A Life in Balance with the Environment

Reynaldo Ochoa is an inspiration to the people of Manu in the Peruvian rainforest. He has dedicated his life to living in balance with his environment. By encouraging farmers to adopt responsible practices and enabling families to grow fresh organic produce, he is helping to forge a sustainable future for his community.  “It was clear that we needed to change our way of life. To think more about our future,” explains Reynaldo.

Across the region, Reynaldo helps farmers to plant trees alongside their crops—enabling the forest to regenerate and improving the quality of the soil. “Without trees the earth becomes barren and our crops will not grow,” says Reynaldo. “The trees we plant provide shade, absorb carbon from the air and put nutrients into the soil.”

In 2008, Reynaldo began a bio-garden program to show local families how to grow their own vegetables year round—to date, he has started over 350 gardens and planted more than 30,000 trees. Today, members of his community have an improved diet and a supplemental source of income through the sale of excess produce.

Reynaldo works with the CREES Foundation based at the Manu Learning Centre. A Rainforest Alliance Verified^TM lodge and research station in the heart of the Amazon, Manu is one of the most eco-friendly centers in the Amazon region. Hotels and tourism businesses that have completed the Rainforest Alliance’s sustainability training are eligible to earn Rainforest Alliance Verified status.

 

Is This the End of Indonesian Deforestation?

Early this month, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP)—a colossal forestry company that has been broadly criticized for its contribution to deforestation and social conflict in Indonesia—announced a zero deforestation policy that could seriously slow the tide of deforestation in the Southeast Asian country.

For more than a decade, global nonprofit organizations including Greenpeace and the Rainforest Alliance have campaigned against APP for its harmful practices and attempted to work with the behemoth to transform its operations. According to Mongabay:

The concern [about the current declaration] are based on APP’s past performance: over the past decade it egregiously broke high profile agreements with WWF and the Rainforest Alliance to preserve areas designated as high-conservation value. APP also missed three self-imposed targets for phasing out logging of natural forests in Sumatra since 2005 and has engaged in a clumsy public relations strategy.

So what makes this commitment different? According to Reece Turner, head campaigner at Greenpeace, in an interview for The Wire:

It’s important to recognize that Asia Pulp and Paper have made statements that they would end clearing of forests in the past but they were always for future dates…This time, they’ve made an announcement they’ve stopped clearing as of last week. There will be no more natural forests being converted and cleared into plantations. They have opened themselves up to greater transparency, invited nongovernmental organizations in the participation of insuring that they do that.

Richard Donavan, senior vice president of the Rainforest Alliance, told The Wire that he was cautiously optimistic about the company’s commitment.

We think that the new policy they’ve put on the table and negotiated with a number of other parties is a positive step. What really matters is how the actions in the field match those commitments and that’s what we will all be watching.

Donovan also believes that the market for sustainable forestry products has grown, making APP’s commitment more credible.

I do think the marketplace has changed. And sometimes those marketplace dynamics take a while to change. They don’t change overnight. And so I think there’s a greater possibility for success now than there’s ever been. But I think we all have to be really focused in making sure that there’s scrutiny [and] that there’s independence.

Listen to the full interview with Donovan and Reece on The Wire, and read Mongabay’s comprehensive overview of the issues surrounding Asia Pulp and Paper.

Interview with Daniel Katz: “King of the Eco Warriors”

At the age of 24, Daniel Katz co-founded the Rainforest Alliance. Twenty-five years later, he reflects on the organization’s past, future, struggles and achievements.  

This piece has been shortened and reprinted with permission from the  Urban Times.

What inspired you to found the Rainforest Alliance in 1986?

I didn’t actually aspire to start an organization; I only wanted to help out. I learned about the deforestation taking place in tropical forests while in college and remember saying, corny as it sounds, that if there was ever a way I could help give a voice to the people, plants and animals of the rainforest, I would do so. Some twenty-six years later, I’m still at it. Sadly, I can’t say: mission accomplished.

What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud that the Rainforest Alliance continues to work with integrity. It’s not immediately obvious on a website or webinar, but inside the organization, the senior leaders of the organization are keenly aware that the issues come first, not the ego. We know that we can’t compromise the organization’s principles and that we need to do our very best to walk our talk. Yes, it’s true that nothing is ever absolutely perfect. But the Rainforest Alliance really does try to pair the long view with the detailed one: we focus on every single farm and every single family as if they were the most important.

