RACP User Manual for Supply Chain Actors
  • 15 Jan 2024
  • 33 Minutes to read
  • PDF

RACP User Manual for Supply Chain Actors

  • PDF

Article Summary

Available in:
The Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP) is the certification platform for members who wish to be part of the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program.
Version 1.3

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, view your finance information, and 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 Supply Chain Certificate Holders navigate the RACP during the registration and certification process, the certification renewal process, and how to manage users and contacts.

Steps to get Supply Chain Certification

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You can find more information on our page How to Get Supply Chain Certification: A Guide for Companies.

1. Submit your registration request

  1. Go to the RACP registration page here.
  2. Select your preferred language in the top right corner.
  3. Click on the Supply Chain Actor flow.
  4. Provide your organization’s information:
    1. Organization details:
      1. organization name;
      2. if applicable, your legacy Rainforest Alliance/UTZ ID.
      3. your main crop.
      4. any additional activities.
    2. Organization address: this is the location where the certificate is managed.
    3. Personal details: your first name, last name and business email address.
    4. Terms & Conditions:
      1. Read and accept the Terms & Conditions.
      2. Submit your registration: click on ‘Submit participation’.
Note: Your registration request will be reviewed by the Rainforest Alliance team. When approved, you will receive an email to activate your username and set your new password.
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 site(s) you want to certify, by indicating:

  • your Central Management Location. This is the address of the management office;
  • any additional sites that you want to include in your certification (if applicable).

Summary: Click on ‘Submit’ to continue with the next steps.

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

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

2.1 Add and maintain sites

In your ‘Certification scope’, you can find an overview of your sites.

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You need to fill in more information about your site(s). Click on ‘Edit’ and fill in the information as applicable:

  1. Details: enter your site’s information.
  2. Crops: select the Rainforest Alliance Certified crop(s) handled at this location. Provide an estimation of the volumes (total of Rainforest Alliance Certified volumes, non-certified volumes, and volumes certified by other schemes) you expect to source or process in the coming 12 months for each crop you select. Use our online calculator tool for an estimation of your volumes.
  3. Activities: indicate what activities are applicable to this location.
  4. Input: indicate what product(s) are sourced or arrive at this location.
  5. Output: indicate what product(s) 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. This is visible on your invoices and shipping documentation. If you don’t know this, please check with your supplier.
  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. If the pre-filled answers are incorrect, you need to update the previous entries. Click ‘Back’ to edit the information you filled in the previous sections of this site.
    Note: if your site has an active chain of custody certificate for another certification scheme, you can upload a copy in this section. This may help lower your verification level.
  8. Summary: here you can see a summary of the information you entered so far. If any edits are required, click ‘Back’ to edit the previous entries. If no further edits are required, click ‘Submit’ to continue with the next steps.

Every Certificate Holder must have at least one site. This is the Central Management Location (CML) that you indicated when creating your account. In case of a multi-site certification, you will see the other sites listed here as well. You can also manually add any new sites (see the next paragraph 2.2).

2.2 Multi-site & Subcontractors

If you have a multi-site certification or would like to add any subcontractors to your certification scope, click on the green button ‘Add new site’ in your Certification scope section.

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Repeat the actions as illustrated above in paragraph 2.1 in this guide for each site/subcontractor you would like to add.

Note: In case of multiple sites, make sure the management site is selected as Central Management Location. This will appear on your certificate.
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2.3. Confirm your certification scope & View requirements

After you added all your sites/subcontractors to your certification scope, you can confirm your scope.

In your ‘Certification scope’ section, 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 ‘Back’.

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2.4. Calculate your verification levels

Return to your section ‘Certification scope’ and click on the light green button ‘Calculate my verification levels’. This is a mandatory step to make sure the Rainforest Alliance receives the request to calculate your verification (risk) levels, so you can proceed with your certification.

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Read the information in the panel ‘Start verification’, follow the instructions and then click ‘Submit’.

The verification level refers to how often and what review processes are needed to assess the risk at a specific site. The Rainforest Alliance certification team will review your profile within three weeks. You will receive your results via email.

Please proceed with requesting or uploading your License Agreement. Follow the steps in chapter 3.

2.5. EUDR

Only applicable to coffee and cocoa

From January 15, 2024, Certificate Holders with coffee and/or cocoa in scope can request data and analysis from Rainforest Alliance certification to support their EUDR (European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products) due diligence obligation, by including the EUDR setting into their scope in the Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP).

