RACP User Manual for Farm Certificate Holders
  • 14 Mar 2024
  • 40 Minutes to read
  • PDF

RACP User Manual for Farm Certificate Holders

  • PDF

Article Summary

Available in:

The Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP) is the platform for members who wish to be part of the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program.

Version 1.5

What can you do in the RACP?

Register in the RACP to join the Rainforest Alliance 2020 program. Here you can create your account, obtain your Rainforest Alliance certification, manage your licenses, report traceability, submit submit claims approval requests.

Who needs to register in the RACP?

Registration in RACP applies to:

  • Producers: small farms, large farms, farm groups
  • Supply Chain Actors (including Retailers, Food Service Companies, Brand owners)

What is this user manual for?

This user manual helps Farm Certificate Holders navigate the RACP during the registration and certification process, the certification renewal process, and how to manage users and contacts.

1. Submit your registration request

  • Go to the RACP registration page here.
  • Select your preferred language in the pop-up or on the top right corner.
  • Read the information about the farms and click on ‘Continue’.
  • Provide your organization’s information:
    • Organization details:
      • organization name;
      • if applicable, your legacy Rainforest Alliance/UTZ ID.
      • your main crop.
      • any additional activities.
    • Organization address: this is the location where farm/group is managed.
    • Personal details: your first name, last name and business email address.
    • Terms & Conditions:
      • Read and accept the Terms & Conditions.
      • Submit your registration: click on ‘Submit participation’.

Note: Your registration request will be reviewed by the Rainforest Alliance team. You will receive an email to activate your account. Check your spam inbox if you haven’t received the email.

2. Create your certification profile

After you receive the activation e-mail, click on the link in the email to activate your username and set your new password.

You will land in your Dashboard at the following screen:

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Tell us what you want to certify, by indicating:

  • an estimation of how many small and/or large farms you want to certify. You can add more later.
  • if all farms are owned or rented by one company or owner:
    • A single farm or multi-farm has one owner. If this applies to you, select Yes.
    • A farm group has several farms with multiple farm owners. If this applies to you, select No.
  • the address of the Central Management Location.
  • if you purchase certified product from another farm certificate holder. Please answer Yes only if you purchase from a certificate holder that is not included in your certification.
  • any additional sites/subcontractors to add to your certification.
  • Summary: Click on ‘Submit’ to continue with the next steps.

For any required edits, click on the ‘Edit’ button under Action.

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You will now land in the section ‘Certification Overview’, where you can see your Certification scope.

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2.1. Add and maintain sites/subcontractors

In the section ‘Certification scope’, edit your site(s).

The site in this overview is the Central Management Location (CML) that you indicated when creating your account. Every Farm Certificate Holder must have at least one site in their profile to be able to confirm their scope. Click on ‘Edit’ to fill in additional information about the CML.

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In the new form, fill in the information as applicable:

  1. Details: enter your site’s information.
  2. Crops: select the Rainforest Alliance Certified crop(s) linked to this location
  3. Activities: indicate what activities are conducted at this location. Select ‘Trading’ if no other activities apply to this location.
  4. Input: indicate what (sub)products are traded from or processed at this location.
  5. Output: indicate what (sub)products exit this location.
  6. Traceability: indicate the traceability type of the products handled at this location. Select any type of traceability level applicable to your certification.
  7. Certification questions: answer the questions in this section to help us identify your scope. More questions may appear depending on your answers. Some questions are pre-filled based on the information you provided in your profile.
  8. Summary: here you can see a summary of the information you entered so far. If any edits are required, click on the button ‘Back’ to edit the previous entries. If no further edits are required, click on ‘Submit’ to continue with the next steps.

If you have more sites (i.e. a processing facility) or would like to add any subcontractors to your certification scope, click on the green button ‘Add new site’ in your ‘Certification scope’ section, and repeat the actions as illustrated above.

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Note: In case of multiple sites, make sure the management site is selected as Central Management Location.
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2.2. Confirm certification scope & view requirements

You can now confirm your scope. Go to your Certification scope section, and click on the green button ‘Confirm scope and view requirements’.

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This will generate the requirements applicable to your organization, based on the information entered in your profile.

In the Requirements section, you can review and download an Excel file with all your applicable requirements. Once done, click on the button ‘Back’.

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If the crops cocoa and/or coffee are part of your certification scope, a pop-up will appear on your Requirements screen to include EUDR self-selected criteria to your certification scope. 

Click on the button “Go to EUDR Settings” and follow the instructions in paragraph 4.4. of this user manual.

If you have made further changes to your certification scope (farms and/or sites), you need to re-confirm your scope and view your requirements again. To do so, click on the green button ‘Re-confirm scope and view requirements’.

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2.3. Edit your farm estimation number & ownership

Only applicable to multi-farms and farm groups

If during the creation of your certification profile you have entered the wrong number of estimated farms, and/or the type of farm ownership, you can update this information as follows:

  • On the Certification Overview tab, click on ‘Edit’.

In the next screen you can:

  • update the estimated number of small farms and large farms.
  • the ownership status.

Click on ‘Submit’ to save your changes.

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Note: After uploading a GMR or manually adding a farm, it is no longer possible to edit the number of small or large farms via this screen. However, you can still edit the ownership status of the farms.


Need Help?

Consult the FAQ at the end of this user manual for more information.


