Consultancy services: Support

Introduction

The Rainforest Alliance is a global organization working in the field of sustainability at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests. Our aim is to make responsible business the new normal so that people and nature can thrive together. Our alliance spans 70 countries and includes farmers and forest communities, companies, governments, civil society, and millions of individuals. Together we work to protect forests, improve the livelihoods of farmers and forest communities, promote their human rights, and help them mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.

Our new certification standard has been implemented in key sectors since 2020, including cocoa, coffee, tea, bananas, nuts, fruits & vegetables and spices, complemented with other approaches such as sustainable landscapes.

As we are assessing our different intervention areas and designing new offerings to support partners to maximise their sustainability impacts, we are also developing a streamlined claims framework. This claims frameworks needs to respond to our partners' expectations to showcase their impact, while being based on accurate data and aligned with the recent and upcoming legislation on sustainability claims (e.g. the EU Empowering Consumers directive and the proposal for an EU Green Claims directive).

Rainforest Alliance is looking for a consultant to support the development of the claims framework and assess its relevance / accuracy in an increasingly complex legal and reputational environment.

Expected tasks of the consultant

Review the proposed claims framework through:

• Conducting interviews where relevant with Rainforest Alliance teams and partners

• Assessing the data Rainforest Alliance is planning to collect in the new offerings and determining if/how they can support the claims framework

• Assessing, together with the EU Public Affairs Lead, the alignment of the claims with the criteria laid out in the EU Empowering Consumers Directive and the proposal for an EU Green Claims Directive

• Assessing the alignment of the claims with any other relevant legal framework or authoritative sustainability initiatives

• Conducting desk research to assess the relevance of the claims

Expected Deliverables

• Initial assessment of the proposed claims framework, including:

  o If the claims can be made on the basis of the indicators and data Rainforest Alliance plans to collect

  o If the claims are legally possible, in particular on key markets such as the EU and the US

• Development of alternative claims where needed, or additional claims that could be made on the basis of the indicators and data Rainforest Alliance plans to collect

• Development of a clear set of guidelines Rainforest Alliance must follow when developing new claims in the future.

Duration

• The consultancy will span from July to September 2024

• The initial assessment is expected by mid-August 2024

Required qualifications and experience

• Demonstrated professional work experience / track record in supporting multi-stakeholder sustainability initiatives and frameworks and/or sustainability strategies of businesses

• Previous experience in benchmarking standards against EU legislation or other major laws related to sustainability

• A good knowledge of certification systems is a plus

• A good knowledge of the agricultural sector in tropical areas is a plus

Application requirements

To apply, please submit your application by email with the subject header 'Application for claims framework consultancy' to and by 21 July 2024.

Applications should include the following elements:

• Summary of relevant competencies and expertise to deliver the consultancy project

• A few examples of similar projects handled by the consultant

• Detail on individuals who will complete the work

• Budget against proposed activities – Rainforest Alliance has a budget of $15,000 for this service contract, inclusive of all taxes and expenses.