Difficult time at a struggling organization - Anonymous employee Rainforest Alliance Employee Review

Rainforest Alliance’s dependence on an outdated and uninspiring business model (certification) has taken a toll on the organization and its employees. Raises and promotions are hard to come by, and extremely high turnover among all levels of staff has created a tense and uncertain atmosphere. HR is chronically understaffed and unable to deal with legitimate employee complaints in an effective manner. Leadership is well-intentioned but generally out of touch with lower-level staff and generally incapable of making hard decisions. Heavy-handed attempts at reinforcing company ‘values’ comes off as patronizing. And Rainforest Alliance’s model of pro-business environmentalism feels increasingly out-of-touch in the late 2010s. Frequent articles exposing child and/or forced labor on RA-certified farms is demoralizing to staff and does not inspire confidence in the organization’s mission.