3. Apply for your audit

3.1. Reach out to an authorized Certification Body (CB)

You need to sign a certification agreement with a selected CB. You can find a list of authorized CBs here and request a quote.

Please send the Certification Application Form (CAF) to your CB, including the documentation mentioned in your CAF.

3.2. Fill out the CAF

The Certification Application Form (CAF) is a mandatory document to be filled out by Certificate Holders and Certification Bodies along the Certification Process.

Download the latest version of your CAF in the RACP (in the Certification Body section) or on the Rainforest Alliance website here. Make sure you use the correct document depending on your farm situation:

  • Single farms and Multi-farms;
  • Farm groups

Fill out the red tab 1. Application form.

3.3. Confirm the contract in RACP (Handshake)

After you have signed a certification agreement with your CB, you need to confirm this in the RACP. This step will give the CB access to the necessary information in your profile.

There are two ways to do this, as illustrated below.

3.3.a. Send a request to your CB

To send a request to your CB, follow the below steps:

- Go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’, click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

- Click on your ‘License preparation’ tab;

- In the section ‘Your Certification Body’, click on ‘Open’.

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- A list of authorized Certification Bodies will appear. Click on ‘Confirm contract’ next to the name of the CB you have signed a contract with.

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- The CB will receive your request. Until this is confirmed, the status of your request will be Awaiting response.

- When your CB accepts your request, your contract with your CB is officially signed in the RACP.

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3.3.b. Receive a request from your CB

If your CB has sent you a contract request, follow the below steps:

- Go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’, click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

- Go to your License preparation tab.

- In the section ‘Your Certification Body’, click on the button ‘Open’.

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- You will see an invitation from your CB. Click on the green button ‘View invitation’.

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- In the panel on the right-hand side, click on ‘Yes, we have signed the contract’, and then on ‘Accept Invitation’.

- Your contract with your CB is now officially signed in the RACP.

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4. Prepare for your audit

Once you have implemented all applicable requirements, you can start planning your audit. Make sure to complete the following steps:

  • Add and/or update your Farm information.
  • Download, complete and upload the self-assessment in RACP.
  • Fill in your Indicator data.

Below you can find all the steps explained.

Add or update your farm(s) information

Go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’, click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status. In your ‘Certification scope’, click on the yellow button ‘Farms’ for an overview of your farms.

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What are your next steps?

4.1.1. Single farms & multi-farms

In the section Farm Information you can find:

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  1. The overview offarms (refer to box 1 in above image) you entered in your certification profile. For each farm, a notification in red will remind you to Provide information. To do so, click on ‘Edit’ on each farm. A new form will open, fill in the mandatory fields with the red asterisk in the following:
    • General information: add information about one farm.
    • Farm Operator/Manager: provide contact details of the farm operator/owner (this is not mandatory information).
    • Employment Information: Add information about the number of employees working on this farm.
    • Crops and Volumes: Update information about your crops. Your crop was already entered earlier while registering the account. Click on the iconA close-up of a cell phone  Description automatically generated with low confidenceto edit your crop. Here you can add the crop variety, crop area and estimated harvest volume. If this farm harvests more than one crop, you can add a new crop (click on the button ‘New crop’).
    • Farm units: add the farm unit ID, farm unit area, and Latitude and Longitude points, if applicable. Points will be used during your risk assessment. For each farm unit you can also add your crops, if applicable.
    • Click on ‘Update’ to go back to your ‘Farm information’ screen.
  2. Add new farm (refer to box 2 in above image): use this button to enter more farms, if required.
  3. Product harvest and volumes (refer to box 3 in above image): after you have provided information about all your farms, click on ‘Provide your harvest data’ to fill in the Subproduct (in case of more than one subproduct, select the main subproduct) and Harvest start date. Then click on ‘Save’.

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Once your farm information is complete, go to paragraph 4.2 to continue with your certification.

4.1.2. Farm groups

As a Farm group, you can easily add your farms to you certification profile by uploading your Group Member Registry (GMR). Alternatively, it is also possible to manually add farms to your certification profile by clicking the Add new farm button and filling in the form.

In the section Farm Information click on the button ‘Use GMR’. This allows you to download and upload your Group Member Registry (GMR).

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Download and upload your Group Member Registry (GMR)

In the section GMR import, you have three options:

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1. Upload your group member registry (GMR):

  • You can upload your GMR to submit your farm group data. Make sure your GMR template is in the same language as the RACP when uploading your file.

2. Download your group member registry (GMR):

  • Download the correct version of the GMR. 
  • You only need to populate columns from A to Z of sheet 1 "Farm information"; from A to G of sheet 2 "Certified Crops" and from A to E of sheet 3 "Farm Units".
  • You do not need to fill anything in the "dashboard" sheet.
  • If you have already provided data – it will be populated in this GMR.

3. Download Error Report:

  • An error report is created when the GMR is uploaded and contains more than 50 errors (incorrect data). This will help you fix the errors in the GMR. After you have updated your GMR, upload this again by repeating the upload process.
Data interpretation

For more information on how to interpret any errors during the GMR upload, please see below:

GMR Validation process and data interpretation (<50 errors)

After your GMR is uploaded, you will be guided through a Validation process to help us interpret your data. Here you can provide any missing critical data and numbers and identify errors. Please fill in the blanks and click on “Continue”.

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In the last tab ‘Validation check’ you will see your validation results. Here you can also view the Warnings, which we recommend checking to make your GMR more accurate.

