onwards.

All public materials should be submitted in our Marketplace portal for review and approval prior to being launched/printed.

To Upload Artwork for Approval:

• Log on to Marketplace 2.0
• Create a new brand* by clicking on “Organization Profile” in the left sidebar and select “Brands”, then “Add Brand”. Fill out the required information and click “Save”;
• Create an output product* by clicking on “Organization Profile” in the left sidebar and select “Output Products”, then “Product”. Fill out the required information and click “Save”;

Click on “Request” to access the Approval Request form OR visit “Trademarks & Labeling” in the left sidebar, select “Approval Requests” and then click the “Request” button;

• Fill out the required information, upload your artwork, and click “Send”;
• We’ll receive this immediately and respond within 10 business days. You’ll receive an email when your artwork has been reviewed or approved.

*New brands only need to be created once and new output products once for each new format.

All product packaging and promotional materials with the new seal need to be uploaded to Marketplace 2.0 for approval. When using the new seal, the new Rainforest Alliance Labeling & Trademarks Policy and the Rainforest Alliance Seal Graphic Guidelines need to be followed and changes made accordingly.

Please be reassured, you are not required to take cocoa products with the old Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or the UTZ label off the shelf from September 1, 2020. Mindful of both costs and the environment, we will allow a six-month transition period to finish selling off existing packaging, and to gradually phase out the old seal, before using new packaging with the new seal becomes mandatory. By March 1, 2021, cocoa products with the either the old seal or label should be off the market.

If your company requires additional time to sell off products using existing packaging, the Rainforest Alliance may grant an extension to December 31, 2021 on the condition that your company signs a new License Agreement (granting the right to use Rainforest Alliance marks) by March 1, 2021. More information will be forthcoming in Q2 2020.

For any company with over 500 cocoa product SKUs in the market as of June 1, 2020 with the legacy Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or the UTZ label on pack, we recognize your intent to transition as many of these SKUs as possible to the new Rainforest Alliance Certified seal by December 31, 2021. Given the potential difficulty of transitioning this number of SKUs and provided the company has executed a License Agreement (2020 Version) with Rainforest Alliance, the Rainforest Alliance will permit 15% of these SKUs to carry the legacy seal or label until December 31, 2022, when all products must be fully transitioned to the new Rainforest Alliance Certified seal.

Retailers selling third-party branded products with the old Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or UTZ label will not be required to remove products from shelves.

The new cocoa requirements will apply to any company using the seal, including retailers. The strength of the new Rainforest Alliance certification seal is supported by compliance with the new requirements across the entire supply chain, from farm to shelf. All supply chain actors will need to comply with the new requirements, which will be enforced through the certification and licensing processes.

Your company will need to sign the new License Agreement (2020 Version) prior to getting official approval of your labeling designs. We will extend transparency for certified supply chains to all brand owners (including retailers) in our future traceability system.

Provided that any new additional rules applicable to the relevant supply chain actor have been complied with, the new Rainforest Alliance certification seal can be applied to products using cocoa from farms certified under the old UTZ or Rainforest Alliance programs or the new Rainforest Alliance program. If the cocoa has been sold to a first buyer and is an existing cocoa volume in the Rainforest Alliance traceability system, then it can be used for labeled products (with the new seal) that have already been contracted. UTZ and Rainforest Alliance cocoa being stored by supply chain actors after the first buyer stage can be used for the new seal, again subject to compliance with the new rules applicable at the time of seal-use approval.

Mass balance credits from the current UTZ and Rainforest Alliance certification programs will expire on their current expiration date or three years from October 1, 2020, whichever comes first. These credits can be used for products with the new seal in accordance with the rules and requirements for using the new seal. Mass balance credits from the current Rainforest Alliance program include the country of origin and must follow origin-matching rules as of October 1, 2020. Mass balance credits from the UTZ program that do not include the country of origin can be applied outside of the origin-matching rules, adhering to all other mass balance rules.

Any UTZ or Rainforest Alliance mass balance credits entering the supply chain on October 1, 2020 or later will expire two years after entering the supply chain. Mass balance cocoa credits for the new Rainforest Alliance program will also have an expiration time of two years.

The strength of the new Rainforest Alliance certification seal is supported by compliance with the new requirements across the entire supply chain, from farm to shelf. All supply chain actors will need to comply with the new requirements, which will be enforced through the certification and licensing processes.