2.5.1. Include EUDR option

To include your EUDR option in your certification scope, you need to have a license in status “pending”. You can check the status of your license in the tab ''Certification Overview''.

Log-in to your account on the RACP using this link. Upon logging in, a pop-up window will appear on your Dashboard, if the crops cocoa and/or coffee are in scope: 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 button “Edit”.

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Select “Yes” to add EUDR to your certification scope, read the Terms & Conditions, and when ready click on “Save”.
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Your request to add EUDR data to your certification scope is now included. Data on new EUDR-approved licenses will be made available later in the year.

Note 1: if you don’t have a license in status “pending” yet, click on the button “Renew certification” on your Dashboard. You can renew your license starting six months before the expiration date of your current license.

Note 2: Supply chain actors need to transact in traceability levels Identity Preserved (IP) or Mixed Identity Preserved (Mixed IP) in the Rainforest Alliance traceability system, and need to be audited for IP or Mixed IP requirements.

2.5.2. Exclude EUDR option

To exclude your EUDR option from your certification scope, follow the steps below:

Log-in to your account on the RACP using this link.

- 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.

Your request to add EUDR data to your certification scope is now excluded.

2.6. FAQ: Registration & Certification

What is the link to register in RACP?

You can register at this link: https://portal.ra.org/CertificateHolder_Registration/

If you are a Supply Chain Actor, click on the Supply Chain flow.

If you are a Retailer, click on the Retailer flow.

My account has been approved. Where can 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 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.

To sign or upload your existing License Agreement, log in to your RACP account and click on the tab Legal.

In the next screen you can set up your legal hierarchy.

  • Parent organization: Organization that has controlling interest on one or more organizations.
  • Child organization: Organization for which another entity is legally responsible.
  • Standalone organization: Organization that is not a subsidiary of and/or is not legally linked to another company.

Select your type of organization and click ‘Continue’.

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Click on the button ‘Request your legal agreement’.
In the next screen, you can indicate if you have already an existing (valid) License Agreement.

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If you have an existing and valid License Agreement (2020 version), you can upload this in RACP. Click on ‘Yes, I have an existing License Agreement (2020 Version)' and follow the instructions in paragraph 3.1.

If you don’t have an existing License Agreement (2020 version), you can request it in RACP. Click on ‘No, I do not have an existing License Agreement (2020 version)' and follow the steps in paragraph 3.2.

3.1. Upload your existing License Agreement (2020 version)

If your company already has a valid License Agreement (2020 version), follow the steps below:

1) Select “Yes, I have an existing License Agreement (2020 version)”.

2) Upload your document.

3) Click ‘Continue’.

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Note: You can find the valid License Agreement (2020 version) in your legacy account in Marketplace (make sure you log in to the account where you have requested the document). This can be found under the tab “Legal Agreements”.

Make sure you upload a valid document, with the validation signature from the Rainforest Alliance.

If applicable, include any sublicensees. Approved sublicensees will be covered by your License Agreement. If you don’t have sublicensees, click directly on ‘Send to the Rainforest Alliance’ to submit your request.

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Your request is now in status ‘Pending review by the Rainforest Alliance’.

The Rainforest Alliance team will review your request. You will receive feedback via email.

Once your License Agreement has been validated by the Rainforest Alliance, this will show as ‘Valid’ in your Legal tab.

3.2. Sign your new License Agreement

If you have not signed a License Agreement (2020 version) yet, please request and sign this in the RACP. You can sign it with DocuSign in the system directly, if available in your country.

Follow the steps below:

1) Select “No, I do not have an existing License Agreement (2020 version)”.

2) Click ‘Continue’.

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In the screen ‘Select who will be part of your legal agreement’:

1) Include any sublicensees. Approved sublicensees will be covered by your License Agreement. If you don’t have sublicensees, skip to step 2.

2) Select the preferred language of your License Agreement.

3) Click ‘Continue'.

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To continue with your signature, you have two options:

1) Sign the License Agreement with DocuSign. Follow the steps in paragraph 3.2.1.

2) Sign the License Agreement with wet signature. Follow the steps in paragraph 3.2.2.