If you want to make changes to your GMR, click on ‘Cancel upload’ on the left-hand side, then repeat the upload process as described above.

When your GMR is ready, you can proceed by clicking on “Confirm” to successfully upload your GMR.

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GMR Validation process and data interpretation (>50 errors)

If more than 50 errors are identified upon upload of your GMR, an error report is created. This flags any incorrect data in your document. The error report helps you locate the errors in your GMR and understand what is required to fix these.

A pop-up message will guide you to ‘Download’ your error report.

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The error report is in Excel format and consists of 4 sheets:

  1. Farm information:
    Indicates the errors that occurred in “1. farm information” sheet of the GMR. Correct all the errors to proceed.
  2. Certified Crop:
    Indicates the errors that occurred in “2. Certified crop” sheet of the GMR. Correct all the errors to proceed.
  3. Farm units:
    Indicates the errors that occurred in “3. Farm unit” sheet of the GMR. Correct all the errors to proceed.
  4. Warnings:
    Highlights warnings which might be interesting for you. Correction is not mandatory, and the upload is not blocked if the errors are not fixed.

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As an alternative, you can download your error report in the tab ‘License preparation’ and on ‘Import Group member registry’. In the next menu, click on ‘Select’ and then on ‘Download Error Report’. A picture containing graphical user interface  Description automatically generated 

Reupload your GMR once your errors are fixed by following the steps indicated in paragraph Download and upload your Group Member Registry (GMR).

How to know if your GMR upload is successful

When the GMR is correctly populated and successfully uploaded, the information in the GMR is structurally displayed on RACP, and your profile is automatically updated. The notification below will appear on your GMR screen:

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If the GMR contains errors and the upload is unsuccessful, a notification will appear on the screen.

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Download your error report and follow the instructions in paragraph "Download and upload your Group Member Registry" of this manual.

Here are some common errors and solutions to help you upload a valid GMR, when your upload is unsuccessful:

Error

Solution

Wrong version of the GMR file

Download the GMR in your RACP account

Inconsistency in the language used in GMR (Eg: having cells with names in local language with accent(s)/tone(s))

Delete the special characters/symbols

Inconsistency between the languages used in the GMR and on RACP when uploading the GMR. (i.e., GMR filled in English, but RACP interface is in French)

Adjust the language setting in RACP to the language of the GMR

Use of terms: wrong crop name (for example: using “Tea plant” instead of “Tea”)

Use the official crop and variety name. Refer to certified crop list.

(i.e.: for coffee, variety is either Arabica or Robusta; for tea, variety is “not applicable”.

Error related to the documentation of crop variety in sheet 2

Refer to the certified crop list for correct wording.

- Tea the variety is always “Not applicable”.

- Coffee either Arabica or Robusta

Duplicated farm IDs

Use the error report as a reference to find out which farm IDs are overlapping

Wrong default of decimal separator for numbers

Use the correct decimal separator to separate integer value from the decimal value. This depends on your systems settings whether a dot (.) or comma (,) should be used. Please bear in mind to use this consistently and in accordance with your system's settings.

Wrong default cell format for the GMR data

Use the error report as a reference and adjust the default settings in your Excel. For example:

in sheet 2 “Certified crops”, always choose “number” as the cell format for columns D, E, F, G.

In sheet 3. “Farm unit” always choose “number” as the cell format for columns C (Area), D (Latitude) & E (longitude).

Decimal numbers used in harvest volumes in the sheet 2 “Certified crops”

Use the error report as a reference and correct the volumes information by rounding the numbers in the column E, F, G.

Wrong farm type (“small” instead of “small farm”); typos (“coffe” instead of “coffee”); wrong format in internal inspection month, year, day.

Use the error report as a reference and read the remark notes in the Excel file for guidance.

Always enter the full text “Large farm” or “Small farm” for Farm type (column G, sheet 1. Farm information).

Correct any typos.

Fill in the Internal Inspection Year as a 4-digit number (i.e. 2021), and fill in the Internal Inspection Month and Day columns as a number (this is the day on which the inspection was completed)

4.1.3. Product harvest and volumes

After you have successfully uploaded your GMR, go back to the Farm information section, to add your Product harvest and volumes. Click on ‘Provide your harvest data’ to fill in the Subproduct (in case of more than one subproduct, you can select the main subproduct) and Harvest start date. Then click on ‘Save’.

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4.2. Maintain and edit farms

If needed, you can update information in any of your existing farms. Follow these steps:

  1. Go to ‘Certification Overview’ and click on ‘Details’.
  2. Click on the yellow button ‘Farms’.
  3. In the section Farm Information, you will see the overview of farms you entered in your certification profile. To update existing information, click on ‘Edit’.
  4. Fill in the mandatory fields with the red asterisk in the form:
    • General information: update information about the specific farm.
    • Farm Operator/Manager: update contact details of the farm operator/owner (this is not mandatory information).
    • Employment Information: update information about the number of employees working on this farm.
    • Crops and Volumes: Update information about your crops. Click on the A close-up of a cell phone  Description automatically generated with low confidence to edit your crop. Here you can add the crop variety, crop area and estimated harvest volume. If this farm harvests more than one crop, you can add a new crop here.
    • Farm units: update the farm unit ID and farm unit area. Click on ‘Save’ to continue. You can add more farm units if required in the same way. You can also edit the crop for each farm units from this overview.
    • Click on ‘Update’ to go back to your Farm information screen.

