Rainforest Alliance Research Partnerships

Photo credit: Sergio Izquierdo

The Rainforest Alliance supports independent research that tests specific hypotheses about the impact of our programs at the level of the household, farm, forest unit, watershed, and across landscapes. 

This support can take many different forms. We keep an up-to-date list of priority research topics (see below), which researchers or their graduate students can reference as they develop their studies. Sometimes we establish partnerships with universities or other research institutions; in these cases, we might provide substantive review, give logistical support, and/or help researchers acquire certain types of background data—for example, geospatial data. In other cases, a large multi-year training or certification project might have funds earmarked for impacts research, in which case the Rainforest Alliance will write Terms of Reference for the research and then commission a study from start to finish. 

Under each of these scenarios, the independence of the researcher is paramount. The Rainforest Alliance might assist with hypothesis development, logistical support, or interpretation of results, but we do not assist with data collection or analysis. Ultimately our priority is to support quality research that teaches us about the impacts and effectiveness of our programs—whatever the results might be. 

We suggest that researchers who are interested in collaborating with the Rainforest Alliance familiarize themselves with our Certification Program Theory of Change, as this describes our organization’s intended outcomes and impacts, and the mechanisms through which our certification program aims to achieve them. Please contact us with any questions about the Theory of Change. We also recommend reading ISEAL’s Guidance Note for Researchers, which describes some of the key definitions, considerations, and challenges for research on sustainability standards systems. 

Priority Research Topics

Below is a list of the Rainforest Alliance’s priority research topics for the agriculture sector, as of June 2022, grouped by outcome area. You may also download a PDF of the research topic list for printing. Please contact us with any questions about research partnerships.  

Biodiversity Conservation

  • Effects of Rainforest Alliance certification on deforestation, natural ecosystem encroachment, and restoration at both the farm- and landscape-level
  • Contribution of on-farm natural ecosystems to composition and structure (including connectivity) of habitats at a landscape level
  • Effects of certification on the size, configuration, health, and management regime of on-farm natural ecosystems, shade cover, and other native vegetation
  • Effects of certification on species assemblages (e.g., birds) on farms

Natural Resource Conservation

  • Aggregate effects (e.g., at watershed scale) of certification-prescribed best management practices on water quality and water flow (using modeling methodologies)
  • Effects of certification on net greenhouse gas emissions of agriculture
  • Effects of certification on key aspects of stream health on/around farms (erosion, sedimentation, eutrophication, agrochemical pollution, water flow regimes)

Farmer, Worker, and Family Well-being

  • Roles and effectiveness of different group administrator types in promoting the success & advancement of member farmers (e.g., training, support, marketing, revenue distribution, decision-making, transparency)
  • Effects of certification on worker wellbeing (e.g., wages, benefits, and health & safety) on smallholder farms. Requires documenting attributes of employment on smallholder farms.
  • Effects of certification on worker wellbeing (e.g., wages, benefits, and health & safety) on med/large farms. (Also relevant to understand labor relationships & characteristics [e.g., permanent vs seasonal, contracts, worker origins, unions])
  • Effects of certification on smallholder household assets and income (including income from focal crop[s], other crops, subsistence products, and other earnings)
  • Effects of certification on child wellbeing and development (incl. education levels, child labor, and opportunities)
  • Wellbeing and equality of, and opportunities for, women participating in Rainforest Alliance programs (certification or technical assistance)
  • The size and extent of sustainability differentials (price premiums), and the use of any such revenue
  • Effects of certification on the roles & effectiveness of farmer and worker organizations and collective action
  • Effects of certification on the design, implementation and effectiveness of due diligence and operational grievance mechanisms
  • Effectiveness of the Assess-and-Address approach in identifying and remediating child labor, forced labor, discrimination and workplace violence/harassment

Farm Productivity and Profitability

  • Effects of certification on the net income / profitability of production of focal crop(s)
  • Effects of certification on yield of focal crop(s) (potentially including assessment of variety, age, and regeneration status of perennial crops)
  • Cost/benefit of program participation for producers (looking at investment in sustainability improvements and/or in certification)
  • Effects of certification on product quality
  • Effects of certification on efficient or optimal use of farm inputs
  • Roles & effects of female participation in smallholder agriculture on farm productivity, quality, and income

Supply Chain

  • Rates of adoption of responsible business practices related to traceability and shared responsibility along the supply chain, and the effects of that adoption
  • Types of data used by supply chain actors, and the ways these data are used
  • Payment of sustainability differentials and sustainability investments by supply chain actors, and drivers/blockages in different sectors or regions

Cross-Cutting

  • Relation of certified lands to areas of high social or environmental value or risk
  • Spillover effect relative to specific sets of best management practices, i.e., the effects of interventions on nearby (non-participating) properties/land managers
  • Unintended consequences related to the implementation of certification or other Rainforest Alliance programs
  • Changes made in preparation for certification (which are not typically captured by evaluation or impact studies)
  • Level of producer satisfaction with participation in certification (or producers’ experience of participation) and contribution of different factors (e.g., productivity, training/support, price, environmental quality, health) to satisfaction
  • Effectiveness of training and support, i.e., the uptake of best management practices and increased farmer knowledge following training
  • Effects of certification on the resilience of farms and farming households to climate change and other shocks
  • Effects of certification on the quantity, type, and toxicity of applied agrochemicals, and effects on people & environment
  • Rates of implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, and their effects on outcomes related to the environment, worker health and farm economics

Learning / Research & Development

  • Barriers to adoption of specific best management practices required by the Rainforest Alliance standard (e.g., improved agrochemical management; riparian zone protection, waste management)
  • Key factors in farmer decision-making about shade canopy management (e.g., crop yield, pest management, wildlife conservation, and climate change resilience)
  • The effectiveness of data collection and risk assessment tools in helping certificate holders plan and manage their activities
  • The effectiveness of landscape interventions in fostering collaboration and preserving and restoring sustainable landscapes
  • The effectiveness of corporate advisory services in improving corporate sustainability programs and actions
  • The effectiveness of advocacy efforts in contributing to a positive enabling environment for sustainability in the government and corporate sectors