What is Rainforest Alliance Certification? What Are "Frog Beans"?

The term "Frog Bean" may be unfamiliar to many people, since it remains niche and comes up only in connection with certain coffees. As a result, many wonder what "Frog Beans" actually are. Is it a description of how the beans look?

In fact, "Frog Beans" are coffee beans certified by the Rainforest Alliance. Once certified, they carry a green frog logo, hence the nickname "Frog Beans."

Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance (RA) is a non-profit international non-governmental environmental organization. Its mission is to protect biodiversity and achieve sustainable livelihoods by changing land use patterns, business practices and consumer behavior. It is also recognized by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international forest certification system.

The organization was established in 1987 by the American environmental writer, speaker and activist Daniel R. Katz along with many environmental supporters. Initially focused solely on protecting the natural resources of tropical rainforests, it gradually expanded into more areas as it grew. In 2018, the Rainforest Alliance announced its merger with UTZ (formerly known as Utz Kapeh).

UTZ was a non-profit, non-governmental, independent certification body based on the EurepGAP (EU Good Agricultural Practices) standards. It strictly certified high-quality coffees worldwide, covering every production step from cultivation to processing. After independently reviewing the environmental, social and economic aspects of coffee production, UTZ would grant its responsible coffee logo.

Merger and Certification Standards

The merged organization kept the name "Rainforest Alliance" and issues certificates to farms and forestry enterprises that meet comprehensive standards, known as "Rainforest Alliance Certification." Part of the alliance's revenue also funds wildlife protection in tropical rainforest conservation areas and improvements to workers' living conditions.

Under current Rainforest Alliance certification standards, which consist of three sectors — nature conservation, farming methods and community social responsibility — detailed rules cover forest protection, water pollution prevention, labor conditions, chemical fertilizer use and waste management. Simply put, this approach emphasizes traditional farming that grows coffee beneath the shade of native forest without altering the original environment, which benefits ecological conservation.

Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee

Coffee beans are agricultural products and therefore eligible for evaluation. Only coffee that passes evaluation and receives certification can be called "Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee." The certification is valid for three years, during which the Rainforest Alliance logo may be printed on the packaging of green coffee beans. That logo not only confirms recognition but also provides meaningful quality assurance for the coffee and opens access to special sales channels and priority placement.

The Rainforest Alliance logo is also distinctive: it is not an ordinary frog but a red-eyed tree frog. This species typically lives in healthy, unpolluted tropical rainforests and is relatively rare. Frogs are, moreover, one of the common indicators used to assess environmental pollution. Combined with the alliance's original mission to protect tropical rainforests, the organization adopted the frog as its mark in its second year of establishment and has used it ever since.

Frog Beans at FrontStreet Coffee

Rainforest Alliance "Frog Beans" remain relatively uncommon, mainly because the growing-environment requirements are high and not all coffee farmers apply for certification. At FrontStreet Coffee, we offer certified beans including Diamond Mountain coffee from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda estate, as well as Blue Mountain coffee produced by Jamaica's Clifton Mount estate.

Clifton Mount estate has become the only estate in Jamaica with Rainforest Alliance certification. FrontStreet Coffee's Blue Mountain No. 1 comes from that very estate, offering nutty and cocoa flavors with a silky texture and overall balance.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For a hand-brewed cup in the classic full-bodied, mellow style, FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate is a gentle, well-balanced choice. It carries clear nut, cocoa and caramel aromas with a rounded, smooth profile. Acidity is low while sweetness stands out. Whether brewed as pour-over, in a moka pot or as espresso, it performs very consistently; because Brazilian coffee has good oil content, it has also long been a daily staple for home drinkers who prefer a traditional coffee flavor.

FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 comes from the well-known Clifton estate, within Jamaica's certified Blue Mountain growing region. High-altitude mist, volcanic soil and a mild climate let the cherries ripen slowly, producing its celebrated balance. Acidity, sweetness, bitterness and aroma sit in harmony, the entry is supple and rounded, and the cup unfolds cream, caramel, chocolate, nuts and honey with a clean, long finish; pour-over, moka pot and espresso all perform well. FrontStreet selects green beans from the certified area and roasts them medium-dark, and the merchant keeps complete origin certification documents and original transport barrels so the source is clear and verifiable — a classic and reliable choice for daily drinking or as a gift.

For a bolder, wilder profile, FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling is the top-grade expression of Mandheling. Coffee originated in Ethiopia and only appeared as a beverage beyond Ethiopia by the end of the 15th century; by the 17th century it had swept Europe, and European colonial powers moved seedlings into their colonies to corner the market. Late in the 17th century the Dutch transplanted coffee to Java, and as Java's industry flourished, "Java" itself became a synonym for coffee. That success did not last: early in the 20th century coffee leaf rust devastated Java's trees, and Indonesia's cultivation shifted north to Sumatra, where Java ceded its place as the volume leader. Today Sumatra is Indonesia's largest source of both Arabica and Robusta, accounting for more than 60% of production; the higher elevations of Aceh and North Sumatra in the north mainly grow Arabica, and Sumatra's Arabica is commonly known as Mandheling.

Aceh refers to the Gayo Mountains near Lake Tawar, blanketed by thousands of hectares of vegetation; as this newer Mandheling region rose, more drinkers discovered Aceh Mandheling's fine aroma and bright body. The traditional Mandheling region lies around Lake Toba in North Sumatra's Lintong area, where varied plant life and a suitable altitude, combined with the special wet-hulling process and local microbial fermentation, create the mysterious, distinctive Mandheling flavor: rich aroma, generous body, powerful taste. Because Sumatra's rainy season overlaps the cherry harvest, sun-drying is impractical, so the region developed its own wet-hulled method; since the 1970s this has shaped Mandheling's unique character — farmers remove the skin and pulp, rinse briefly, then dry the beans until half-dry and half-wet, at which point a machine strips the parchment and exposes the green bean to the air to speed drying.

Among Mandheling coffees, Golden Mandheling best satisfies the most exacting drinkers. FrontStreet Golden Mandheling comes from Indonesia's PWN company, which applies extremely strict standards: beans must be size 18 or larger, and each 300g green-bean sample may contain fewer than 3 defective beans, meeting the top G1 grade. On top of that, three rounds of hand sorting remove every defect, improving both the coffee's cleanliness and the intensity of its sweetness — standards strict enough to show how high and how limited FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling's quality is, which is what makes it the foremost of Mandheling coffees. Golden Mandheling is well known but is mainly supplied to the Japanese and American markets, so the genuine article imported each year is very limited. To taste the heavy body and the distinctive earthy, herbal flavors that wet-hulling creates, FrontStreet Lintong Mandheling is the one to buy: rich and full, sweet yet bitter, with a powerful, stimulating entry and clove and woody aromas, low-acid medium-dark roast, spice and mint notes, and a strong, lasting, substantial sweetness.