What is Sustainable Agriculture? Rainforest Alliance Last updated March 4, 2025 Sustainable agriculture sounds great—but what does it actually mean? Simply put, sustainable agriculture is farming that can be sustained over time. In practice that means farming in ways that don’t damage the land (and eventually make it infertile), while also letting farmers make a decent living, now and into the future. At the Rainforest Alliance, we view sustainable agriculture as a journey—a harm-reduction approach that prepares the ground (pun intended) for regenerative agriculture, a holistic farm design that restores, replenishes, and even adds to nature’s richness.
Why is it urgent that we make agriculture more sustainable? Conventional farming does massive harm to people and nature. It causes 90 percent of tropical deforestation, for one thing—and we desperately need forests to help fight climate change. Furthermore, many widely accepted farming practices, such as an over-reliance on pesticides, hurt human health and damage soils. Degraded soil makes it harder for farmers to grow enough crops to make a living and threatens food security. Our certification program
Forest conservation and agroforestry......For us at the Rainforest Alliance, sustainability isn’t just about the environment—it extends to people, too. And since farmers and farmworkers all over the world struggle to exercise basic human rights, our certification program promotes gender equality, prohibits and prevents forced labor, child labor, and more. In other words, the Rainforest Alliance promotes social, economic, and environmental sustainability. It’s probably not surprising that our certification program prohibits deforestation—we are the Rainforest Alliance, after all! The program also promotes reforesting and agroforestry, the practice of growing shade-loving crops like coffee and cocoa alongside trees. On-farm trees can help connect forest fragments, regulate temperature and humidity, and improve soil health. Fruit-bearing shade trees, such as bananas and mangos, can provide additional income to farmers. To top it all off, shade-grown coffee tastes better, as it ripens slowly, developing complex flavors over time.
Forest conservation and agroforestry......For us at the Rainforest Alliance, sustainability isn’t just about the environment—it extends to people, too. And since farmers and farmworkers all over the world struggle to exercise basic human rights, our certification program promotes gender equality, prohibits and prevents forced labor, child labor, and more. In other words, the Rainforest Alliance promotes social, economic, and environmental sustainability. It’s probably not surprising that our certification program prohibits deforestation—we are the Rainforest Alliance, after all! The program also promotes reforesting and agroforestry, the practice of growing shade-loving crops like coffee and cocoa alongside trees. On-farm trees can help connect forest fragments, regulate temperature and humidity, and improve soil health. Fruit-bearing shade trees, such as bananas and mangos, can provide additional income to farmers. To top it all off, shade-grown coffee tastes better, as it ripens slowly, developing complex flavors over time.
Better incomes for farmers......Farming can only be called sustainable if farmers can support their families. Fortunately, our approach to improving farmer incomes improves the health of the land, too. Managing pests and weeds naturally, for example, reduces the need to buy pesticides, thereby lowering costs for farmers, and giving them more to spend on their families. Planting fruit trees on farms can give farmers another product to sell, and of course trees store carbon and nourish soil.
Farmworker rights.....Farming can only be called sustainable if farmers can support their families. Fortunately, our approach to improving farmer incomes improves the health of the land, too. Managing pests and weeds naturally, for example, reduces the need to buy pesticides, thereby lowering costs for farmers, and giving them more to spend on their families. Planting fruit trees on farms can give farmers another product to sell, and of course trees store carbon and nourish soil.
Maximizing soil health and carbon storage......What could be more essential for farmers than healthy soil? The healthier the soil, the better it retains moisture, which can help plants survive drought. Organic composting, required by our program, enriches soil and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, which are both expensive and pollute waterways. In addition, rotating different types of cover crops—plants grown in the off-season to prevent soil erosion—can greatly bolster soil quality. Another bonus: Cover crops can store half a ton of CO2 per acre, making crop rotation a powerful natural climate solution.
Water conservation.....read on https://www.rainforest-