First Gold Level benchmark achieved against FSA 3.0
1st March 2022
SAI Platform is delighted to announce the benchmarking of Syngenta’s Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture (SOA) standard against the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA).
This is an important milestone as Syngenta’s newly released standard is the first standard to achieve Gold Level Equivalence, the highest possible rating, against the latest version of the FSA, FSA 3.0.
The FSA offers users a uniquely flexible sustainable sourcing model, enabling buyers to understand the sustainability of the crops they are sourcing, either through farmers directly applying the FSA, or through the benchmarking of pre-existing farm-level sustainable agriculture programmes. The benchmarking of Syngenta’s SOA standard highlights an interesting development for the industry, as while the standard joins over 150 sustainability schemes already benchmarked against the FSA, Syngenta is the first input provider to benchmark a standard.
Syngenta, a SAI Platform member, developed the SOA standard as an easy-to-use and accurate programme that allows growers and value chain stakeholders to measure, track progress and implement initiatives. The release of the SOA standard is enabled through Syngenta’s Cropwise™ Sustainability app. The Cropwise™ Sustainability app is a one-of-its-kind tool that places farm sustainability insights into the hands of growers.
The platform, available for free download for U.S. farmers in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, empowers farmers and the broader agriculture value chain to demonstrate sustainability and identify opportunities for continuous improvement, ensuring alignment with the objectives of the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA).
“Cropwise Sustainability brings together Syngenta, growers, and the industry through step-change improvements in digital ag, data and analytics to support climate resiliency. By helping farmers measure, benchmark and maximise the impact of regenerative agriculture practices, growers can strengthen their sustainable productivity, operations and outcomes.”
Erik Fyrwald, CEO of Syngenta Group
The FSA’s benchmarking programme provides a common reference point for farm sustainability schemes, as well as a consistent approach to determine alignment. Benchmarks are carried out by FSA approved consultants, who assign the scheme an FSA performance level, based on a rigorous analysis process.
Achieving Gold Level Equivalence, means that for any farmer applying the SOA standard, the crops that they grow can be recognised at FSA gold level and count towards any other FSA users’ sustainable sourcing targets. Additionally, by-products derived from a supply chain that were successfully SOA certified can now also be sold as FSA equivalent.
“By accelerating innovation in the digital ag space, Syngenta is the first agriculture input provider to launch a standard and to receive FSA 3.0 gold-equivalency. Through this benchmark, the Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture standard helps farmers, and by extension retailers and consumer packaged goods companies, better understand and take incremental steps forward on their sustainability journey” commented Joe Iveson, FSA Manager at SAI Platform.
To learn more about Syngenta’s Sustainable Solutions, visit the website, and to find out more about the Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture standard and Cropwise App, visit the App Store.
To learn more about benchmarking, and to access scoring for benchmarked schemes, see the FSA Benchmark Overview in the FSA Resource Centre.