4.3. Upload your Polygons

To provide polygon data, log-in to the RACP, go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’, and click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

In your ‘Certification scope’, click on the yellow button ‘Farms’ and then when in the ‘Farm information’ click on ‘Go to Farm Unit Overview’.

NB: If you haven’t added any farms yet into your farm information screen, refer to paragraph 4.1.1 for Individual/Multi-farms or paragraph 4.1.2 for Farm groups.

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By clicking on the button ‘Go to Farm Unit Overview’, you access the ‘Geodata Information’ section. Here you can find an overview of your farms in scope, and you can upload your polygons. 

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To upload your polygons in .KML and/or .JSON format, click on the button ‘Click here’ under Upload Geodata files. Click on ‘Select file’, select the file in your computer folder, and then click on ‘Upload file’. 

A new screen will open with the validation results of the provided polygons.

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On this screen you can see two sections with results: Farm unit and Polygon

The results will tell you whether there are any errors with the polygons uploaded or not.
 

Farm unit: This section provides information on the farm unit IDs assigned to the polygons. 

Result

Explanation

Number of Farm unit in file: # 

Number of farm unit IDs within the uploaded polygon file 

Number of Farm unit uploaded: # 

Number of farm unit IDs that were uploaded into the RACP 

Number of farm unit No match: # 

Number of IDs in the file that were not pre-registered. 

All farm unit IDs must be pre-registered in the RACP by adding them manually or via GMR upload. 

Number of duplicated farm unit ID’s: # 

Number of polygons with the same ID. 

All polygons should have a unique farm unit ID. 

Polygon: This section provides information on the validation conducted on the actual polygons 

Result

Explanation

Number of total polygons: # 

The total polygons that were part of the upload in the file. 

Number of good polygons: # 

Polygons that were provided without an issue related to the geometry and shape. 

If there are no errors, click on ‘Confirm’ to upload your polygons. A green pop-up message will inform you that polygons have been uploaded successfully.

If there are errors, click on ‘Confirm’. In the next screen you can download your Error report.

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After correcting the errors in your file, re-upload the file by following the instructions in this paragraph.

4.4. EUDR

Only applicable to coffee/cocoa

From January 15, 2024, Certificate Holders with coffee and/or cocoa in scope can add the self-selected requirements that align with EUDR (European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products) requirements into their scope in the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP).

4.4.1. Include EUDR requirements

To include EUDR self-selected requirements in your certification scope, you need to have a license in “pending” status.

Log-in to your account on the RACP using this link. Upon logging in, a pop-up window will appear on your Dashboard: click on the “Go to EUDR Settings” button. Alternatively, you can also access the EUDR Settings button in the following way:

- Navigate to your Certification Overview.

- Click on "Details" for the license currently in "pending" status.

- Locate the “EUDR Settings” button positioned above the Certification scope section.

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In the EUDR Settings screen, click on the “Edit” button.

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Select “Yes” to add self-selected EUDR requirements to your certification scope, read the Terms & Conditions, and when ready click “Save”. 

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Once you have agreed to include EUDR criteria in your scope, the next step is to link your crops to your farm units. You can do so quickly by clicking on the button “Link farm crops to units” in the next pop-up window, or at a different time by following the steps here.

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Note: Make sure that all your farm units are submitted in RACP (see paragraph 4.1) in order to successfully link your crops.

Your crops are now linked to your farm units and available in your EUDR Validation screen. See paragraph 4.4.2. for more information.

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Click on ''Close'', go back to your Certification scope (pending license) and click on “Confirm scope and view requirements”.

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The EUDR self-selected requirements are now added to your certification scope.

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Note 1: if you don’t have a license in “pending” status yet, click on the button “Renew certification” on your Dashboard. This is possible only from 6 months before the expiration date of your current license.

Note 2: While the RA Standard requires 4 decimals for points and polygons, the EUDR requirements require 6 decimals. You are only required to collect 6 decimals if the self-selected EUDR requirements are included in your scope.

Sync your crops to Farm units

If you prefer to sync your crops to your farm units at another time, you can do so in the following way:

  • In your certification scope (pending license), click on the “Farms” button to access the Farm information module.
  • Click on “Go to Farm Unit overview”.
  • Then click on “Sync Crops to farm units”.

If any farm unit crop needs to be edited or you want to manually add crops to farm units, follow the steps in paragraph 4.2. In the “Farm Units” section, you can add a crop by typing in the field or remove a crop by clicking on the cross.

4.4.2. EUDR validation

After completing the steps illustrated in paragraph 4.4.1., the tab “EUDR Validation” will become available. To navigate to this tab:

  • Go to your “Certification scope” (pending license).
  • Click on the yellow button “Farms”.
  • Click on “Go to Farm Unit overview”.

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  • In the next screen, navigate to the section “EUDR Validation”.


Here you will only see the farm units that contain at least one EUDR crop (cocoa/coffee).

If you haven’t linked your crops to your farm units yet, you can do so now by clicking on the button “Sync Farms to Units” (go to Sync your crops to Farm units for more information).

Under the column EUDR Data, you can see the status "'Valid” or ''Invalid'' for each farm unit ID. If the status is “Invalid”, hover on the notification to see what information is missing.

Please note that for each farm unit you must provide 6 decimals and if the farm unit is of 4 hectares or larger you must provide these in polygon format.


