Standards, exceptions and transition timelines 

Ingredient certification

The certification for farm certificate holders is based primarily on the UEBT standard. This standard was designed for ingredients that are cultivated or collected from the wild.

The UEBT standard is complemented by selected requirements from the new Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard. Together, these make up part of the the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements. For practical purposes, these are described in a Field Checklist and a System Checklist.

• The Field Checklist is based on the UEBT standard, complemented by selected requirements from the new Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard.  It lists the criteria and indicators for the programme, as well as provides guidance for each indicator and information on the scoring system for the programme.   

•  The System Checklist is based on a set of Requirements for Certificate Holders, also complemented by selected requirements from the new Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard. The System Checklist has two versions: a System Checklist for Organisations at Source (e.g. farms, cooperatives and companies directly responsible for cultivation or collection of the natural raw material) and a System Checklist for Organisations not at Source such as international manufacturers and brands not working in the sourcing area.

•  The Requirements for Certificate Holders lay out the different steps and requirements to prepare for your external audit in the Herbs & Spices Programme. It includes the conditions that need to be in place and the steps that should be followed for monitoring the implementation of the good practices in the UEBT standard and ensuring compliance with those requirements. The Requirements for Certificate Holders also has two versions: a Requirements for Certificate Holders - Organisations at Source (e.g. farms, cooperatives and companies directly responsible for cultivation or collection of the natural raw material) and a Requirements for Certificate Holders - Organisations not at Source such as international manufacturers and brands not working in the sourcing area.

Exceptions

Exception 1 – cultivation together with other Rainforest Alliance certified crops

• For farms that are cultivating herbs, spices, rooibos or other herbal tea ingredients together with coffee, cocoa, tea, fruit, nuts, flowers, vegetables or palm oil, and that wish to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims for these crops, certification against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard applies. This certification covers all crops cultivated on the farm, including herbs, spices, rooibos and other herbal tea ingredients. Please note, that this excludes wild collection. For wild collection, an additional certification against the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements is always required in order to use the Rainforest Alliance trademark and claims.

• For farms that are also cultivating coffee, cocoa, tea, fruits, nuts, flowers, vegetables or palm oil, but do not wish to use the Rainforest Alliance trademarks and claims for these crops, UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements apply. This UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification will cover all herbs, spices, rooibos and other herbal tea ingredients cultivated on the farm (but no other crops). It will also cover wild collection.

Exception 2 – cultivation of chili or pepper (piper nigrum)

• Farms that are cultivating chili or pepper (piper nigrum) without any other Rainforest Alliance Certified crop (such as coffee, cocoa, tea, fruit, flowers, nuts, vegetables, or palm oil) may choose between certification against the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements or against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard.

To help you find out whether the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements or the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard applies to your organisation, you can use the decision tree on the Rainforest Alliance website. 

Transition timelines and options for certificate holders

Current and potential certificate holders will be transitioning to either the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance certification or the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program in the course of 2021 and 2022. There are several options for organisations on how and when to transition. The applicable options and timelines depend on the certification they currently have (Rainforest Alliance, UTZ rooibos or UEBT/UTZ for herbal teas), which certification they are transitioning to, and their audit schedules.

To understand which options apply to your organisation, please consult the Transition Guide on the Rainforest Alliance website.  

Below we have outlined the most common transition options:

Your next steps and contacts

Will your organisation be audited in line with the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance requirements? If so, please contact us at herbsandspices@uebt.org. If your current license expires in 2021 please get in touch as soon as possible. If your license expires in 2022, please contact us by the end of 2021.

If your farm will be audited against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard, you will receive an email invitation to complete your registration process once your window for registration opens. Please review the Transition Rules. Contact Rainforest Alliance at herbsandspices@ra.org if you have any questions.

More information

For more information visit our Herbs & Spices programme main page and read our frequently asked questions.