What’s below the Green Frog Seal?

If you buy products like coffee or tea that have our favorite little green frog on the package, you may also see a note under the seal that says something like: “at least 30 percent certified content.” So what does that mean? Well, it means a lot to farmers and their families. Here’s why:

• We believe that we can increase the on-the-ground impacts of our work with farmers — bring more land under sustainable management, expand healthcare and other benefits to more workers, improve livelihoods in more communities and conserve more ecosystems — by engaging with companies of all sizes, including multi-nationals. It’s not easy for farmers to earn the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, so the demand for certified crops like coffee and cocoa exceeds supply. Therefore, many companies that would like to sell 100 percent certified products just can’t yet. We are working as hard as we can with farmers to meet the growing demand, but when it comes to sustainable farming, we don’t want to take any shortcuts.
• The good news is that a large company that begins sourcing 30 percent of its supply from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms can have a huge positive impact on farmers’ lives and on the environment. (Do the math: 30 percent of 1,000 tons is substantially more than 100 percent of 100 tons.)
• We are committed to ensuring that companies scale up their commitments — regardless of how small or large they are at the outset. If a mainstream brand begins working with the Rainforest Alliance and our Sustainable Agriculture Network partners by sourcing, say, 40 percent of its coffee from certified farms, that brand must agree to source increasing quantities from certified farms as they become available.
• We believe in transparency. If a product includes less than 90 percent Rainforest Alliance Certified content, this must be clearly disclosed directly on-pack underneath the seal. Truth is, not all certification programs are as forthright. But we know how important it is for consumers to trust our little green frog. Allowing a business to market their commitment to using at least 30 percent of Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients can increase demand for these sustainably grown goods — and that demand reverberates down the supply chain, from consumers right to farmers.

So don’t hesitate to reach for the frog seal. Your purchase of any product bearing the seal can have very real benefits for workers and wildlife around the globe.

Fact Versus Fiction in the Marketplace

Perception might be reality in politics, but when it comes to the long-term survival of the planet, it’s vitally important that we be able to distinguish between the two. Walk into any store these days and you’ll see shelves crowded with competing brands, many of which are increasingly making claims of environmental responsibility as they vie for your attention and dollars. Are consumers able to tell which claims are real and which are greenwashing? A new study shows that the public’s perception of a company’s eco-footprint often does not mirror reality.

New Scientist magazine recently released the results of an investigation that examined the views of United States consumers about the “green auras” of particular companies and compared them to the companies’ actual performance. Looking at nine sectors of the economy, the study ranked the “environmental impact” of individual businesses relative to others in their sector and surveyed shoppers to get their opinions about these same companies.

Among the 22 companies in the food and beverage category, for example, Fresh Del Monte Produce was ranked last among its peers for its actual performance but earned second place from United States consumers for its perceived greenness. Meanwhile, Unilever — which owns the first Rainforest Alliance Certified™ tea estate in the world and has pledged to source all of the tea in its Lipton tea bags from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by the year 2015 — was ranked 21st by consumers, next to last, despite earning a second-place position for its actual environmental impact.

Given the barrage of marketing information aimed at consumers, it’s not surprising to learn that they are having a hard time distinguishing fact from fiction. And many of the companies themselves don’t make that task any easier. According to a 2009 report by the environmental marketing firm TerraChoice, which examined 2,219 retail goods sold in the United States and Canada, a whopping 98 percent of products made at least one claim that could be categorized as “greenwashing,” either actively misleading shoppers or giving a false impression by omitting key details.

What these studies both highlight is the importance of credible, independent information that lets consumers know when a product is truly green — which is exactly the point of certification programs like ours. The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal provides concerned shoppers with a trustworthy, third-party assessment that tells them a product has been made in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Look for it every time you shop — it’s one label you can really rely on.

(Can’t find the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal on the product you need? Download the Natural Resource Defense Council’s iPhone application, “Label Lookup” — it’s a handy guide to determining the meaning and credibility behind labels on food, personal care products, paper and more.)

My footprint weighs a ton

Jeff Hayward, manager of the Rainforest Alliance’s climate intiative, talks about his own carbon footprint — and how you can lower yours.

What’s your carbon footprint? It’s the amount of greenhouse gas emissions for which you’re responsible. Understanding your own carbon footprint is an important starting point in taking action to reduce emissions and mitigate global climate change.

Businesses and governments are already figuring out their emissions — either because law requires them to, or because they recognize the potential for huge savings from energy efficiencies. My sense is that corporations and governments are far ahead of the general public on this. Taking stock of our emissions is relatively easy, as there are many of user-friendly carbon calculators available.

At the end of 2008, I took stock of my own carbon footprint. First, to put things in perspective, the global average (mostly from the developing world) is about 5.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide per person per year; the United States average is 27.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. To figure out my personal footprint, which includes my home in Washington, DC, I had to calculate my energy use, auto and air travel expenditures, plus emissions from the water and food I consume, and the waste I generate.

So what is my footprint? It’s 11 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. That’s almost 60 percent below the United States average.

What did I do that you could do to reduce the carbon footprint?

• Installed a 1 kW solar array on my home’s roof (generates 40 – 60 percent of my family’s electricity)
• Installed CFL and LED lights in 95 percent of my home’s fixtures
• Replaced my standard hot water heater with an Energy Star® rated tankless heater
• Replaced my 80 percent efficiency boiler with a 95 percent efficiency boiler
• Replaced a top-loading washer with a front-loading one
• Insulated my basement and attic
• Sealed my windows and doors
• Purchased 90 percent organic food
• Composted and recycled
• Used public transport and a bicycle, and rarely drove my car
• Used low-flow water fixtures and harvested rainwater for outside irrigation

There’s one catch to this eco-warrior success story: the emissions I caused for work-related travel in 2008 were 43 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Reducing travel in 2009 is one way to lower these emissions. However, since most of this travel is important to the Rainforest Alliance’s mission, I’ll offset it through carbon credits purchased on the Chicago Climate Exchange.*

* As an associate member of the Chicago Climate Exchange, the Rainforest Alliance tracks and offsets the business travel and energy use emissions associated with all United States-based staff and offices. All emissions are offset with carbon credits purchased from the Chicago Climate Exchange.