When GPS points are required, click on the button “Edit” next to the Invalid farm unit ID.

In the next screen, fill out your 6 decimals GPS points in the Latitude and Longitude fields, and click “Submit”.

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When a 6 decimal polygon is required, you need to upload your geodata file. For instructions on how to upload geodata, go to paragraph 4.3.

After having successfully uploaded your polygons, navigate back to the “EUDR Validation” tab.

If your Farm unit IDs are still showing as ''Invalid'' repeat the actions above.

Once you have correctly provided your geo data information for each farm unit ID, the status will show as Valid.

You are now ready to start your risk assessment (see paragraph 4.5.)

4.4.3. Exclude EUDR requirements

To exclude your EUDR self-selected requirements from your certification scope, follow the steps below.

Log-in to your account on the RACP using this link. Upon logging in, a pop-up window will appear on your Dashboard: click on the “Go to EUDR Settings” button. Alternatively, access the EUDR Settings button in the following way:

- Navigate to your Certification Overview.

- Click on "Details" for the license currently in "pending" status.

- Locate the “EUDR Settings” button positioned above the Certification scope section.

- In the EUDR Settings screen, click on the “Edit” button.

- Select “No” and then click “Save”.

- Close the EUDR Settings window.

- In your Certification scope section, click on “Confirm scope and view requirements”.

The EUDR self-selected requirements are now excluded from your certification scope.

4.5. Risk Assessment

The GIS Risk Assessment is a tool developed by the Rainforest Alliance to identify the risk of deforestation and encroachment into protected areas, which could jeopardize the compliance with the standard requirements and the expected sustainability outcomes in an early stage.

The risk assessment is based on geolocation points and/or polygons provided in the RACP during your license preparation and is performed in the RACP. The risk assessment will conduct checks to confirm that the farm units are located on land, in the country of your certification scope, and that there is no overlap between the polygons of the farm units. Each farm unit then gets assigned a risk level for deforestation and encroachment into protected areas.

4.5.1. Start Your Risk Assessment

To start your risk assessment, log-in to the RACP, go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’, and click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

In your ‘Certification scope’, click on the yellow button ‘Farms’ and then when in the ‘Farm information’ click on ‘Go to Farm Unit Overview’.

NB: If you haven’t added any farms yet into your farm information screen, refer to paragraph 4.1.1 for Individual/Multi-farms or paragraph 4.1.2 for Farm groups.

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By clicking on the button ‘Go to Farm Unit Overview, you land on the ‘Geodata Information’ section. Click on the ‘Risk Assessment’ button.

In the Risk Assessment screen, you can start your risk assessment , by clicking on the button ‘Start risk assessment’.

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A pop-up message will show on your screen. Read the information carefully and when ready, click on ‘Confirm’ to start your risk assessment. During this process do not close the screen.

4.5.2. Download your Risk Assessment results 

If we confirm all your geodata to be on land, in the country of your certification scope, and without overlapping polygons, your risk assessment status will show as ‘In progress’. Based on the uploaded GPS points from your GMR (for farm group) and/or polygons, the risk assessment results will be prepared by the Rainforest Alliance.

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Note: while the risk assessment is in progress, you will not be able to edit, add or remove any farms or farm units, upload geodata or the Group Member Registry (GMR).

Once the results of your risk assessment are available in your RACP account, you will receive an email. To download your results, follow the steps below:

- Log in to the RACP.

- Go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’.

- Click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

- In your ‘Certification scope’, click on the yellow button ‘Farms’ and then on ‘Go to Farm Unit Overview’.

- Click on ‘Risk Assessment’ and then on the button ‘Download results’.

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On this screen you will see if your risk assessment is completed (see paragraph 4.4.2.a) or if it has failed (see paragraph 4.4.2.b.).


4.5.2.a. Results: your risk assessment is completed

If your risk assessment was successful, this will show as status ‘Completed’ and you will be able to see the risk level results for each farm unit on the same screen.

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Clicking on ‘Download results’ will automatically download a zip file on your computer. In this zip file you will find 4 documents:

  1. Deforestation Risk Assessment Indication (.pdf file)
  2. Risk of Encroachment into Protected Areas (.pdf file)
  3. Risk Results table (.xlxs file)
  4. The Rainforest Alliance GeoPDF Guidance (.pdf file).
4.5.2.b. Results: your risk assessment has failed

If your risk assessment has failed, you will see a red notification on your screen.

There can be three reasons, indicated with a red ‘Fail’ notification:

- there is an overlap between the polygon of farm units (column ‘Overlap’), and/or

- the geodata is not on land (column ‘On land’), and/or

- the GPS coordinates or polygons you provided are not in the same country as the Central Management Location (Column ‘In Country’).

There can be multiple errors for the same farm unit.

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Clicking on ‘Download results’ will automatically download a zip file on your computer. In this zip file you will find the Validation table (.xlsx file) where you can filter and identify which farm unit(s) need to be corrected. You can also use the filter icon located next to each column name to identify which farm unit(s) need to be corrected. The farm units' validations that failed can be identified with a red ‘Fail’ text in the corresponding validation column.

As a next action, please update the incorrect information. You can refer to paragraph 4.1 to update your farm units, and paragraph 4.3 to re-upload your polygons. Then start your Risk Assessment again (see paragraph 4.4.1.).


Need Help?

Consult the FAQ at the end of this user manual for more information.


