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Home » Commodities » Cocoa

Cocoa

Photo credit: Nice & Serious

The Rainforest Alliance is strengthening its pioneering cocoa certification program, which is the world’s largest scale initiative to drive more sustainable cocoa farming. Key priorities of the cocoa strategy are assurance, shared responsibility, supply chain transparency, and profitability and resilience.

With the support of the cocoa industry, the Rainforest Alliance is taking this unprecedented action to facilitate greater accountability and oversight in the cocoa sector. The organization’s goal is to improve the economic, social, and environmental conditions of the cocoa industry – beginning with the millions of smallholder farmers in the first mile of cocoa production.

Quick Links


Moving the Strengthened Cocoa Assurance Plan to Phase 3

Phase 3 of our Cocoa Assurance Plan invites new groups from West Africa to become certified, provides an updated policy for farm and supply chain certification, and further addresses farm encroachment in protected areas and deforestation.

Your Questions, Answered: Measures to Strengthen the Cocoa Sector 2020

This Q&A has been developed to provide guidance to certificate holders and certification bodies with regards to the Measures to Strengthen the Cocoa Sector.

Policy for Farm and Supply Chain Certification in Cocoa

This policy sets out specific implementation requirements for certificate holders at both producer and supply chain actor levels (Certification Criteria) and for reinforcing the assurance process (Assurance Process Rules).

Audit Allocation System: Implementation in Ivory Coast and Ghana

Information about a new approach we will implement in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana beginning in June 2020 to strengthen assurance of our certification system.

Must Reads


Organizational Updates

Cocoa: Origin Matching Mass Balance Timelines

Farmer poverty is an enduring issue in the cocoa sector. Our 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard addresses this critical issue from many angles, including the introduction of Origin Matching Mass Balance in cocoa.

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Help Center

Understanding the Sustainability Differential in Cocoa

Our 2020 Certification Program includes two financial requirements for the buyers of Rainforest Alliance Certified commodities: the Sustainability Differential (SD) and Sustainability Investments (SI). For cocoa, we will require a minimum SD of $70 per MT as of July 2022.

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Help Center

Full Mutual Recognition

An explanation of the Rainforest Alliance full mutual recognition to ensure traceability.

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All resources for Cocoa


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Terms & Conditions

Rainforest Alliance Terms And Conditions

This document provides the terms and conditions that apply to producers who register in the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP).... View more

Published on December 20, 2023
Available in: English

Terms & Conditions

Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (“RACP”) Terms and Conditions

This document provides the terms and conditions that apply to supply chain actors who register in the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP).... View more

Published on December 20, 2023
Available in: English

Policies and rules

EUDR Data Sharing Policy

The European Union (EU) has introduced the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), including requirements on deforestation for some products that are imported into the EU. Rainforest Alliance certified... View more

Published on December 19, 2023
Available in: English

Terms & Conditions

Rainforest Alliance License Agreement General Terms and Conditions

View more

Published on December 12, 2023
Available in: English

One sheets

Rainforest Alliance Certification: A Crucial Step to EUDR Compliance

The race is on to meet the requirements of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) by December 30, 2024—and certified coffee and cocoa companies can consider the Rainforest... View more

Published on November 27, 2023
Available in: English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese

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Explainers

How the Rainforest Alliance Supports EUDR Compliance from Farm to Retailer

Find out how our systems and offerings are primed to help certified cocoa and coffee supply chain partners show compliance with EUDR requirements.

Published on November 27, 2023

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