We also place far more emphasis and money in the areas where we work than on convincing others with media campaigns. I’m proud that our hearts and minds are still in the right place.

What do you say to people who accuse Rainforest Alliance of “green washing”?

I’ve never had anyone accuse me of “green washing.” I have tracked green washing in the United States for years, and seen when little to no effort is taken by a company to “go green” while expending great resources to tout its grand environmental claims. When we work with companies, we do so with eyes wide open and after all of these years, I think we are pretty good at knowing who is sincerely trying to help and who is not.

I’m also an optimistic believer that the world can be a better place and that we are all going to need to do better to get there, since according to the United States Supreme Court, even corporations are now considered “people.”  I have no problems at all engaging with companies that authentically want to make change for the better. The ones that are “phoning it in” almost always show their colors immediately. I guess we may always have detractors who say working with companies is plain wrong. I respect that opinion but disagree with it. We all need to be working on solutions, and as a believer in redemption, I think business can change for the better. Once it does, then we are all further along on the way to supporting a sustainable planet.

What do you say to people who criticize Rainforest Alliance because farmers are not necessarily encouraged to “go organic”?

We don’t tell farmers what to do. We don’t tell anyone what to do. Working with hundreds of folks from where ever we are, we collectively develop standards and criteria around best practices.

[Editor's note: On Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, the most dangerous pesticides are prohibited and all agrochemical use is strictly regulated. Farmers must use mechanical and biological pest controls where possible and strive to reduce both the toxicity and quantity of chemicals used. Many Rainforest Alliance Certified farms are also organic.]

How far does Rainforest Alliance differ from your original vision?

Because I didn’t actually set out to create an organization, I didn’t have a long-term organizational vision at the outset. I have always hoped that one day I could lock the office door and say, “we are done here, the forests and their inhabitants are all healthy, happy and safe.” I knew that was unrealistic but that was the plan. One constant has been certification: it was one of our original tools when we started working on forestry certification in 1988-1989 and, 25 years later, we are still using it to guide our conservation activities.

How would you define your leadership style?

My leadership style? I’m a collaborator, a builder, an entrepreneur. I prefer to work with those who are self-starters. But Tensie Whelan is now the president of the Rainforest Alliance and she is awesome! I ran the Rainforest Alliance for 14 years and am the board chair; in that capacity I do not have day-to-day responsibilities at the organization.

Who, in particular, are the worst culprits in the corporate world?

As Dr. Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, said at the Rainforest Alliance’s first international conference in 1987, the worst culprits are ignorance, poverty and greed.

What are the biggest obstacles we must overcome?

I think in order to be successful more of the organizations working on environmental issues need to drop the ego and the belief that they do the best work on the planet. No one organization is going to save the world.

We also have to stop measuring groups by budget and membership size and instead measure only by how well they/we are moving the lever toward sustainability. In the United States alone there are over 16,000 nonprofit groups working on environmental issues. I believe the days of the narrow vertical nonprofit are coming to an end and that we need more, much more, authentic collaboration. That means sharing a larger vision (even if we agree to disagree about specifics), a road map and following them until our goal is reached. Of course, the goal may change and the destination may evolve, but we all have to be able to envision the kind of world we want to live in. Most importantly, we have to know HOW we are going to get there. If we don’t get the HOW part of it, we’ll always be hoping against hope to create a world we don’t know how to build.

Tell us your favorite Rainforest Alliance related story.

My favorite Rainforest Alliance story? No one has ever asked me that! Back in 1987 we worked with seven radio stations across the country on a 12-hour radiothon to raise money for conservation. We raised nearly $400,000 through thousands of small donations and during those 12 hours almost every major rock band either came on live, called in or sent of a message of support. It was super cool!

Some believe that no matter what we do, we will lose a large amount of the ecosystems and biodiversity of our planet. What do you say to them?

