Conservación y Desarrollo

Rainforest Alliance / SAN

This program, through the Sustainable Agriculture Network (coalition of non-profit conservation organizations) an Rainforest Alliance certified provides eco-labels to farms that complete the standards. This process of certification is objective and transparent. The standards are broad and sufficiently strict to demand deep changes in the management of farms, and apply to the latest technical advances.

  • Our mission is to transform the environmental and social conditions of tropical agriculture, through conservation agriculture. We visualize a rural panorama that includes ecosystems rich in wildlife and protected areas mixed in with areas of production and other uses, all managed in accordance with the ecological, social and economic principals of sustainable development.
  • There is not a conflict between conservation and production. The Rainforest Alliance certified program helps producers find an appropriate balance between these two aims. Sustainability refers as much to economics as it does to ecological viability. Farms should be profitable and contribute to the economic viability of the community.
  • The Sustainable Agriculture Network awards eco-labels to farms that meet our standards. This certification process is objective and transparent. The standards are comprehensive and strict enough to require profound changes in farm management, while operating within the realm of available technology. The program is based on the science of ecology, the principals of human dignity and the ideal of sustainable development. It operates in the real world of commodity agriculture, global markets and changing consumer demand. SAN members adapt the program to small, disadvantaged farmers as well as large, multinational companies – making the program accessible to producers of all shapes and sizes.
  • SAN certification gives consumers who live far from tropical countries a way to communicate their interest and concerns to farmers and agro-industry. By shopping for certified products, activist consumers send a clear message to producers encouraging sound ecosystem stewardship. Certification also helps companies demonstrate their environmental commitment to increasingly educate consumers. Certification helps participating companies be more competitive in the global marketplace.

Conservation certification promotes “integrated agriculture,” a harmony among the economic needs of the farmer, the health and welfare of workers and the local community, and environmental protection. SAN/RA standards support the following principals:

Ecosystem Protection
Certified farmers must reforest along rivers and roads, protect forest fragments, control pollution and cooperate with conservation agencies. Deforestation is prohibited.

Wildlife Conservation
The standards require farmers to protect wildlife, stop hunting, conserve critical and endangered habitats and create biological corridors. SAN biologists show farmers how to increase and enrich wildlife habitat without inhibiting crop production.

Water Conservation
Buffer zones along streams, good soil management and controlled use of agrochemicals reduce sedimentation and pollution of streams. On certified farms, fuels and chemical products are handled with special care and processing plants do not pollute rivers.

Soil Conservation
Age-old but often forgotten techniques such as wind breaks, cover crops and contour plantings are required to conserve soils – the foundation of every farm.

Minimize Agrochemical Use
Certified farms use Integrated Pest Management techniques and only those agrochemicals permitted by national laws and the U.S. EPA. Chemicals on the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list are prohibited. Producers must provide proper safety gear and training for workers to reduce health risks.

Manage All Waste
RA/SAN certified farms develop systems for dealing with solid and liquid waste generated during production and processing. The program helps farmers develop ways to reduce, reuse and recycle all on-farm waste, sometimes spurring new community enterprises.

Treat Workers Fairly
Workers on certified farms have access to health and education services, potable water, dignified housing and a safe, healthy work environment. Basic labor rights are guaranteed.

Maintain Good Community Relations
It is not enough for producers to protect the environment within the boundaries of their land certified producers help to protect watersheds and community forests, provide environmental education and contribute to the local economy.

Environmental Planning and Monitoring
Producers must have an approved farm management plan. Farms are inspected at least once a year. Most importantly, producers must demonstrate continued progress towards a more sustainable production system in order to be re-certified each year.