4.6. Download, complete and upload your self-assessment

To download your self-assessment, follow the steps below:

- Go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’, click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

- Click on the ‘License preparation’ tab.
- In the section ‘self-assessment’, click on ‘Open’.

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- Download your self-assessment. This Excel file contains the requirements applicable to your organization based on the information provided during the registration.

- In the Excel, fill out column D with “conformity” or “non-conformity” and elaborate in column E what your findings are and how your organization complies with each requirement. If you are not (yet) compliant, please fill in columns G – J explaining what steps and measures have been taken to solve this non-conformity.

- When ready, upload your self-assessment in this section. Click on the button ‘Upload your file’.

Tip: Consult the document General Guide for the Implementation of the Sustainable Agricultural Standard for help with the interpretation and implementation of your applicable requirements.

4.7. Indicator data

Farm Certificate Holders (CHs) implementing the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Standard requirements must collect information (Indicator data) in preparation for their audit.

As of July 2023, this data needs be filled in and submitted in the RACP. The ‘Indicator data’ tab in the RACP replaces the Excel file ‘2020 Standard Indicator Template’. Once the Indicator data has been submitted and a handshake has been conducted with a CB, CBs will be able to view and download the Indicator data too.

CHs need to make any necessary corrections or amendments identified during the audit and submit a correct final version in their certification scope prior to the CB making the license request to RA.

4.7.1. Fill in your Indicator data

To fill in your Indicator data, follow the steps below:

- Go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’, click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

- Click on the ‘Indicator data’ tab.

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You will see the sections you are required to provide information on:

  • Management (only applicable to Farm groups)
  • Risk Assessment and Management Plan
  • Sustainability Differential (SD)
  • Sustainability Investments (SI)
  • Assess-and-Address
  • Living Wage

To fill in the form, click on each section to open a panel and fill in the required data.

For each completed section, a green symbol will appear next to the section’s name, as shown below.

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The entered data is saved automatically when closing each panel. You can also save with the ‘Save’ button at the bottom of the page.

When all sections are complete, click on the button ‘Submit’. A pdf file of your Indicator data will be generated. Your CB will have access to your latest report when the contract (handshake) has been confirmed (see paragraph 3.3).

Note: all sections need to be successfully filled in before you can submit your Indicator data. If any field is missing, an error message on your screen will inform you of the missing data.

If you make any changes to your certification scope (see paragraph 2.3), your Indicator data may change. You will need to reconfirm your scope (see paragraph 2.2) and fill in any new Indicator data as illustrated in this paragraph. Make sure all the indicators are up to date according to your new certification scope.

4.7.2. Download your Indicator data report

Once submitted, you can download your Indicator data report:

- Go to the tab ‘Certification Overview’, click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

- Click on the ‘Indicator data’ tab.

- Click on the button ‘Download’.

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Note: Above the ‘Download’ button you can see the latest date when your Indicator data has been submitted. If changes are required in your Indicator data report, update the required data, and click on ‘Submit’ again to resubmit your updated information. Then download the report again.



Need Help?

Consult the FAQ at the end of this user manual for more information.


5. Renew your Certification

You receive a notification 6 months before your license expires. This means you need to make sure you renew your certification and/or license before this expires.

Below you can find the main steps to take in the RACP to renew your certification.

5.1 Update and confirm your scope

Login to your account at this link with your username and password received when you registered in the RACP.

A pop-up message will appear 6 months before your current license expires. Click on Yes to start renewing your certification.

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Note:

1. If you click on the button No you will be able to renew your certification at a later stage by clicking on the button ‘Certification Overview’, and on the button ‘Details’ on the license in status pending.

2. If you do not see the pop-up message, this means you already have a new certification scope for your next pending license in your ‘Certification Overview’.

Your certification scope is copied from your previous certification scope, so you do not need to enter all information again. Click on the tab ‘Certification Overview’ and follow the below steps:

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  1. Click on ‘Edit’ to review the ownership status of your farms. If any changes are required, update the information (see instructions in paragraph 2).
  2. Click on ‘Details’ to go to your ‘Certification scope’ section.

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Make sure to verify the existing information in your farms and site(s) and update it if required (for example new crops, farms, sites, activities, traceability levels etc. you want to include), by clicking on the button ‘Edit’ on the right-hand side of your site.

To continue with your certification, apply and prepare for your audit, follow the instructions in chapter 3 and 4 of this user manual.


6. Organization: Users & Contacts

In this chapter you can find instructions on how to add users and contacts in your RACP account.

6.1. Users

In the tab Organization, click on Users to view, edit or add new users.

Every user can be assigned different roles, based on their activities and responsibilities in the RACP.

Role

Available functions in RACP

Administrator 

Can add users, change user roles, change information, contact CBs, and upload or fill in required information

Finance 

Can change financial information, and view farm and site information

User 

Can change information, contact CBs, upload or fill in required information

By default, the person who has registered the account is assigned with all three roles (Finance, Administrator, User).

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Besides the above-mentioned user roles, users who work with Claims approval requests can assume one of the following roles: 

Claims Roles

Available functions in the Claims account

Admin 

Can add users, change user roles, set-up delegations, submit claims approval requests, add/update information (e.g. brands, products, manufacturers, templates etc.) in the Claims account

User 

Can set up delegations, submit claims approval requests, add/update information (e.g. brands, products, manufacturers, templates etc.) in the Claims account

Read-only

Can only view users, delegations and information (e.g. approval requests, brands, products, manufacturers, request templates etc.) in the Claims account

6.1.1. Add new user

To add a new user, click on ‘Users’ and use the button ‘Add New User’. Complete the form, including the designated role(s) as explained above. By default, a new user will have the basic role ‘User’.