Note: If it is not allowed to use electronic signatures in your country, you will see an informative box in the signature fields prompting you to print and sign manually the document. Follow the steps in paragraph 3.2.2 of this user manual.
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3.2.1. Sign your new License Agreement with DocuSign

To sign your License Agreement with DocuSign, follow the steps below:

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  1. Select the language of the DocuSign application (Click ‘Change language’).
  2. Tick the box ‘I agree to use electronic records and signatures.’ Then on the yellow button ‘Continue’.
  3. Read the document. On page 2 of the License Agreement, select a style for your signature, enter your full name, job title and company address.
  4. Repeat step 3 for the second signature block below.
  5. When ready, complete the signature process by clicking on the yellow button ‘Finish’.
  6. Submit the signed License Agreement: click on the button 'Send to the Rainforest Alliance'.

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Your request is now in status ‘Pending review by the Rainforest Alliance’.

The Rainforest Alliance team will now review your request. You will receive feedback via email.

Once your License Agreement has been validated by the Rainforest Alliance, this will show as ‘Valid’ in your Legal tab.

3.2.2. Sign your new License Agreement with wet signature

This option allows you to download, print and sign the License Agreement with wet signature.

Follow the steps below:

  1. Select the language of the DocuSign application (Click on ‘Change language’).
  2. Tick the box ‘I agree to use electronic records and signatures.’
  3. Click ‘Other actions’ (1) and then on ‘Print & Sign’ (2).

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  1. In the pop-up window, click on ‘Download’ to generate the document in PDF.
  2. Print the document and sign it with wet signature. In the same pop-up window, click on ‘Return document’ to upload the signed document. If you have closed the pop-up, or have logged out of the RACP, go back to the Legal tab and repeat steps 3 and 4 to return to the option ‘Return document’.
  3. Upload your file and click ‘Finish’.
  4. Submit the signed License Agreement: click on the button 'Send to the Rainforest Alliance'.

Your request is now in status ‘Pending review by the Rainforest Alliance’.

The Rainforest Alliance team will now review your request. You will receive feedback via email.

Once your License Agreement has been validated by the Rainforest Alliance, this will show as ‘Valid’ in your Legal tab.

Note: Please make sure you print and sign the document with a wet ink signature. We do not accept images of signatures (or screenshots), typed names, or digitally drawn signatures. Your request will be rejected.

3.3. FAQ: License Agreement

What is a License Agreement?

This is a contractual document signed between the Rainforest Alliance and your organization that states the Rainforest Alliance Terms and Conditions and obligations to follow. 

Why do I need to sign a License Agreement?

Signing the Legal Agreement is required to become certified with the Rainforest Alliance and to use the trademarks.

What entities can I cover with my License Agreement?

A License Agreement can cover multiple entities called sublicensee or children organizations.

What is DocuSign?

To sign a License Agreement, we use DocuSign for the electronic signature process.

DocuSign provides a secure and legally binding, digital online contract signing process, replacing paper contract handling for specific countries where allowed.

Is DocuSign available in all countries?

DocuSign is not available in all countries. If electronic signatures are not allowed in your country, follow the instructions in paragraph 3.2.2.

The status of my License Agreement is ‘Waiting for Account Signature’. What does it mean? 

This means you have initiated your request, but you have not submitted it to the Rainforest Alliance yet. Follow the steps in paragraph 3.2. to submit your request.

I have questions about my License Agreement. 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.

4. Verification levels received: next steps

Based on the results you received in the email with your verification level, you need to prepare for your Endorsement letter, or for your audit.

Follow the steps as indicated below for the site(s) that received:

- Verification Level A: prepare for your Endorsement letter. Go to paragraph 4.1.

- Verification level B to E: prepare for your audit. Go to paragraph 4.2.

4.1. Verification Level A: prepare for your Endorsement Letter

If you received verification level A, this means you are exempt from an audit. You need to proceed with your endorsement process to obtain an Endorsement Letter.

Complete the following steps:

  • Download, complete and upload your self-assessment.
  • Have a valid License Agreement (2020 version).
  • Request Endorsement.

These steps are explained in more detail below.

4.1.1. Download, complete and upload your self-assessment

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

- Go to the section ‘Certification Overview’ and then click on the ‘Details’ button of the license in Pending status.

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

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

- In the Excel file, fill out column D with “conformity” or “non-conformity” and elaborate in column E what your findings are, to state how your company is complying with each requirement. If you are not complying, 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 the same section. Click ‘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.

4.1.2. Have a valid License Agreement (2020 version)

Make sure to have a valid License Agreement (2020 version) in the Rainforest Alliance Certification platform (RACP).

