WEBVTT

00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:17.440
Welcome to the online training module of 
the Rainforest Alliance Assurance System.  

00:00:18.240 --> 00:00:23.280
This training aims to provide high level knowledge 
on the Rainforest Alliance Assurance System.  

00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:28.560
During this video, we will explain what an 
assurance system is, the principles behind  

00:00:28.560 --> 00:00:34.240
the Rainforest Alliance Assurance System and the documents that compose it. Additionally, we will  

00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:39.600
explain how to follow the online training on the 
Certification and Auditing Rules.  After completing  

00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:44.080
the online training on the Certification and 
Auditing Rules you will have a high level  

00:00:44.080 --> 00:00:49.520
understanding of the Assurance System and you will 
be able to identify the core principles behind it.  

00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:56.400
This training is suitable for all certification 
bodies personnel, that is both Program Management  

00:00:56.400 --> 00:01:01.680
Team an Audit Team who wish to become acquainted 
with the Rainforest Alliance Assurance System  

00:01:01.680 --> 00:01:06.720
and to Certificate Folders, farm and supply 
chain,who are curious to learn more about the  

00:01:06.720 --> 00:01:12.960
rules that govern the Rainforest Alliance 
Certification process. Rainforest Alliance  

00:01:12.960 --> 00:01:19.680
developed two e-courses on the Assurance System, 
one on the Certification Rules and the second  

00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:25.520
on the Auditing Rules. Each course consists of 
a series of modules or videos that you need to  

00:01:25.520 --> 00:01:30.080
follow at the end of each course there is an 
exam you need to pass to complete the course.  

00:01:30.720 --> 00:01:35.520
You can either take the Certification Rules 
e-course before the one on Auditing Rules  

00:01:35.520 --> 00:01:41.280
or simultaneously, but please mind that the modules 
in each course do follow a sequential order.  

00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:49.360
Rainforest Alliance is a proud member of ISEAL, a 
global membership organization for sustainability  

00:01:49.360 --> 00:01:55.600
systems. Our assurance system abides by the 
ISEAL's Code of Ethics and Codes of Good Practice.  

00:01:56.160 --> 00:02:01.280
This means that we follow strict principles 
and requirements which ensure transparency  

00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:07.520
and innovation to address the most pressing social and environmental challenges of our time. Before we  

00:02:07.520 --> 00:02:13.440
jump in let's stop for a moment and ask ourselves 
what is an assurance system and why do we need it?  

00:02:14.320 --> 00:02:19.520
When we talk about an assurance system we're 
talking about a framework for assessing compliance  

00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:25.120
with standards. Think about the Rainforest 
Alliance Certification Program as a board game  

00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:30.880
the sustainable agriculture standard is the game 
itself, with the pieces cards and all the other fun  

00:02:30.880 --> 00:02:36.800
stuff you will find inside the box. When you take 
out all of the elements, you suddenly ask yourself  

00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:42.000
how is this game even played? well this is when 
you start reading the booklet that explains how  

00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:47.440
many cards each player should receive, what they 
can and cannot do and most importantly how to win! 

00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:54.080
This is precisely what the assurance system does. It lays down the rule of the game.   

00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:58.160
The minimum criteria for implementation 
so that the stakeholders know that  

00:02:58.160 --> 00:03:03.840
the results of an audit are transparent, trustworthy, and add value. In a nutshell,  

00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:09.600
the Rainforest Alliance Assurance System ensures 
the correct implementation of the Certification  

00:03:09.600 --> 00:03:14.720
Program so that the Sustainable Agricultural 
Standard is delivered in the desire impact.  

00:03:16.320 --> 00:03:22.320
The Assurance System is composed of two 
documents: the first 2020 Rainforest Alliance  

00:03:22.320 --> 00:03:28.960
Certification and Auditing Rules, the second 2020 
Rainforest Alliance Rules for Certification Bodies.  

00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:34.640
The Rainforest Alliance Certification and 
Auditing Rules document has two chapters.  

