Approved FSA Verification Bodies add their weight to continuous on-farm sustainability improvement
28th January 2020
Nine Verification Bodies are now officially approved to perform independent Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) verification audits. As the result of a new and more stringent approval process, companies using the FSA can now have an even higher degree of confidence in the FSA verification assessment.
The expanding list of approved FSA Verification Bodies now includes agroVet, Bureau Veritas, Control Union, CSQA, Ecocert, IBD Certificações, SCS Global Services, SGS, and Sustentables. In order to validate on-farm sustainability improvement, the new approval process confirms that these Verification Bodies are meeting stricter internationally recognised requirements such as ISO 17065 and qualifications for in-house trainers and auditors who can perform independent FSA verification assessments.
“I am excited to see so many reputable companies obtaining approval to perform FSA verification assessments”, says Sven Sielhorst, Systems Director at SAI Platform.
“This means that companies using the FSA have the option to choose the Verification Body that best fits their needs, having the assurance that it has the qualifications required to perform an FSA verification assessment.“
SAI Platform continues to invest in auditor quality and oversight over 2020. The introduction of a Verification Body License Fee aims to raise the quality and consistency of FSA verification assessments. Approved Verification Bodies and their auditors will have access to a dedicated help desk; professionalised online modules for auditor training that allow for self-paced learning and a Verification Body integrity programme to ensure accurate and consistent verification processes which is currently under development.
Presently, SAI Platform is partnering with GLOBALG.A.P. to further enhance its oversight and support of Verification Bodies. As a first step, GLOBALG.A.P. has taken over the role of approving FSA Verification Bodies and auditors.
A full list of approved Verification Bodies including contact details can be found on the website of GLOBALG.A.P., together with relevant audit related documents.