If your company already has a valid License Agreement (2020 version), you can upload it to the RACP. If you have not signed a License Agreement (2020 version) yet, you can request and sign this in the RACP.

Follow the steps to sign or upload the License Agreement (2020 version) in the chapter 3 of this manual.

4.1.3. Request Endorsement

Go to your ‘Certification Overview’. On your pending license, click on ‘Details’.

On the right-hand side of the screen, you can see the button ‘Request endorsement’.

Once all required information has been reviewed, the Rainforest Alliance will either reach out to you for further clarifications or issue your Endorsement letter and license to trade.

Once your endorsement letter has been issued, you will receive an email.

Your certificate will be visible under the section ‘Documents’ in the ‘License preparation’ tab.

Note: The button ‘Request endorsement’ becomes active only once you have completed steps 4.1.1 and 4.1.2.

Completing this step is essential to receive your Endorsement letter and license to trade.

4.2. Verification level B to E: prepare for your audit

If you receive verification level B to E, this means you need to undergo a certification audit. You need to proceed with your audit process to obtain an audit Certificate.

To start planning your audit, complete the following steps:

  • 4.2.1. Download, complete and upload your self-assessment
  • 4.2.2. Fill out the Certification Application Form (CAF)
  • 4.2.3. Reach out to an authorized Certification Body (CB)
  • 4.2.4. Have a valid License Agreement (2020 version)
  • 4.2.5. Confirm the contract in RACP (Handshake)

These steps are explained in more detail below.

4.2.1. Download, complete and upload your self-assessment

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

- Go to the section ‘Certification Overview’ and then 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 contains the requirements applicable to your organization based on the information provided during the registration.

- In the Excel file, fill out column D with “conformity” or “non-conformity” and elaborate in column E what your findings are, to state how your company is complying with each requirement. If you are not complying, 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 ‘Upload your file’.

Note: Download your self-assessment after you have received your verification levels. Some information may change in your scope which can affect your list of requirements.
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.

4.2.2. 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, see screenshot below) or on the Rainforest Alliance website here.

Make sure you use the correct document named Supply chain.

Fill out the red tab 1. Application form.

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4.2.3. 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 following documentation to your CB:

- Certification Application Form (CAF).

- Your self-assessment filled out as per instructions.

- Your email with the verification level results.

Note: please make sure to send a copy of the completed self-assessment and management plan to your CB at least four weeks before the first day of the planned audit.

4.2.4. Have a valid License Agreement (2020 version)

Please make sure that you have a valid License Agreement (2020 version) in the Rainforest Alliance Certification platform (RACP).

If your company already has a valid License Agreement (2020 version), you can upload it to the RACP. If you have not signed a License Agreement (2020 version) yet, you can request and sign this in the RACP.

Follow the steps to sign or upload the License Agreement (2020 version) in the chapter 3 of this manual.

4.2.5. 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.

Send a request to your CB

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

- 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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Receive a request from your CB.

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

- 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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4.3. FAQ: Verification level

What is the verification level? 

The verification level is the result of the Supply Chain Risk Assessment (SCRA) and defines the frequency and intensity of verification that is required to properly assess the risk associated with your site(s). Your verification levels will indicate which of the sites in your profile need an audit, what that audit should look like, and/or if any of your sites qualify for endorsement, where no audit is required.

When will I receive my verification level?

After you have calculated your verification levels, the Rainforest Alliance will review your submission within 3 weeks.

How come some of my sites are audit exempted, and some require an audit?

Rather than a blanket approach to certification, Rainforest Alliance takes a risk-based approach to make the assurance process more efficient. Each site within your certification profile is reviewed based on the activities that occur at that location. This allows us to pinpoint where the risks lie within your supply chain and avoid requiring excessive audits where it is not needed.

I received level B-E, how does my audit schedule look like?

The overview below gives an indication of your audit schedule depending on your verification level.
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I was never audited for one of the legacy programs, and I am now required to undergo an audit to become certified, how come?

The new Rainforest Alliance Certification Program is more comprehensive than the previous certification program and it is common that many certificate holder’s verification levels may change. Several factors are considered when determining a verification level such as site location, site volumes per crop, the activity at the site, whether only Rainforest Alliance Certified product is handled, whether the site is a first buyer of a product, etc. The increased assurance of the program may result in a higher verification level.

I made a mistake in the information I provided for my certification scope/sites but I can't make any changes anymore. How can I update this information?

