Rainforest Alliance Partnership Preserves Forests, Promotes Biodiversity

For nearly two decades, our Rainforest Alliance partnership has helped preserve the integrity of North American forests and promote biodiversity conservation through responsible paper production and fiber sourcing. Our shared initiatives include some of the earliest forest certification projects as well as ongoing landowner education efforts.

The Rainforest Alliance’s CEO, Han de Groot, recently spoke about changes at the organization since their merger with UTZ this past January and the enduring relationship and shared goals with Domtar.

Q: Our Rainforest Alliance partnership has endured since 2000, thanks to our shared ideas on sustainable forestry. What makes this partnership unique?

A: Domtar has built sustainability into its culture and values as an organization. It is evident to the Rainforest Alliance team in working with the staff and senior leadership at Domtar that sustainability is part of decision making at every level. This company culture makes a partnership between Rainforest Alliance and Domtar a natural fit since our objectives and values in driving sustainability are aligned.

Q: The Rainforest Alliance has undergone a significant transformation this year. What’s changed?

A: The Rainforest Alliance and UTZ – a leading agricultural certification organization based in the Netherlands – officially merged on January 8 under the name the Rainforest Alliance. Though the Rainforest Alliance name remains, the merger has very much been a marriage of equals, and we’ve been hard at work integrating the two organizations and developing our strategy as one.

The Rainforest Alliance and UTZ merged in response to the critical challenges facing humanity: deforestation, climate change, systemic poverty, and social inequity – issues each organization already addressed — and as a result, not a lot has changed in our daily work. We are combining our respective strengths because we know that together, we will be in a better position to achieve the scale of impact necessary to meet these challenges effectively.

Both organizations have a long history of meaningful impact on sustainable agriculture and driving certification, as well as success at bringing sustainable value chains to scale. Each organization contributes strengths in varied sectors and geographies. The Rainforest Alliance also brings significant experience in forestry, and effective landscape conservation expertise that drives responsible supply chains. Together we have greater reach and a stronger voice, enabling us to create even more impact. Both organizations have a long history of meaningful impact on sustainable agriculture and driving certification, as well as success at bringing sustainable value chains to scale. Each organization contributes strengths in varied sectors and geographies. The Rainforest Alliance also brings significant experience in forestry, and effective landscape conservation expertise that drives responsible supply chains. Together we have greater reach and a stronger voice, enabling us to create even more impact.
more at: https://newsroom.domtar.com/rainforest-alliance-partnership/

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