There is no doubt that we are losing nature every single second of every day.  We have lost so much already. But our goal is still to hold the fort for future generations, for those who are growing up so much more environmentally-minded than us. We are still blessed with our amazing blue planet that feeds us every day–and I think there is still time to build a dreamy, sustainable Earth that feeds and shelters everyone. So where does that leave us? Stop wasting our time with folks who either don’t believe or don’t care. Start spending our time building a new collaborative force with a strong vision and bold, practical and realistic steps for achieving that vision.

What is the number one reason we should be optimistic?

The number one reason we should be optimistic is the younger generation. I think they will combine the benefits of new technology with old-school elbow grease and make this planet a whole lot better.  I’m certain of it.

The original version of this interview, conducted by Alex Phillips, appeared on Urban Times. 

Report from Mexico: A Community Committed to Forest Conservation

Mexico is the fifth most biodiverse country on the planet and home to a wide range of flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth.  It is particularly rich in forest species – including over 1,000 native tree species — but has one of the world’s highest deforestation rates. The Rainforest Alliance is working with community foresters across the Central American country to stop the destruction, helping to secure a sustainable future for their forests, their children and their cultures.  Recently, our senior manager of communications, Stuart Singleton-White, visited a community of foresters in Oaxaca, Mexico. He writes…

The Ixtepeji Community Forest Park sits 8,000 feet up in the Serra Madre Del Sur Mountains.  To reach the park we drove 45 minutes out of Oaxaca, climbing increasingly windy mountain roads trimmed with crops and pine forest.  This was not a ride for the timid or squeamish.  Looking out from the bus window, I found myself facing a sheer drop with the valley hundreds of feet below.  I was thrilled I wasn’t driving, particularly when trucks full of logs hurtled toward us as they descended the mountain.

The spectacular views from the winding road.

The community forest park covers 52,811 acres (21,372 hectares) and is run by the local Zapotec community – previously, it was under the jurisdiction of the Mexican government.  Today, almost 80 percent of Mexico’s forests are owned by local communities, meaning that communities have a greater say in how their forests are managed and more control over the economic activities that take place on their land.  For the Ixtepeji, who have a community-nominated committee to manage many of those activities, sustainable logging is an important source of income. The community has earned Forest Stewardship Council certification through the Rainforest Alliance for its commitment to responsible forest management.

Cows freely graze on the property.

This means that the area of the forest open for timber extraction, approximately 9,474 acres (3,834 hectares), is operated on a 10-year rotation with selective extraction taking place in each area once a decade. While the community does plant trees, a great deal of the management focuses on the natural regeneration of the forest.

This portion of the park has been set aside for logging.

But it’s not only timber that provides an income for the community.  Another 4,754 acres (1,924 hectares) is managed to allow the sustainable extraction of other forest products such as ferns, bromeliads and moss — a vital component of any Mexican family’s nativity scene.

Bromeliads are harvested for additional income.

In 2003, the community set aside 2,965 acres (1,200 hectares) of the park for the development of an ecotourism enterprise, situated in the heart of 6,229 acres (2,521 hectares) of fully protected forest. Today the development includes nine family-sized cabins and a block of eight rooms, perfect for tourists who are there to hike, bird watch or simply relax in a beautiful environment.

The community’s ecotourism operation.

What I saw in Ixtepeji was a great example of sustainability in action.  This is forest management that isn’t simply preserving protected forest.  It is a dynamic and productive environment, conserving the best in biodiversity while ensuring a community is able to work in harmony with nature.  The community is able to provide livelihoods to its members for the present and future while keeping its roots planted deep in the ancestral soil.

Learn more about the Rainforest Alliance’s work with community foresters in Mexico and sustainable tourism operations.

Cattle and Conservation

Did you know that cattle ranches are responsible for more than three-quarters of all forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon and 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions? That’s why the Rainforest Alliance has begun working with cattle farmers in Latin America to protect wildlife habitat, minimize GHG emissions, and ensure that livestock are comfortable and well-treated.

 Watch a new video to discover our work with cattle ranchers!

The Champagne of Teas

Maya Albanese, sustainable agriculture associate, in a Darjeeling factory.

