RA-Cert Announces New Collaboration with UTZ

Press Release.

January 22, 2016

RA-Cert, the auditing arm of the Rainforest Alliance, has announced a new collaboration agreement with UTZ, a program and label for sustainable farming. In this new agreement, RA-Cert has become an UTZ certification body, which can conduct UTZ stand-alone and combined UTZ/SAN (Sustainable Agriculture Network) audits and certifications in sustainable coffee, cocoa and team production in select countries across South America, Asia and Africa. In Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, RA-Cert can now offer combined UTZ/ SAN audits only. In an effort to keep costs down, auditors must check requirements for both UTZ and SAN standards in one visit. RA-Cert will conduct UTZ stand-alone audits only of farms that are already Rainforest Alliance Certified™ to current SAN standards.

RA-Cert is the auditing division of the Rainforest Alliance responsible for conducting audits to current SAN standards. Farms that meet with these standards are “Rainforest Alliance Certified” and can use the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal. RA-Cert services play an integral role in helping the Rainforest Alliance achieve its mission of conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods. UTZ is a strong proponent of combined auditing and has been promoting this since its inception. UTZ and the RA-Cert believe combined auditing is not only more credible and scalable, it also promotes cost efficiency, ultimately reducing costs for producers.

About RA-Cert and the Rainforest Alliance

RA-Cert is a leading global certification body, providing certification and assurance services in the areas of forestry, agriculture, tourism and carbon/climate. In agriculture, RA-Cert audits to the standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network. RA-Cert is the auditing division of the Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods. For more information: www.rainforest-alliance.org

About UTZ

UTZ is a program and label for sustainable farming. Sustainable farming helps farmers, workers and their families to fulfill their ambitions and contributes to safeguarding the earth’s natural resources, now and in the future. The mission of UTZ is to create a world where sustainable farming is the norm; where famers implement good agricultural practices and manage their farms profitably with respect for people and planet, industry invests in and rewards sustainable production and consumers can enjoy and trust the products they buy. For more information: www.utz.org