GENERAL GUIDE

1 GENERAL GUIDE : For the Implementation of the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture Standard Document SA-G-SD-1 Version English Published on July 1st, 2022 2 The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. Name of the document Date of first publication Expires by Rainforest Alliance GENERAL GUIDE : For the Implementation of the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture Standard April 1st, 2021 Until further notice Linked to SA-S-SD-1 Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture Standard, Farm Requirements and all other annexes, guidances and policies listed in this document SA-S-SD-2 Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture Standard, Supply Chain Requirements and all other annexes, guidances and policies listed in this document Replaces SA-G-SD-1-V1 Rainforest Alliance GENERAL GUIDE .

2 For the Implementation of the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture Standard Applicable to All Certificate Holders, in all sectors, from all countries This guidance document is non-binding. This means that this document provides important information to help readers understand, interpret and implement the requirements set out in the documents listed in the section linked to above. However, following the guidance in this document is not mandatory. More information? For more information about the Rainforest Alliance, visit , contact or contact the Rainforest Alliance Amsterdam Office, De Ruijterkade 6, 1013AA Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Translation Disclaimer For any question related to the precise meaning of the information contained in the translation, please refer to the official English version for clarification.

3 Any discrepancies or differences in meaning due to translation are not binding and have no effect for auditing or certification purposes. Any use of this content including reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication, without the prior written consent of Rainforest Alliance is strictly prohibited. 3 OVERVIEW OF KEY CHANGES Key adaptations in this document, as compared to the previous version: Adapted: The GENERAL GUIDE has been updated to reflect the changes made in the standard requirements Version Adapted and added: Throughout the document, a number of further clarifications were made 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS OBJECTIVE .. 5 HOW TO USE THE GENERAL GUIDE .. 5 GLOSSARY .. 7 TRAINING RESOURCES .. 7 CHAPTER 1.

4 8 MANAGEMENT .. 9 12 RISK ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN .. 28 INTERNAL INSPECTION AND SELF-ASSESSMENT .. 34 GRIEVANCE MECHANISM .. 40 GENDER EQUALITY .. 41 YOUNG FARMERS .. 44 CHAPTER 2 .. 45 TRACEABILITY .. 46 TRACEABILITY IN THE ONLINE PLATFORM .. 58 MASS BALANCE .. 64 CHAPTER 3 .. 69 PRODUCTION COSTS AND LIVING INCOME .. 70 SUSTAINABILITY DIFFERENTIAL .. 72 SUSTAINABILITY INVESTMENTS .. 80 SUPPLY CHAIN CONTRIBUTIONS FOR LIVING WAGE PAYMENT .. 87 CHAPTER 4 .. 90 PLANTING AND ROTATION .. 91 PRUNING AND RENOVATION OF TREE CROPS .. 93 GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs) .. 96 SOIL FERTILITY AND CONSERVATION .. 98 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) .. 104 AGROCHEMICALS MANAGEMENT.

5 110 HARVEST AND POSTHARVEST PRACTICES .. 125 CHAPTER 5 .. 127 ASSESS-AND-ADDRESS CHILD LABOR, FORCED LABOR, DISCRIMINATION, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT .. 128 FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING .. 135 WAGES AND 139 LIVING WAGE .. 147 WORKING CONDITIONS .. 151 HEALTH AND SAFETY .. 155 HOUSING AND LIVING CONDITIONS .. 169 COMMUNITIES .. 173 CHAPTER 6 .. 176 FOREST, OTHER NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS, AND PROTECTED AREAS .. 177 CONSERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS AND VEGETATION 181 RIPARIAN BUFFERS .. 186 PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE AND BIODIVERSITY .. 190 WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION .. 197 WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT .. 203 WASTE MANAGEMENT .. 206 ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

6 208 GREENHOUSE GASES REDUCTION .. 210 5 OBJECTIVE This GENERAL GUIDE aims to assist Certificate Holders with the implementation of the Rainforest Alliance sustainable agriculture Standard by providing clarifications to interpret the requirements and the evidence required for compliance. The GUIDE is a supplementary overall guidance it is not intended to be used as a checklist. Rainforest Alliance Guidance documents are not binding and do not replace the standard and annexes which are binding. HOW TO USE THE GENERAL GUIDE The GENERAL GUIDE includes the following content for each of the requirements of the Standard: a) Guidance on applicability b) Purpose c) Implementation guidance d) Evidence and indicators e) Annexes and other references Number and type of requirement The first field of each requirement indicates the number and type of requirement depicted with a particular color the same way that is depicted in the standard.

7 Mandatory (Core) Requirement Always has to be complied with Mandatory Improvement L1 To be complied with after the first three years of certification Mandatory Improvement L2 To be complied with after the first six years of certification Mandatory Smart Meter To be measured every year, from the first year of certification Self-selected Requirement Not mandatory at any time, can be chosen at any time 6 Guidance on applicability The guidance on applicability indicates the type of certificate holder to which the requirement applies by using icons as follows: Small farms: Each member of a group has to comply with these requirements. Large farms: Each large farm in the group has to comply with these requirements.

8 Group management: Group management is responsible for implementation of these requirements for the group members. Individual certification: Small or large farms that are certified individually have to comply with these requirements. Supply chain: When an icon is in watermark ( ), it means the requirement is not applicable to that particular Certificate Holder. Furthermore, in some requirements specific guidance is provided when further clarification on the applicability is needed. Implementation guidance The implementation guidance describes what needs to be implemented to comply with the requirement. It also includes clarifications of compliance and when possible, examples to assist Certificate Holders with the implementation of the requirement.

9 It is important to notice that not all the requirements need clarifications or further information, and therefore not for all the requirements there is implementation guidance. Evidence and Indicators The Evidence and indicators aim to give further direction about what needs to be in place in order to demonstrate compliance with the standard. Annexes and other references In this section the Annexes and other references such as specific guidance documents are included. These are included to further assist in the implementation of the particular requirement Purpose The purpose indicates the aim and principle behind the requirement. This helps to give clarity about the reason why certain requirement is in place, in other words, the intention behind a requirement.

10 7 GLOSSARY Terms that are underlined in this GUIDE are defined in Annex S1: Glossary ( ). It is important to consult this Annex to better understand the meaning and interpretation of the requirements. TRAINING RESOURCES For a step by step overview through the Standard, we highly recommend following the 2020 sustainable agriculture Standard e-course available in the Rainforest Alliance Learning Network (RALN): You will also find many useful resources in our Digital Assets Management (DAM) platform, including documents, pictures and video tutorials: 8 CHAPTER 1 MANAGEMENT 9 MANAGEMENT GROUP MANAGEMENT CAPACITY Guidance on applicability Purpose Group has the capabilities and resources to be compliant with the standard and improve their sustainability performance Implementation guidance The Group fills in the Management Capacity Assessment Tool for the corresponding level at least once every three years.