Back from a trip to India, Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture associate Maya Albanese writes…

The mighty snow-capped Himalayas provide an awe-inspiring backdrop to the bright green slopes of Darjeeling, blanketed with rows upon rows of meticulously pruned tea bushes. Here, women in colorful clothes scale the slopes carrying woven baskets overflowing with bountiful autumnal harvests.  Located at the northernmost tip of the state of West Bengal, the Golden Valley of Darjeeling is famous for its high-quality, high-altitude orthodox teas. With just 80 gardens planted in Darjeeling, the harvest is small and special in comparison to other tea growing regions of the world. Production of this “champagne of teas” is high cost and low output, and it commands a premium price on the international market.

Journey to Tumsong

In November of 2012, I had the pleasure of staying on Tumsong Tea Estate, a Rainforest Alliance Certified™ tea garden approximately 5,000 feet above sea level in Darjeeling. Tumsong was planted in 1867 around a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Tamsa Devi, who is worshipped by the indigenous people of the Golden Valley.  It is said that when you drink the delicate brew of Tumsong — known as “the garden of happy hearts” — you receive the blessing of the goddess herself.

I arrived in Tumsong by plane from Bagdogra airport followed by three hours on a precarious, winding road. As I traveled closer to the heart of Darjeeling, the lines

The Tumsong Tea Estate.

on the faces of the people around me changed dramatically. The majority of the local population is Gorkha (of ethnic Nepali background), and the tea pluckers are almost exclusively Nepali women. You will often see the word “Gorkhaland” above signs in Darjeeling, representative of the desire of some locals to see the region become an independent state.  There are a number of other indigenous ethnic groups in the area, including Sherpas, Bengalis, Anglo-Indians, Chinese, Biharis and Tibetans.

On a clear day, you can see an exceptional view of Kangchenjunga – the tallest mountain in India and the third highest in the world — from Tumsong. It’s proximity to the Himalayas generates a constant, cool breeze, making the tea buds grow gradually and saturating their leaves with a “muscatel” flavor.  This unique flavor, the result of small insects sucking juices from the stems of tea plants, is one of the reasons Darjeeling tea is so prized.

 Harvest Seasons of Darjeeling

In order to understand tea tasting and production better, one must become attuned to a garden’s “flushes” — harvest periods throughout the year which produce varying qualities of tea. Tea is plucked from the same tea bushes and processed with the same methods during each flush, but seasonal climate variations produce distinct flavors.

The first flush takes place in mid-March, after the spring rains have arrived and the tea bushes are a vibrant green color. A cup of first flush Darjeeling tea is light green in color and has a soft floral aroma with a mildly astringent taste.

Tea pluckers bring the autumnal flush to be weighed at Tumsong.

Just before the monsoon season begins in June, the second flush is harvested. A personal favorite of mine, the second flush tea is a bit darker in color with a stronger flavor and a mild fruit taste.

The final harvest, which had occurred just before my arrival at Tumsong, is called the autumnal flush and offers a rounded cup of scents and flavors. Because this flush occurs during the monsoon, the tea leaves are extra-large and make a brew that is coppery in color with the most full-bodied taste of all the flushes.

Protecting Biodiversity

Darjeeling is located in the Eastern Himalayan zoo-geographic zone, home to endemic rare plants like high elevation orchids and endangered animals such as one-horned rhinoceroses and snow leopards. Deforestation is a serious issue in the area, largely due to increasing demand for wood fuel and timber, and air pollution from traffic congestion in the towns.

The Tumsong Tea Factory.

Fortunately, Chamong Ltd — the company that owns Tumsong Estate – is an environmental champion with a strong commitment to sustainability and a number of certifications for environmental and social stewardship.  All of its gardens are managed with minimal to no pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and several are Rainforest Alliance Certified.

Earning Rainforest Alliance Certification

In order to become Rainforest Alliance Certified, Tumsong went through a rigorous process to meet the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) Standard, which covers waste and water management, integrated crop and pest management, and workers services and rights. It’s a challenging process in Darjeeling, particularly because erosion, pests and blights regularly affect the steep and variable terrain on which the tea is planted. Through collaborative work with the Rainforest Alliance, tea companies like Chamong are working to address these issues in a manner than is environmentally and economically sustainable.

Kanchenjunga Mountain, the third highest mountain in the world.

Enjoying Impeccable Hospitality

One of the best parts of the experience of staying at Tumsong Tea Estate is the hospitality. I stayed in the main tea house or ‘Chiabari,’ a gorgeous colonial mansion with porches facing the Himalayas, cozy fireplaces and a full-service kitchen. Particularly delightful is the tradition of bringing a tray of “bed tea” to your room each morning at the hour of your preference. The hospitality only added to an already remarkable experience in an exceptional setting.

