The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) and Rainforest Alliance are pleased to announce news regarding the SAN/RA accreditation program for certification bodies which has been under development in the last year. Through a collaboration with the International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS), the SAN has completed the first phase of development that will provide credibility and rigor to Rainforest Alliance certification. The result of the first phase is the accreditation of four certification bodies in addition to the authorized certification body, Sustainable Farm Certification Intl. The accreditation includes ISO65 and additional SAN criteria to ensure high quality audits such as compliance with the Auditor Competence Program where specific auditor criteria, experience and continual development are required.

Certification and inspection bodies already working with the SAN were invited to apply for IOAS accreditation in early 2010. The five applicants have now succeeded in meeting the accreditation procedures of IOAS as well as the certification body requirements for accreditation set forth by the SAN. The SAN is now in a process of operational development and transition to ensure the successful implementation of a system with multiple certification bodies.

Once the program is fully tested, which is expected in June 2012, these five certification bodies will begin to issue certificates in the system for farms, farmer groups and chain of custody operations. Until that time, Sustainable Farm Certification (SFC) will continue operating as the certification body in the system. When the system is implemented, accreditation applications will also be opened to other certification bodies around the world. Please visit the SAN website periodically for additional information and developments on the system´s expanded certification capacity. 

For additional information about accreditation or related inquiries, please contact info@sanstandards.org.  

The Sustainable Agriculture Network is proud to announce the achievement of two important milestones through the implementation of its farm and group certification standards. As of August 2011, more than one million hectares and 200,000 operations have received Rainforest Alliance certification. Total certified hectares represent those under agricultural production as well as farmlands designated for conservation. The good practices adopted by producers whose farms achieve certification mean smarter farming, the conservation of natural resources and the protection of wildlife and workers´ rights.

This achievement reflects the long-standing commitment of the Network´s eight partner organizations which have worked together for more than two decades to develop, promote and support the implementation of the rigorous SAN standards.  The SAN members could not have reached this milestone without the support of more than a million farmers and farm workers, who made the improvements to meet the standards, investing precious resources in the future of their farms, communities and the conservation of natural resources that will support future generations.

Since the birth of the SAN standards-setting initiatives in the late 1980s, the certification program has not only expanded the volume of certified hectares around the globe, but also the diversity of crops represented and the breadth of tropical producer regions where the program makes important impacts in biodiversity and sustainable farming practices. The program is currently active in over 30 countries and 25 different crops, represented in farms throughout Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the United States...