Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the rise in concerns for environmental and social issues has increased.
The Rainforest Alliance reveals that 87% of consumers expect companies to operate responsibly to address such issues.
Additionally, 63% of respondents reveal that they look for product labels to ensure they are making purchasing decisions that are more socially and environmentally sustainable.
“We can see that Australian consumers consider sustainability to be the new baseline,” says Markets Transformation Manager, Australia & NZ for the Rainforest Alliance, Melanie Mokken.
“Given the current climate crisis, consumers want to be able to make a real difference for people and nature and are driving companies to make more ambitious sustainability commitments.
“Consumers are also savvy; they understand the unparalleled power of the collective and that together, we can create the positive change we all want to see.”
So much so, that 62% of respondents say they are willing to make sustainability-conscious purchases, even if it costs more.
“The good news is that the Rainforest Alliance’s seal, the green frog, helps Australian consumers make choices that are better for them, for people and for nature,” continues Ms Mokken.
“When you see our little frog seal on a product it means that farmers have been provided with tools, skills and knowledge needed to drive more sustainable and profitable farming.”
The new standard
The new Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard is raising the bar when it comes to sustainability certification.
They have moved from a pass-fail approach to focus on continuous improvements to address changing sustainability risks and leveraging new technologies to better monitor risks and performance.
The new program will replace existing Rainforest Alliance and UTZ certification programs from mid-2021.