Note: When creating a new user, we recommend using the user’s email address as username.

6.1.2. Edit user

Administrators can edit the user’s information, such as name, surname, email address and roles. To do so, click on the user and update the required information.

Multiple users can have the role ‘Finance’ and ‘Administrator’.

If applicable, as Administrator, you can remove your Finance role by clicking on your name and de-activate the corresponding tick-box, after you have assigned the Finance role to a different user.

Please note: In each account, there must always be at least one user with the Administrator role. To remove your administrator role, assign this first to another user, then deselect the role from your username.

6.1.3. Delete user

To delete a user, click on the user’s name and then on the button ‘Delete’. In the pop up, click ‘Confirm’.

6.2. Contacts

In the tab Organization, click on ‘Contacts’ to view, edit or add new contacts.

An employee registered as User is automatically also listed as a Contact.

When you add an employee as Contact, this is to indicate their responsibility in your organization, that may be relevant for the Rainforest Alliance or a Certification Body, and does not automatically assign them a user role in RACP.

6.2.1. Add new contact

To add a new contact, click on ‘Add new contact’. Fill in the form with the required information and save contact.

Click again on the newly created contact’s name and then go to the section ‘Contact type’. Here you can assign their contact type (Admin, Billing) for the organization and each site/subcontractor you have registered.

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6.2.2. Delete contact

To delete a contact, click on the contact you want to delete. A panel will open, click on the red button ‘Delete contact’.

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Confirm the pop-up by clicking on ‘Delete’ and the contact is removed from your account.

6.3. User in multiple accounts

It is possible to be a user active in multiple accounts. To keep one username for all accounts, we recommend you use the same e-mail address (and username) when going through the registration process for all Certificate Holders for which you need access in RACP.

When accessing RACP with your username linked to more than one accounts, you can select for which organization you want to login.

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If you are logged in already, you can switch to another account. Go to your Dashboard tab, and click on the orange text (-> Click here to change) on the top right corner.

7. Glossary

The table below lists the most frequently used terms and abbreviations and their significance for working with RACP. Understanding these terms is necessary to accurately complete your registration.

See also our online glossary, for an explanation of the terminology you will find within the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program's documents and tools.

Term
Definition

Central Management Location (CML)

Location where most of the management activities take place. This includes the management of the processes and procedures needed to become and remain certified.

Certificate Scope

A set of activities, processes, actors, and products covered under the certification of a certificate holder.

Certification Overview

Section in the RACP where a Certificate Holder can submit the information on their 'certificate scope'.

Farm

All land and facilities used for agricultural production and processing activities under the geographical scope of the farm applicable for Rainforest Alliance certification. A farm may be composed of several neighbouring or geographically separate farm units within one country, provided that they are under a common management body. All farm units falling within this geographical scope must comply with the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard, including both crops to be sold as certified and other crops.

Single farm

This certification option applies for farms with an independent organizational structure, where management and all activities take place at a single physical location. This farm will be certified individually. Most farms in this category will be large farms; however small farms may also be certified under this option. Please note that even with single farm certification, a management site still needs to be added to your organization scope and your certification scope.

Multi-farm

This certification option is for two or more farms owned or rented by the same person or organization, that want to get certified together. If the farms are not owned or rented by the same person or organization, they can be certified together under the group of farms certification option, or each farm can be certified individually under the single farm certification option.

Geolocation data

Data that identifies the geographic location of farms and boundaries of farms, farm units, and other facilities of the Rainforest Alliance Certificate Holders. Geolocation data is represented by coordinates generally collected through Geo Positioning Systems (GPS) mapping using either individual location points (including envelopes) or polygons which define the full boundaries of the relevant area.

Geodata Risk assessment

GIS tool developed by the Rainforest Alliance to identify the risk of deforestation and encroachment into Protected Areas, which in turn, could jeopardize the compliance with the standard requirements and the expected sustainability outcomes.

Group of farms

This certification option is for farms that are not owned or rented by one organization but do implement a common management system. The group can be organized as an association or cooperative or be managed by a farm or other supply chain actor such as an exporter. This type of certification is most appropriate for small farms that do not have the means to get certified individually. However large farms may form or be part of a group.

Group Management

The entity that signs the certification agreement with the Rainforest Alliance accredited certification body and takes responsibility for the development and implementation of the group’s internal management system and all member farms’ management systems. The group management is responsible for assuring member farms’ compliance with the Standard.

Group Member Registry (GMR)

A binding template that allows Farm Certificate Holders, especially those under group certification, to upload relevant data from their internal inspections around their group members to the RACP in preparation for their audit.

Indicator

Quantitative or qualitative data included in the standard to measure and monitor the changes connected to the improvement requirements, or to assess the reach and output of the organization related to core requirements. The certificate holders are requested to report yearly on the applicable indicator data.

Large farm

All farms with 10 or more permanent workers.

Multi-site

A supply chain actor that does not have farming in the scope of its Rainforest Alliance certification and has an identified central location under which two or more sites are operating.

Producer

A person (either male or female) who owns and/or operates an agricultural enterprise, either commercially or to sustain him or herself or his/her family.