00:03:34.640 --> 00:03:40.480
Chapter 1: Certification Rules establishes the 
requirements and process for the certificate  

00:03:40.480 --> 00:03:47.040
holders to become or remain part of the program. 
Chapter 2: Auditing Rules establishes requirements  

00:03:47.040 --> 00:03:52.880
to be followed by Certification Bodies to ensure 
that audits are conducted following a consistently  

00:03:52.880 --> 00:03:59.840
structured process. The rules for Certification 
Bodies document, is also composed of two chapters  

00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:06.160
Chapter 1: Rules for Authorizing Certification 
Bodies set the general rules that Certification  

00:04:06.160 --> 00:04:11.680
Bodies must fulfill to be authorized by the 
Rainforest Alliance to grant farm group and  

00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:18.880
supply chain certification. Chapter 2 Rules for 
Certification Bodies' Personnel on the other hand,  

00:04:18.880 --> 00:04:24.160
sets the minimum requirement Certification 
Bodies Personnel must comply with to provide  

00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:30.080
certification services to their clients under the 
rainforest alliance 2020 certification program.  

00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:35.440
These documents are binding for all parties 
involved in the process to become part of the  

00:04:35.440 --> 00:04:41.440
Rainforest Alliance Certification Program from 
Certification Bodies to farm and supply chain  

00:04:41.440 --> 00:04:47.120
Certificate Holders. At Rainforest Alliance we 
strive for audits and certification services  

00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:51.920
that ensures a general sense of purpose 
as well as a commitment to high quality,  

00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:59.360
integrity, consistency and transparency. For this 
purpose, we have identified five guiding principles  

00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:07.760
underpinning the certification program. One: 
transparency, two: continuous improvements, three:  

00:05:07.760 --> 00:05:14.720
shared responsibility, four: integrated approach to 
farm and supply chain, and five: strengthened assurance  

00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:20.880
These commitments and principles feed into our 
pledge for continuous improvement of systems  

00:05:20.880 --> 00:05:27.280
documentation and processes. Traditionally, 
sustainability standards relied on auditors  

00:05:27.280 --> 00:05:34.000
to guarantee effective assurance processes. The 
assurance system of the 2020 certification program  

00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:39.440
introduces numerous innovations to ensure 
that certification is more context-specific,  

00:05:39.440 --> 00:05:44.880
data-driven, and risk-based. Distributing 
responsibilities more fairly among stakeholders,  

00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:50.080
this way certificate holders are also empowered 
to make use of technologies to increase  

00:05:50.080 --> 00:05:55.680
the accuracy of data for informed decision 
processes, risk assessment, and audit quality.  

00:05:56.320 --> 00:06:01.600
The central innovations made in the new standard 
are meant to verify that those involved comply  

00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:07.440
with good practices and implement our standard as 
it was envisioned these central innovations are  

00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:14.960
Risk-based approach, data monitoring, strengthen audits. Let's go through these categories  

00:06:14.960 --> 00:06:20.480
to understand what they imply. We want all 
stakeholders involved in our certification program  

00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:26.240
to become more preventive rather than reactive. A 
risk-based framework has been developed to collect  

00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:31.360
data from the beginning of the certification process rather than at the end. Allowing for  

00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:37.360
the risk analysis to be carried out before the audit takes place. This way certificate bodies can  

00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:43.920
adapt the audit plan based on the risk and needs of the certificate holder. To support this process  

00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:50.320
Rainforest Alliance has introduced risk maps these 
are maps that are created by combining external  

00:06:50.320 --> 00:06:57.360
data sources with location data. The map provides 
risk level of countries organizations and farms  

00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:04.480
for key sustainability topics such as child labor, forced labor and deforestation. Risk maps  

00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:09.120
include a risk classification which serves 
as inputs for the Certificate Holder to take  

00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:14.880
informed decisions and to go facilitate the 
auditing process. In our certification program  

00:07:14.880 --> 00:07:20.880
data has a central role it allows a certificate 
holder to understand their current situation  

00:07:20.880 --> 00:07:27.360
and take action. It helps auditors to enhance their 
audit quality and allows Rainforest Alliance to  

00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:33.520
enhance its standard and assurance. Before, we would 
wait until the audit results had been reported to  

00:07:33.520 --> 00:07:39.280
the Rainforest Alliance to assess whether a 
certificate holder was compliant or not. Now,  

00:07:39.280 --> 00:07:45.200
at several different stages of the certification 
process we ask stakeholders to input data in our  

00:07:45.200 --> 00:07:52.480
Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform, this can help to avoid mistakes and costs. Finally to  

00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:58.160
strengthen the consistency and quality of auditing 
across certification bodies the Assurance System  

00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:04.400
provides specific requirements and guidance on 
how to audit specific topics such as deforestation,  

00:08:04.400 --> 00:08:11.840
traceability, subcontractors and personnel 
files. Thank you for watching. Until next time!

00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:32.420
you