Tourists who are interested in a first-hand experience of Rainforest Alliance Certified tea production in beautiful Darjeeling can reserve rooms at the Chiabari. Tumsong is a three-hour drive from Bagdogra airport in West Bengal and 18 miles from the town of Darjeeling, where visitors can enjoy a ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 and one of the only steam powered trains still operating in the world. 

New Forest Carbon Project to Reduce CO2 Emissions by 800,000 Tons Over 100 Years

Located in eastern Maine, the Farm Cove Forest Carbon Project covers 19,118 acres (7,737 hectares) of land within the Farm Cove Community Forest. It is also the first Improved Forest Management forest carbon project located outside of California to achieve Climate Action Reserve (CAR) verification through the Rainforest Alliance – and, perhaps most impressive, is expected to eliminate over 800,000 tons of CO2 emissions over its 100 year lifespan (equivalent to the annual emissions of over 156,000 cars).

The project area is covered under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management certificate for Downeast Lakes Land Trust – a local conservation nonprofit in Maine — and the 2011 audit was conducted simultaneously with the CAR verification audit.

Credit: Downeast Lakes Land Trust

“Downeast Lakes Land Trust is a leader, demonstrating that forest carbon projects can be combined with FSC forest certification to enhance the environmental and socio-economic benefits of each,” said Richard Donovan, senior vice president of the Rainforest Alliance. “The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts.”

The project — which was developed by Finite Carbon, who also provided the carbon credit and sequestration calculations — has already reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 200,000 tons and is expected to sequester an additional 600,000 tons of  CO2 over the next 100 years, sequestering a total of 800,000 tons of CO2 emissions. Downeast Lakes Land Trust plans to use its expected proceeds from the sale of carbon credits to fund other conservation initiatives.

“Achieving Rainforest Alliance verification of our carbon credit project is an exciting step. We are focused on forest conservation and management to support the economic and environmental well-being of our community and region,” said Mark Berry, executive director of the Downeast Lakes Land Trust. “By participating in the market for carbon credits, we stand to gain financial resources toward our ongoing effort to conserve an additional 22,000 acres as CommunityForest around Grand Lake Stream.”

The Rainforest Alliance provides a range of verification services to confirm that carbon projects are conservation-oriented and meet established international standards for carbon sequestration. The Climate Action Reserve Standard (CAR) provides a set of rigorous protocols, guidelines and tools to support the North American carbon market. By verifying projects according to the CAR Standard, the Rainforest Alliance encourages action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring the environmental integrity and financial benefit of emissions reduction projects.

Support for Voluntary Forest Carbon Markets at COP18

Campbell Moore, carbon specialist for the Rainforest Alliance, reports on developments in the voluntary carbon market at COP18.

Last week, I headed to Qatar to join the Rainforest Alliance’s climate team at COP18 and observe the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations.  In addition to providing a global platform to advance climate change policies and negotiations, the climate talks also serve as the world’s largest climate change trade fair, helping the Rainforest Alliance to spread the word about our important work and keep track of major developments concerning climate change and the world’s forests. One conversation that kept our attention: the emerging role of voluntary forest carbon standards and carbon markets.

Voluntary carbon markets continue to pioneer ways to leverage market forces for conservation, sustainability and climate change mitigation.  Forest carbon projects, including Afforestation and Reforestation (A/R), Improved Forest Management (IFM), and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) play a crucial role in demonstrating that carbon projects can have legitimate benefits for people, climate and the environment.

Indeed, the REDD+ Mechanism that the COP to the UNFCCC have been negotiating for several years is a concept tested first in voluntary carbon markets.  In recent years, REDD+ has been one of the most successful approaches for conserving forests and biodiversity, and offering benefits to forest-dependent communities to emerge from the yearly negotiations.

Unfortunately, this year’s COP18 includes a possible stalling of REDD+ negotiations.  If talks conclude at a standstill, the voluntary carbon markets will continue to pave the way for some time. However, for REDD to succeed, the UNFCCC must accomplish more and more quickly. The finance needed to cut deforestation in half by 2030 is unlikely without an internationally agreed upon REDD framework. Nonetheless, there is much to be gained from the experience of private sector investment in voluntary forest carbon projects, which has broken innovative ground since the emergence of voluntary carbon standards.