Site

A geographically separate entity belonging to a certificate holder (farm or supply chain actor) where a specific number and type of operations are conducted.

Small farm

All farms with fewer than 10 permanent workers are small farms.

Subcontractor

An organization or individual contracted to carry out one or more specific operations on the certified products, for example, processing, storing, packaging, and/or labelling products.

8. FAQ

What is the link to register in RACP?

You can register at this link (Farm flow): https://portal.ra.org/CertificateHolder_Registration/

My account has been approved. Where can I Iog-in?

Follow the link in the email you received to set your password.

You can login at the link below after you have set a new password: https://portal.ra.org/RA_Certification_Theme/Login

How do I join the Rainforest Alliance 2020 certification program?

You need to register in the RACP, comply with the applicable requirements and obtain a Rainforest Alliance 2020 certificate and license.

I forgot my password. How can I retrieve it?

If you have forgotten your password, you can recover it by clicking on ‘Forgot your password?’ in the login screen.

Where can I find the rules to become certified against the Rainforest Alliance 2020 certification program?

You can learn about the certification and auditing rules on our binding document 2020 Certification and Auditing Rules.

For other binding documents, check out our Certification page.

When do I add a subcontractor to my certification?

Consult our document Traceability Guidance to find out which entities can be included in your certification scope.

I am a Certificate Holder in Ghana, and I cannot choose a Certification Body in the RACP. How do I apply for an audit?Farm Certificate Holders in Ghana will get a Certification Body assigned by the Rainforest Alliance. You will receive an email once the CB has been assigned. The CB will reach out to you via email as soon as possible. Once the contract is finalized between your organization and the CB, the CB will send you a request in the RACP. See paragraph 3.3.b. in this manual for instructions on how to accept the request from your assigned CB.

I am renewing my license. Why do I need to choose the pending license?

The first license(s) include all information (certification scope, audit preparation information, etc.) of your first transition cycle. The pending license represents the new certification/transition cycle for Farm CHs, and this is where you can edit information.

What is the maximum number of farms I can add to my RACP account while creating my certification profile?


Max small farms

Max large farms

Farm groups

50.000

500

Single / multi-farms

100

100

Note: this limit only applies to the initial registration process. Via the ‘Farm Information’ section it is possible to add additional small and/or large farms at a later stage.

What is geodata?Geodata identifies the geographic location and boundaries of farms, farm units, and other facilities of the Rainforest Alliance Certificate Holders. Geodata is represented by coordinates generally collected through a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) mapping using either individual location points or polygons which define the full boundaries of the relevant area.
What does it mean that the farm units are located on land, in country and that there is no overlap between the polygons of the farm units?
  • On land: this check validates whether the farm unit coordinates are on land (pass = correct) or in a waterbody (fail = incorrect). 
  • In country: this check validates whether the farm unit coordinates are in the same country (pass = correct) or in a different country (fail = incorrect) than your certification scope.
  • Overlap between polygons: this check validates whether farm unit polygons overlap (fail = incorrect) or not (pass = correct) with another provided polygon. 

Why can't I upload my geodata?

Geodata can only be uploaded after your certification scope is confirmed. To confirm your scope, go to your Certification scope’. See chapter 2 of this user manual to confirm scope, and chapter 4 to add your farm(s) and farm information, and to upload geodata.


How can I receive my risk assessment results?
Your risk assessment results will be available in your RACP account in the ‘Documents’ section. An automated notification e-mail will be sent to your e-mail as soon the results are uploaded by the Rainforest Alliance team.

Why are my risk assessment results not ready yet?

This could be because:

  1. During the validations there were errors found which need to be corrected.
  2. The Rainforest Alliance is still processing your geodata.
Please contact the Rainforest Alliance if you have not received a notification within two weeks after providing your geodata.

I need help with my registration/certification process. Who can I reach out to?

Reach out to our Customer Success team via email at CustomerSuccess@ra.org or visit our Contact Us page.

For technical assistance, use our live chat on the RACP.

9. Change history

Version no.  

Effective Date

Significant Changes  

Previous
Version no.  

1.0 

March 2023 

New version: Replaces version 02 June 2022

N/A

1.1

July 2023

- Updates to chapters 3 and 4: paragraphs are reorganized in ‘3. Apply for your audit’ and ‘4. Prepare for your audit’.

Update to paragraph 4.5: in case of non-conformity, fill in columns G-J in the self-assessment.

- New section ‘4.6 Indicator data’ is added.

- Paragraph 5.2 is removed.

- New definition of ‘Indicator’ is added to Glossary.

1.0


1.2

October 2023

- Section 4.3 ‘Upload your polygons’ is updated.

- Section 4.4 ‘Your risk assessment results’ is replaced by the section ‘Risk Assessment’.

- New section is added in paragraph 4.1.2.: ‘How to know if the GMR upload is successful’.

- Updated section 8. FAQ
1.1
1.318 December 2023Paragraph 6.1 is updated with new Claims user roles.1.2
1.415 January 2024New addition: Paragraph 4.7 EUDR1.3
1.512 March 2024Updates and additions to paragraph 4.4 EUDR (former paragraph 4.7): Synch your crops & EUDR Validation
1.4

10. Disclaimer

This user manual is being created in parallel with the RACP system development, therefore screens may slightly differ from the live version of RACP due to ongoing development.




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