Once you clicked on "Calculate my verification levels" or received already the verification level for your sites, it is not possible for you to make any changes anymore. If you need to make any changes, please reach out with the correct information to customersuccess@ra.org.

Please note that those changes might result in a different verification level.

If you would like to add an additional site to your certification scope, you can do so by clicking on "Add sites", fill out all the needed information, reconfirm your scope and click again "Calculate my verification levels" in order to receive the assigned level for this additional site.

I cannot find my question on this FAQ. What can I do?

Check out the FAQ on our page How to Get Supply Chain Certification: A Guide for Companies.

For more information, reach out to our Customer Success team via email at CustomerSuccess@ra.org or visit our Contact Us page.

5. Renew your Certificate/License

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.

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

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Note:
1. If you click on No you will be able to renew your certification at a later stage by clicking on ‘Certification Overview’, and on the button ‘Edit’ 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’.

In the license in status pending click on ‘Details’ to go to your ‘Certification scope’ section.

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In your certification scope, you can find a copy of the site(s) in your previous license.

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Make sure to verify the existing information in your 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.

Follow the instructions in chapter 2 of this user manual for more guidance.

When ready, confirm your certification scope by clicking on ‘Confirm scope and view requirements’ in your ‘Certification scope’.

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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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5.2. Calculate your verification levels

Return to your section ‘Certification scope’ and click on the light green button ‘Calculate my verification levels’. This is a mandatory step to make sure the Rainforest Alliance receives the request to calculate your verification (risk) levels, so you can proceed with your re-certification.

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Read the information in the panel ‘Start verification’, follow the instructions and then click ‘Submit’.

The Rainforest Alliance certification team will review your profile within 3 weeks. You will receive your results via email.

5.3. Verification levels received: next steps

Based on the results you received in the email with your verification level, you need to prepare for your endorsement letter/license, or for your audit.

To renew your Endorsement license/certificate, follow the steps in paragraph 4.1.

To renew your CB audit license/certificate, follow the steps in paragraph 4.2.

5.4. FAQ: Certification renewal

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 previous certification. The pending license represents the new certification cycle for Supply Chain Actor CHs, and this is where you can edit information.

I need help with my 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.

6. Organization: Users & Contacts

In this chapter you can find instructions on how to add, edit and delete 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 or Members, and upload or fill in required information

Finance 

Can change financial information, and view farm and site information

User 

Can change information, contact CBs or Members, 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 a 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.

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.

Note: only administrators can add and edit Contacts.

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. Finance

To access your Finance information, click on the tab ‘Finance’ in the RACP.

In the Finance tab you can see:

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  • Fees: in this section you can find the overview of the Royalty fees you need to pay.
  • Invoices: in this section you can find the overview of all your Royalties fees (paid and pending payment).
  • Re-assignments: in this section you can set up the reassignments of royalty fees. Only applicable to coffee. See paragraph 7.1. below for more information.

7.1 Invoice Reassignment (Coffee only)

The Rainforest Alliance Certification Platform (RACP) has the possibility for companies to assign the invoice for the royalty to suppliers, purchasers, or registered companies in the supply chain. More information on the royalty can be found here.

The instructions below will guide you in the invoice reassignment process in RACP.

7.1.1. Types of Invoice Reassignment

Reassignment option

Definition

Example

Seller Reassignment

The royalty fee is reassigned to the supplier. This option is applicable for Certificate Holders who confirmed a trade between each other in the traceability platform MultiTrace.

Company B sets up a Seller Reassignment to Company A in RACP.

There is a transaction between Company A to Company B.

Company B is charged the royalty, however, after the seller reassignment, the royalty for that transaction now is invoiced to Company A.

Buyer Reassignment

The royalty fee is reassigned to any buyer who purchases the volume that has been invoiced.

There is a transaction (transaction 1) between Company A and Company B, and Company B is charged the royalty.

Company B sets up a Buyer Reassignment in RACP to Company C.

There is a transaction (transaction 2) between Company B and Company C.

The royalty associated with Transaction 1 is reassigned from Company B to Company C.

Full Reassignment

The entirety of the royalty fee invoiced for a billing cycle can be reassigned to any licensed member listed in the RACP system.

There are three transactions between Company A to Company B. Company B is charged the royalty for all three transactions.

Company B sets up a Full Reassignment to Company C in RACP.

The royalty associated with all transactions is reassigned from Company B to Company C.

