How To Get Training from the Rainforest Alliance

Following the publication of the key documents of the 2020 Certification Program, the Rainforest Alliance offers support to producers and businesses to implement the new program. The 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard includes Farm and Supply Chain Requirements, as well as rules on assurance and new technology systems.  

We at the Rainforest Alliance have developed a training program to facilitate a smooth transition process for farm and supply chain certificate holders, for certification bodies and to enable prospect certificate holders to join our certification program. It consists of a combination of e-courses, online sessions, and face-to-face trainings.   

Training: July 2020 and onward  

From the moment our standard came into force on 1 July 2020, the Rainforest Alliance has been providing all relevant stakeholders with information materials and training to be able to implement and be audited against the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard.  

Training packages include: 

• A thorough introduction to the principles and requirements of the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard, offered through an e-course in 10 languages. The course comes with the possibility to do several self-tests of your understanding of the standard requirements 
• Detailed training on specific standard requirements, highlighting the Rainforest Alliance standard version 1.3, Including guidance and deep-dive training to support certificate holders in the implementation of the standard, use of annexes and understanding the rules of the Rainforest Alliance certification program. 
• Guidance and training on the RACP for registration, certification/licensing, and traceability 
• Explanations of the Certification and Auditing Rules highlighting improvements to the assurance system 
• Access to further information and guidance materials to support the implementation of the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard and assurance system 

RAINFOREST ALLIANCE LEARNING NETWORK

The Rainforest Alliance Learning Network (RALN) is RA’s Learning Management System (LMS). Rainforest Alliance uses the RALN to facilitate learning on the Sustainable Agriculture Standard and many other themes across a wide range of target groups. The RALN hosts hundreds of pages for individual F2F and online training events as well as E-courses.

Regional training   

Our local teams in Latin America, Africa and Asia are developing targeted training programs to meet the specific needs of certificate holders in the context in which they work. To provide certificate holders in key countries with this tailored training, the Rainforest Alliance has also set up Associate Trainer Networks (ATNs).  

The Associate Trainers are selected and trained by the Rainforest Alliance to support current certificate holders and potential new members implement the new certification program. The Rainforest Alliance coordinates the work of the ATNs and monitors the quality of their training. The Associate Trainers are listed here so that interested organizations can contract them for support.  

TRAINING IN LATIN AMERICA   

The Latin America’s capacity to provide training services to farm, producers groups, and Supply Chain Certificate Holders in the implementation of the RA-2020 is concentrated in 26 people who function as a focal point in the different countries which are divide in 14 certification partner support officers and 12 Associate Trainers. 

The training is coordinated by training focal points in key countries for certification who are responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring country training plans and adjusting training materials for local needs. The training focal point is the first point of contact for questions and information about training in the country. 

The scope of the regional training plan is 14 countries: 8 countries in Mesoamerica: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Dominican Republic and 6 countries in South America: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina.   

The training methodologies used in the region to provide support to certificate holders include a combination of face to face and virtual training that are adjusted according to the identified needs, capacity and experience of each of the implementers in the certification program, as well as the most recent changes on the RA 2020 standard. 

To prepare for training, participants should read the Farm and/or Supply Chain Requirements, and Annexes to the 2020 Standard. Additional materials and case studies are provided during the training.    

For more details on Latin America training, please contact Juan Francisco Martinez. 

TRAINING IN AFRICA   

In Africa, the training schedule has been aligned with different crop cycles:    

• Training for Tea Certificate Holders is held throughout the year, and for Coffee Certificate Holders the training schedule follows more specific cycle 
• Training for Cocoa Certificate Holders usually starts in the first quarter of the year 

Initial trainings focus on the Farm (IMS) managers and Associate Trainers. In-depth trainings and support actions (member monitoring) target IMS staff. 

In most countries training is delivered face-to-face with the exception of a few virtual sessions targeting supply chain actors. Many trainings will be delivered in both English and French.   

Materials and resources including the Farm Requirements, Supply Chain Requirements, and Certification and Auditing Rules will be shared with the participants in advance so they can prepare for the training.  

For more details on the training in Africa, please contact Mark Njeru.

TRAINING IN ASIA/PACIFIC   

In APAC, Trainings of the Associate Trainers in Indonesia, Vietnam India, and Sri Lanka have taken place at an early stage. This enabled the training of IMS managers and staff during the year 2021. In 2022 more deep-dive courses will be rolled out to get a thorough understanding of the standard annexes and related tools. In 2023, Associate Trainers continue training activities in India, Sri Lanka as well as Turkey. In Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and China, RA trainers continue supporting Certificate Holders through training/learning interventions. 

Like in the other regions, sessions are both virtual and face-to-face. To prepare for training, participants should read the Farm and/or Supply Chain Requirements, and Annexes to the 2020 Standard. Additional materials and case studies will be provided during the training.  

For more details on the training in Asia Pacific, please contact Eldo Soplantila.