Rainforest Alliance and the shared responsibility

Press release and photos: EU Public Affairs

Last Friday, November the 27th, banana producers and exporters from seven Latin American countries called for a tripartite roundtable with main European retailers and the private certifier Rainforest Alliance. The main objective was to reach a common position that would put an end to the conflict over new certification standards imposed by Rainforest Alliance.

Despite Rainforest Alliance’s refusal to attend, guilds and retail groups agreed that Rainforest Alliance has the obligation to define the concept of Shared Responsibility, as well as creating a specific committee for its development, composed by representatives of producers and retail groups.

Banana growers stated, “We are curious about RfA’s refusal to participate in the dialogue, especially considering that they themselves have established the requirement for a Shared Responsibility following the Sustainability Differential”. In addition, they clarify “it is not a discussion about prices, it is a discussion about how to make the frog seal fair again, with added value, and created according guidelines that will not jeopardize the sustainability of banana producers”. To this end, producers have requested a meeting with the certifier’s Board of Directors, the date of which has yet to be defined.