7.1.2. Reassignment Requests

To access the Invoice Reassignment, log in to your RACP account and go to the tab ‘Finance’.

Go to the ‘Re-assignments’ tab. Here you will see two sections:

  • Requests Raised: Shows the Pending and Active Invoice Reassignments processed by the Account. This section is only for the accounts who have logged the agreement for reassignment with another account.
  • Requests Received: Shows the Pending and Active invoice reassignments received by the account to confirm. This section is only for the accounts who have received the agreement for reassignment from another account.
Set up a new reassignment
  1. Go to Request Raised.
  2. Click on the Pending button.
  3. Click on the New Reassignment Request button.

To add a Reassignment Agreement, fill in the mandatory details (red asterisks) in the window pop-up:

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Once the Reassignment Agreement is added, the Certificate Holders who received the reassignment request needs to confirm the process. The agreement will be visible in the section ‘Re-assignments’. Under ‘Requests Raised’, you will see the request Pending until the other party has confirmed it.

Withdraw a pending request
  1. Go to Request Raised.
  2. Click on the Pending button.
  3. Click on the Withdraw button.

Accept or reject a pending request
  1. Go to Request Received.
  2. Click on the Pending button.
  3. Click on the Accept/Reject button.

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Revoke an accepted request
  1. Go to Request Raised.
  2. Click on the Active button.
  3. Click on the Revoke button.

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7.2. Invoicing

The RACP calculates the applicable charged royalty over the billing cycle (e.g. monthly for coffee royalty) and bills it accordingly at the end of the cycle.

When an account has selected any of the Invoice Reassignment types in RACP, the Invoice lines are debited and then accordingly credited.

7.3. FAQ: Finance

Why don’t I see the tab Finance in my RACP account?

The Finance tab will be visible in your RACP account after your first license has been activated.

Can I back date the Invoice Reassignment Agreement?

The agreement can only be started from the present day and cannot be back dated.

In the Buyer Reassignment can the Reassigned Party be any member in the Chain?

No, the Reassigned party can only be the Buyer who purchases directly from the account charged the coffee royalty.

For how long is the Reassignment valid?

It is valid until the Agreement is withdrawn, revoked, or reaches the end date.

Do I need to be licensed to have an invoice reassigned to me?

Yes, the finance tab is not visible to users until they are licensed in the system and cannot accept invoice reassignments until that point.

Can I reassign an invoice from a pre-merger account (ME01_0000) to an RACP account (RA_000000000)?

No, reassignment is only available between RACP accounts in the RACP Finance tab.

Is the Invoice Reassignment available for Tea or other Crops?

Currently in RACP it is only available for the crop coffee.

I have an invoice with a reassignment. Where can I see the transaction? 

You can see the transaction ID and details in the Invoice tab.

Why do I see negative and positive lines in my Royalty fee line with the same transaction number?

You (Company A) are initially responsible for the royalty fee and have reassigned the fee to Company B. For this reason in the Fee line, you can see a debit line and credit line. Accordingly, a debit line will be created for the reassigned member (Company B) in their account.

I need help with my reassignment process or invoices. 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.

8. 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 Profile

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

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.

SCRA

As a part of the assurance system, data is collected through the Supply Chain Risk Assessment (SCRA) which is embedded in the registration and profile completion process. The SCRA evaluates the potential risks of an organization’s operations on individual site level in order to determine the type and frequency of verification required.

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.

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.

Sublicensee

One Legal Agreement can cover multiple entities called sublicensees. Permitted sublicensees inherit the rights and obligations of the Legal Agreement signed by your organization.

Supply chain actor

Any non-farming organization that relates to the certified product from its production up to its final sale.

Verification level

The verification level is the result of the Supply Chain Risk Assessment (SCRA) and defines the type, intensity and frequency of verification that is required.

9. Change history

Version no.  

Effective Date

Significant Changes  

PreviousVersion no.  

1.0

March 2023

New article

Replaces version 16 June 2022

1.1

October 2023

- paragraph 4.1.1 and 4.2.1: updated instructions on how to fill in the Self-assessment.

- FAQ 2.5: updated link to Traceability guidance for subcontractors.

1.0

1.2

18 December 2023

- The "Endorsement Certificate" is replaced by "Endorsement letter".

- paragraph 6.1 is updated with new Claims user roles.

1.1

1.315 January 2024- New section 2.5. on EUDR
1.2


 



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