Rainforest Alliance new seal recognizes sustainable tourism achievement

The Rainforest Alliance has released its new verification mark to recognise businesses and projects that have achieved significant and measurable sustainability milestones.

The new mark is awarded to forest carbon projects and tourism and certain forestry enterprises that meet standards developed by the Rainforest Alliance itself or by other organisations with which the Rainforest Alliance is aligned including tourism.

 “When consumers or businesses see the new Rainforest Alliance verification mark, they can be sure that a particular enterprise or project — whether it be a hotel, carbon-offset project or company selling wood products — has complied with strong standards for sound management that benefits the environment and communities,” confirmed Rainforest Alliance president Tensie Whelan.

As an example of how the mark will be used in forestry, Whelan pointed to verification of the legality of wood sources, which is particularly important since illegal logging throughout the world continues to undermine efforts to promote social equity, environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth in many nations.  The Rainforest Alliance has developed standards for verification of legality to respond to a growing need for companies to provide assurances — to customers, owners, investors and the general public — that answer questions about the legal status of timber sources.  

Hotels and tour operators that meet Rainforest Alliance sustainable tourism requirements, which follow the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, can also earn the right to display the verification mark on brochures or advertisements.  Carbon credit projects verified by the Rainforest Alliance to standards such as the Voluntary Carbon Standard can also use the mark on their Web sites, for example, so that consumers know that greenhouse gas sequestration promoted by the project has been credibly demonstrated.

Verified Legal Origin for Forestry Operations
The Rainforest Alliance’s familiar green frog appears in the new mark, as well as in the organisation’s logo and certification seal.  
For nearly 20 years the Rainforest Alliance seal has been used to designate farms and forestlands that meet the rigorous, third-party standards of the Sustainable Agriculture or the Forest Stewardship Council.  These standards for environmental, social and economic sustainability are developed through an independent, participatory process.
 
“The standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network and the Forest Stewardship Council are rigorous and transparent, and the Rainforest Alliance continues to believe that achieving independent, third-party certification of sustainability efforts should be the goal of every responsible enterprise,” Whelan said.

 “Along the road to sustainability there are, however, other significant and measurable milestones not recognised by third-party certifications, at least not yet,” Whelan added.  “We believe consumers deserve to know which businesses are making long-lasting differences to this planet’s well being.  The Rainforest Alliance has thoroughly analysed and stands strongly behind the standards our new verification mark represents.”

The verification mark can be used only on off-product marketing and public-information materials, such as Web sites, brochures and advertisements, never on products.  As with the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, all usages of the verification mark must be approved by the Rainforest Alliance prior to publication.

Programmes Covered:

Verification of sustainable tourism requirements for tourism businesses (hotels, etc.) [www.rainforest-alliance.org/tourism.cfm]
FSC Forest Management certification [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm]
FSC Chain-of-Custody certification [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm]
Rediscovered Wood certification [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm]
Sustainable Agriculture Network certification [www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture.cfm]
 SmartLogging [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm]
SmartStep Foresty verification [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm]
Verification of Legal Origin [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm] Verification of Defined Source
Verification of High Conservation Value Forest [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm]
Verification of Legal Compliance [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm]
 Generic Chain-of-Custody certification or verification [www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm]
Carbon project verification to third party standards [www.rainforest-alliance.org/climate.cfm]
 

Valere Tjolle

Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite, special offer at: www.travelmole.com/stories/1142003.php