Nairobi: The Rainforest Alliance has introduced a Regenerative Agriculture Standard aimed at certifying coffee farms and products, a move designed to promote ecosystem restoration, improve farmer livelihoods, and address growing consumer demands for sustainability. The certification, set to take effect in early 2026, will initially focus on coffee and expand to other crops like cocoa, citrus, and tea.
According to Kenya News Agency, the new certification will feature a distinct seal, indicating to consumers that the coffee they purchase supports farms dedicated to enhancing soil health, biodiversity, water management, climate resilience, and the well-being of farmers. This initiative emerges as global agriculture faces significant challenges, including extreme weather, environmental degradation, and unstable commodity markets, which have a pronounced impact on smallholder farmers.
Founded as a global nonprofit, the Rainforest Alliance operates in 62 countries, collaborating with millions of farmers, companies, and communities. Julius Ng'ang'a, Senior Director for East and Southern Africa at the Rainforest Alliance, emphasized the need for markets to adopt a restorative approach. "Every cup of coffee should give back more than it takes from the land and the people who care for it," Ng'ang'a stated.
Regenerative agriculture, recognized as a climate-smart farming approach, has been shown to boost farmer incomes by up to 30 percent. Compliance with the new standard will be verified by independent auditors, allowing companies to display the regenerative seal only upon meeting the criteria.
For coffee brands, sourcing certified regenerative products presents an opportunity to strengthen supply chains, improve Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, and build trust with environmentally conscious consumers. Coffee companies are already preparing to stock certified products on shelves by 2026, with sourcing from farms in Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The Rainforest Alliance aims to leverage this new certification to accelerate its objective of reaching 100 million farmers and workers by 2030.