For example, in 2012 VCS  – the current market leader — developed guidance on how to incorporate individual projects into scaled up national and regional initiatives.  Since nested REDD plans seems essential for effective execution, such guidance is extremely beneficial to the UNFCCC. Innovative and complex new methodologies, standards and guidance have also been developed for imperiled and high-carbon forest ecosystems like peat swamp forests and mangroves.  There is also an increased appreciation for the need to establish robust safeguards in these projects to ensure benefits to biodiversity and communities, evidenced by the great number of events on this topic often led by the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Alliance.

As one of the leading auditors of forest carbon projects, the Rainforest Alliance helps to bring legitimacy and validity to this market.  From US to Peru and Madagascar to Indonesia, our auditors ensure that on the ground these projects have the utmost benefits for people, the environment and our global climate.

Part I: What Can We Learn From Brazil?

Chad Trewick is senior director of coffee and tea at Caribou Coffee – the first major coffee company in the US to source 100 percent of its coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. Here, he writes about a recent trip to Brazil to explore sustainable coffee production.

Brazil is a generation (maybe even two or three) ahead of the rest of the coffee-producing world in terms of technology, efficiency, sustainability and productivity per area. In fact, practices in the world’s most important coffee-producing country could pave the way for sustainable coffee production globally, securing a steady supply in the face of climate change, volatility and land-use pressures. The country is not, however, impervious to those changes; this year, folks in Brazil experienced the first June rainfall in collective memory, causing quality compromises and headaches for everyone involved in coffee production.

As part of an ongoing project with the Rainforest Alliance designed to determine the measurable benefits and value of certification, I embarked on a trip with the organization’s Sustainable Agriculture Network partner in Brazil, Imaflora. The goal was to see and understand innovations and best practices in sustainability, and to share these with producers and exporters in other countries.

On our way to our first stop, Rodrigo Cascalles of Imaflora and I discussed how we can determine the objective “value” of certification. It should come as no surprise that typically the top motivation for certification is the price premium a producer can receive. But while the financial benefit is huge incentive, other reasons weigh heavily, too.

Leaders in Environmental Law

Brazilian social and environmental laws are nearly unparalleled in agriculture. Twenty percent of a producer’s land must be set aside as a forest reserve; waterways are strictly protected; and rigid social laws governing labor conditions and services abound.

According Imaflora, complying with Brazilian regulations will bring any law-abiding producer as much as 90 percent of the way to certification! (For comparison, picture the agricultural landscape in the US — we plant crops right up to just about any body of water, roadway or abode.) A few months ago, however, laws changed and the waterway protection rules became dependent on the size of the river or lake. In some cases, less protection is now required. New laws also reward producers who exceed their requirements for natural reserves, permitting them to receive payment from other producers who need to comply with the reserve area requirements.

Protectors of People

Farmers also speak of the rigorous social requirements imposed by the government. Any worker who steps onto a farm to work must first receive a baseline medical exam. The government also mandates worker housing, setting minimum standards for the exact space each worker is allotted, the size and thickness of his mattresses (including its distance from the ceiling and the space between mattresses), and the layout of bathroom facilities and eating areas. Conditions in the field are also carefully defined: sunscreen must be available for use; arms and necks must be covered by clothing; drinking water must be available; a shade tent must be provided; portable toilets must be on site, and ankles need to be covered to protect from snakes. Compared to conditions I see regularly on farms in other countries, these mandates are absolutely amazing — but, as I was reminded several times, it is also a lot for a producer to be held accountable for.

Rainforest Alliance Certification in Brazil

Producers pointed out that the government is much less likely to inspect and enforce national regulations on a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm because they know that the farm must be in compliance in order to be certified.  However, because Rainforest Alliance certification requires compliance with all local mandates, the cost of production for law-abiding and certified producers is actually significantly higher than the national average. We need to continuously highlight the benefits of certification — and not only the incremental costs  – in conversations with all members of the supply chain. The cost of certification shouldn’t overshadow the very real on-the-ground benefits. The fact that Rainforest Alliance Certified farms are considered the best places to work for a laborer highlights the better conditions on these farms.