Requirements that must be met can be found here and will be made auditable through the policy document found here. This will be applicable both for Code of Conduct, Standard, and Chain of Custody audits within the scope outlined in the document.

We recognize that it takes time for cocoa to move through the supply chain and that cocoa purchased from certified farms in October 2020 will likely not be used in products in October 2020. The new Rainforest Alliance certification seal represents the new Rainforest Alliance cocoa program and the intention of companies using the seal to adhere to the new program requirements. It follows, therefore, that certified cocoa purchased before October 1, 2020 can be used in products with the new seal. Adherence to the new program will be confirmed through audits at the farm and chain of custody level, through our traceability system and our license approval mechanism.

On March 1, 2021, using product packaging with the new seal becomes mandatory for cocoa-based products.

Please be reassured, you are not required to take products with the old Rainforest Alliance seal or the UTZ label off the shelf starting September 1, 2020. Conscious of costs and the environment, we allow a six month period to finish selling off existing packaging, and to gradually phase out the old seal, before using packaging with the new seal becomes mandatory.

If your company requires additional time to sell off products using existing packaging, the Rainforest Alliance may grant an extension to December 31, 2021 on the condition that your company signs a new License Agreement (granting the right to use Rainforest Alliance marks) by March 1, 2021. More information will be forthcoming in Q2 2020.

For any company with over 500 cocoa product SKUs in the market as of June 1, 2020 with the legacy Rainforest Alliance Certified seal or the UTZ label on pack, we recognize your intent to transition as many of these SKUs as possible to the new Rainforest Alliance Certified seal by December 31, 2021. Given the potential difficulty of transitioning this number of SKUs and provided the company has executed a License Agreement (2020 Version) with Rainforest Alliance, the Rainforest Alliance will permit 15% of these SKUs to carry the legacy seal or label until December 31, 2022, when all products must be fully transitioned to the new Rainforest Alliance Certified seal.

Retailers selling third-party branded products with the old Rainforest Alliance seal or UTZ label will not be required to remove products from shelves.

Requests received in the last 6 weeks, and currently in the status “changes required”  have a 3 week window within which to resubmit and gain approval.  After this time (EOD Sept 21), we will not review or respond to any further requests to use the old Rainforest Alliance seal on cocoa products. Requests which were submitted prior to July 16, 2020 and changes were required, won’t be taken into account anymore.

Requests received in the last 6 weeks, and currently in the status “denied”  have a 3 week window within which to resubmit and gain approval.  After this time (EOD Sept 21), we will not review or respond to any further requests to use the UTZ label on cocoa products. Requests which were submitted prior to July 16, 2020 and changes were denied, won’t be taken into account anymore.

If you’re a company sourcing only UTZ certified coffee and hazelnut, you should already have a Marketplace account, and with it you will have access to the new certification seal, License Agreement, and new approval form from the beginning of June 2020. If you need help logging in, please contact us at customersuccess@ra.org. If you’re a company that sources certified UTZ cocoa, tea, and herbal ingredients, we will automatically generate an account for you in Marketplace. You will receive a welcome email with your username and a link to establish your password by mid-June 2020. If you registered with UTZ after June 2020, you should have received your login credentials for Marketplace several days after your registration. Thank you for your patience with this process. If you have any questions, please contact us at customersuccess@ra.org.

No. The new seal represents all of the certification programs we include. That means companies sourcing and selling only UTZ certified products so far do not need to comply with mutual recognition requirements (such as the Chain of Custody Risk Assessment) to use the new Rainforest Alliance certification seal.

No, the new Rainforest Alliance seal represents all of the certification programs we include. This means companies sourcing and selling only UTZ certified products so far do not need to complete a pre-merger Rainforest Alliance CRA, nor have to comply with mutual recognition requirements, to use the new seal.

We encourage companies to changeover to the new Rainforest Alliance certification seal at their earliest convenience.

However, to support companies sourcing UTZ certified products transition to and getting accustomed to being part of the Rainforest Alliance, we have a temporary corporate logo available.

This “UTZ Part of the Rainforest Alliance” logo may be used by companies when making a broad or corporate level claim off pack about purchases of UTZ certified materials. Examples are: “We work with the Rainforest Alliance to source products from UTZ certified farms” or “We support more sustainable cocoa farming by sourcing UTZ certified cocoa.” It may also be used for off-pack claims about projects with UTZ certified farms.

The “UTZ Part of the Rainforest Alliance” logo cannot be used on product packaging.

Please check the guidelines for use.