15 companies that support sustainability by working with the Rainforest Alliance

Many of The Republic of Tea's best-selling teas, such as Three Gardens Breakfast, Peppermint Bark, Get Burning and Elderflower SuperHerb, are from farms that have earned Rainforest Alliance certification. "Most recently, we began sourcing tea from certified farms for our Organic Moringa SuperHerb and on our new Organic Mango and Pineapple Coconut Water Iced Teas,” said Emily Rancer, minister of creative collaboration. "Moreover, every blend in our collection that contains South African green rooibos carries the certified seal, which allows us to assure customers that this wonder herb was grown under strict sustainability guidelines." Booth 4279

Teatulia organic tea comes directly from its own organic tea garden. There is no middle man, no long-term warehouse storage and no waiting around to be put into just the right blend as defined by a third-party blender. “We feel that every tea company should ultimately carry the seal too, for obvious reasons,” said Chris Olsen, director of marketing and product development. Booth 5636

“NibMor has prided itself on sourcing cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms from the beginning and has expanded offerings to include a new all-natural, non-GMO Project Verified line of 55 percent dark chocolate with superfruits made with certified cocoa," said Tara Finlay, sales support. This line comes in 3 oz. bars in blueberry, cherry, fruit/nut (raisin walnut) and cacao nib, as well as 1 oz. bars in blueberry, cherry and cacao nib, and natural daily dose in cacao nib. Booth 2452

How we select and source our ingredients can be a catalyst for change in creating a healthy food system. For Clif Bar & Company, this means continuing to source a greater quantity of food that’s organic and certified sustainable. “We chose the Rainforest Alliance certification for our cocoa because its comprehensive social and environmental commitments closely match our company’s Five Aspirations business model," said Meaghan Praznik of Clif Bar. Booth 2721

You may have noticed a little green frog seal on DAGOBA chocolate packaging. This green frog represents big advancements in sustainable farming—and DAGOBA chocolate is helping to lead the way. As of 2012, its entire product line is made with cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. “DAGOBA chocolate was founded on a love for the environment, which shaped our decision to use organic and sustainably grown cocoa from farms that conserve and reinvigorate the rainforest,” said Eduardo Vivas, senior brand manager. Booth 2770

Bixby & Co. was founded by Kate McAleer, who represents a new breed of young entrepreneurs who are breaking with the traditional career path. They possess a renewed American spirit that drives them to create new businesses that are socially responsible. Bixby & Co. cares about where the ingredients used in its craft candy snack bars come from and how those ingredients impact not only customers but also those that grow and harvest those ingredients. They are committed to ethically sourcing, which is why they source cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Booth 9618

The Rainforest Alliance has nearly 30 years of global experience in the development and promotion of sustainability standards in agriculture, forestry and tourism. These environmental, social and economic standards are designed to conserve wildlife, safeguard soils and waterways, protect workers and local communities, and increase livelihoods in order to achieve true, long-term sustainability. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, the Rainforest Alliance involves businesses and consumers worldwide in its efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace. Its certification seal is designed to assure consumers that the product they are purchasing has been grown and harvested on a farm or forest that promotes environmentally and socially responsible practices. Here’s a sample of companies that will be exhibiting at Expo West 2016 that work with the Rainforest Alliance and have made a commitment to sustainable sourcing. To learn more, visit booth 2898.

Califia Farms currently sources 100 percent its coffee from certified farms in Central and South America (Guatemala, Colombia and Brazil). They use different blends for different products to achieve unique flavor profiles and recognize that today’s consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability in the products they consume. Booth 5078

Integrity of ingredients is very important to Bissinger’s. Because not all cocoa is responsibly farmed, they work with Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in Cote d’ I’voire where superior cocoa beans, esteemed for exceptional taste, are grown. Booth 5762

Daabon Group of Santa Marta, Colombia, is a family-owned company that has focused on natural and sustainable agriculture and business practices for decades. Its goal for sustainable and organic agricultural production is directly linked to people and the planet—it strives to make a positive environmental impact through comprehensive system design integration of plantations to environmental conservation, empowerment of the family and education. Booth 3117

As the creator of the first-ever organic ready-to-spread frosting, Miss Jones is paving the way for a clean-label revolution in the frosting category. “We are committed to mitigating the social and environmental impacts of palm oil production by sourcing palm oil solely from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms,” said Sarah Jones, founder and CEO. Booth H232

Tom’s of Maine was founded with the belief that “both human beings and nature have inherent worth and deserve our respect. For 45 years, Tom's of Maine has continuously strived to deliver natural, sustainable and responsible products in the personal care world. Their transition to Rainforest Alliance Certified palm oil in all of their bar soaps in 2015 is one way they are working toward that mission. “It also helps give us more confidence that we are making our products more sustainable each and every day,” said Christopher Murphy, brand manager. Booth 4237

“Here at Free2b Foods we care not only about creating great tasting allergen-friendly chocolate treats, but we care about taking care of our planet too," said Melissa Pearce of Free2b Foods. "All of our products are Non-GMO Project Verified because we share the same concerns that American families and families around the world do about GMOs. We additionally make all of our products using Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa because we are committed to sourcing from farms that take care of the environment and their workers." Booth 2966

Yogi Tea was founded on the belief that the purpose of business is to serve and its guiding principle is “Feel Good, Be Good, Do Good.” Yogi purchases exclusively organic rooibos leaf exclusively from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms--which "promotes the rights and well-being of workers, conserves natural resources and protects wildlife and the environment,” said Alicia Richman, brand manager. Booth 2625

“At Justin’s, we strive to source our ingredients as sustainably and responsibly as possible, and we are proud to use Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa for our products," said Julianna Abdallah, earned media manager. Booth 4289

“Marley Coffee is proud to uphold the Marley Family values of love, passion and social responsibility, and the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal reinforces our commitment to those standards,” said Maian Tran, business development manager. Booth 5606

“Marley Coffee is proud to uphold the Marley Family values of love, passion and social responsibility, and the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal reinforces our commitment to those standards,” said Maian Tran, business development manager. Booth 5606