Farmers also receive a sought-after premium for their Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee. And, when they implement production efficiencies, they can maximize these premiums.

The record-keeping and continuous improvement requirements mandated by the Rainforest Alliance provide tangible productivity benefits. A producer’s logged activities are studied and evaluated annually so that they can improve their conditions and reduce their resource usage.

Certification also results in improvements in flora and fauna. Most farmers I spoke with truly celebrated (in an unsolicited way) all of the species and the natural elements that are returning to their farms and, in some cases, even benefiting their operations. They told me about native bird species, increased wild boar sightings, and diversified native species planted in forest reserves. This appreciation of nature is being passed to future generations and the broader community, and helping to create a culture with a deeper respect for nature.

Certified farms are also required to be responsible members of their communities. Many are involved in school improvement projects and clean-up efforts, and place a great emphasis on educating students about the importance of caring for the environment. This can be a particularly effective tool for educating adults. Children of farm workers can take messages home and begin the process of educating their parents. Students also learn to be better guardians of their limited resources. At one school, for example, students were asked to turn trash into usable items to demonstrate that most things can (and should) be more than single-use.

Cooperatives in Brazil

As in many other countries, cooperatives in Brazil can provide an opportunity for increased efficiency because producers are working with greater crop volume. And through their technical assistance programs, many cooperatives are actively encouraging certification.

I visited one coop on a multi-year plan toward 100 percent certification among its members by 2014. Another coop was working toward 70 to 80 percent certification by the end of next year.  This widespread certification support among coops is a great endorsement and empowers producers to make the decision to pursue certification.

Check back to read part II of Chad’s blog from Brazil.

A Stalemate on REDD+ at COP18

Ian Starr, technical specialist for the Rainforest Alliance’s climate program, reports on the latest developments from COP18 in Doha, Qatar.

Over the past few days, the climate team has been following key discussion items under negotiation  at COP18, such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) and climate finance. Technical guidance on the implementation of REDD+ has been a particularly hot topic for conservation organizations at this year’s conference.

REDD+ aims to use market incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation while providing benefits like poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation.  Ultimately, REDD+ should make responsible forest management and conservation more lucrative than deforestation and forest degradation.

Known as the SBSTA, the UNFCCC’s Science and Technical advisory body is currently tasked with constructing the methodological guidance needed to move REDD+ from project-scale work to country-scale work.  The SBSTA met exclusively during the first week of negotiations and discussed some thorny issues. 

The SBSTA struggled to reach an agreement around text on measurement, reporting, verification (MRV) and monitoring of forest carbon stocks, and the crucial issue of how submitted REDD+ Reference Levels (RLs) would be assessed by the UNFCCC. (A reference level is comprised of information on changes in the amount of forest cover in a country as well is the emissions generated by deforestation. RLs form the fundamental emissions benchmark that would help shape the financing a country’s REDD+ activities.)

Despite the notoriously slow movement of COP negotiations, I’ve been present at several sessions where the developments in the drafting process moved at lightning speed.  For example, after four days of little progress, negotiators burned the midnight oil on Friday, working until 5 am on Saturday to make significant progress on a host of REDD+ issues, including finance. No agreement was reached, however.

On Saturday night, there was an extraordinary session of the SBSTA in which all delegates of the G-77 (the largest UNFCCC negotiating bloc, comprised of developing countries) and China huddled together in the back of the room while observers looked on in a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement. This was far outside normal protocol and indicative of the deep, shared commitment in the room to advance REDD+. Later in the same session, Norway and Brazil crossed the aisle mid-session to assess the possibility of reaching an agreement.

Ultimately, the session closed without consensus on a few crucial issues, risking making this the first time in five years that the SBSTA fails to make progress on REDD+ at COP. Despite the SBSTA’s formal closure, key players including Brazil, the United States, the European Union, Norway and Papua New Guinea voiced their commitment to pursuing alternative means of finding common ground on verification by making an appeal to the COP chair to continue REDD+ dialogues through other negotiating tracks in week two of the conference.  

There is reason to be hopeful. COP has been known to surprise and that element is still alive and well at Doha.