Did the Rainforest Alliance change its logo and switch to using the Fairtrade Foundation's logo instead? No, that's not true: The Rainforest Alliance did not alter its red-eyed tree frog seal on products.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok by user jerrynidzo on September 24, 2023, under the title (translated from Croatian to English by Lead Stories staff) "A wolf may change his coat but not his nature." The captions (as translated), read:
Why did they suddenly replace the Rainforest Alliance frog logo with the Fairtrade Foundation logo (on sweets), while they removed the frog logo entirely, and the RAC logo (Rainforest Alliance Certified), almost imperceptibly on some products?
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Dec 12 10:57:49 2023 UTC)
The video alludes to the claim that the Rainforest Alliance might have changed its distinctive seal as a strategy to deceive customers: The organization and its logo have frequently been the topic of conspiracy theories.
The alleged link between the Rainforest Alliance and the Fairtrade Foundation is misleading. There is no connection between the two: Whereas the Rainforest Alliance has a stronger focus on the environment and sustainability, the Fairtrade Foundation's main objective is protecting workers' rights and wages.
The Rainforest Alliance chose the red-eyed tree frog as its mascot more than 30 years ago. This bright-eyed amphibian is commonly found in the neotropics, where its founders started working to protect tropical rainforests. Since then, the frog seal has become an international symbol of sustainability.
The Fairtrade Mark, instead, symbolizes the international Fairtrade system, and is a globally recognized ethical label. According to the organization, when you buy products with any Fairtrade marks, you support farmers and workers as they improve their lives and communities.
According to Rainforest Alliance's (RA) website, the latest change was introduced on September 1, 2020, when a new symbol was added to the Rainforest Alliance family of marks: the new certification seal on product packaging and other promotional materials. The RA published an updated Labeling and Trademarks Policy along with the introduction of the new seal.
An article from a U.K. consumer organization published on April 11, 2023, on how to decode food labels, explains the similarities and differences between RA and Fairtrade logos: "Like Fairtrade, the Rainforest Alliance scheme covers social, economic, and environmental issues. Products with this logo must prove they have systems in place to protect the farm's natural biodiversity and resources. These include restricting the use of certain pesticides, not contributing to deforestation, minimizing soil erosion and monitoring how much energy and water they use. Additionally, they must treat workers fairly, not allow child labour and be part of the Global Living Wage Coalition, but unlike Fairtrade, it doesn't require a minimum price or pay a premium to producers, though there are additional cash payments made to producers for certified crops."
The RA logo is a frequent topic of conspiracy theories in European countries, including Croatia. Lead Stories Croatia has previously debunked claims that RA products are poisonous and that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation owns RA.
