Certified Sustainable Products Alliance
Case Study C0169
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| Date | October 2004 |
| Agency | Rainforest Alliance |
| Donor/support agency | USAID Private-sector partners |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Geographic coverage | Central America |
| Locality | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama |
| Biodiversity focus | Forest ecosystem |
| Development focus | Timber, banana, and coffee producers in Latin America |
| Conservation goals | Improve management practices in forestry and farming to achieve better conservation |
| Poverty reduction goals | Increase the sales volume and revenue of certified sustainable timber, coffee and bananas |
Summary
The Rainforest Alliance and its partners in the Certified Sustainable Products Alliance (CSPA) are directing a three-year project, which started in May 2004, to promote and increase the sales of Rainforest Alliance-certified timber, banana, and coffee products, and provide economic, social, and conservation benefits to producers, workers, and their families in Latin America. CSPA partners include NGOs and numerous producers, as well as international manufacturers and retailers (e.g. IKEA, Gibson Musical Instruments, Kraft Foods, Sara Lee, and Chiquita Brands International), and various brokers and importers (e.g. North American Wood Products, International Wood Specialties, Forest World Group, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, ECOM, VOLCAFE). These partners have committed to incorporate increasing amounts of Rainforest Alliance-certified sustainable products into their supply stream. Some partners have also committed to provide technical assistance to farms and support research for the development of improved training services for producers and technical assistance personnel. The goal of the partnership is to transform the way that participating companies source products, thus establishing alternative ways of doing business that the companies can replicate after the completion of this effort. During the three-year activity period, over 300,000 acres of forest and farmland are expected to be certified as sustainably managed. Over four million board feet of certified timber, 90 million boxes of certified bananas and 30,000 metric tons of sustainable coffee are expected to be sold through valuable sourcing contracts provided to local operations. The Certified Sustainable Products Alliance project is focusing on areas of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, especially on the outskirts of parks, in priority watersheds and as part of biological corridors. Through its forestry and agricultural certification programs, the Rainforest Alliance brings together industry, environmentalists, scientists, local communities, workers and governments into mutually beneficial arrangements that foster sustainable production methods that benefit both Latin America's economy and environment. The project will guide and reward continual improvements in farm and forest practices, linking sustainable management with product quality, and connecting responsible producers with responsible consumers.
Conservation impact
Not known
Poverty reduction impact
Not known
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Facilitating access to markets
Partnership with private sector
Reference 1
http://www.eco-index.org/search/results.cfm?projectID=790
Reference 2
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/news/2004/news92.html
More information
Rebecca Butterfield and Karin Kreider, Project directors
Phone: +502 369 1066
E-mail: rbutterfield@ra.org or kkreider@ra.org
Related records above this one:
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (Organisation O0100)