Verification with the FSA: Proof of Progress in Sustainable Agriculture
9th October 2025
In agriculture, words matter. Too often ‘certification’ and ‘verification’ are used interchangeably, but within SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) verification has always been the foundation of its approach. It provides a practical and credible mechanism for assessing farm sustainability practices and supporting continuous improvement.
The FSA is a set of tools to assess, improve and validate on-farm sustainability in your supply chain. It is built on respect for farmers and the essential role they play in our food system. By keeping people at the centre and allowing flexibility in how the FSA is applied, the system supports farmers in implementing sustainable practices that make sense for their unique circumstances. This approach fosters trust, encourages engagement and drives meaningful impact.
What is Verification?
Verification is the process of validating a farm or farm management group’s performance against the FSA framework through independent third-party auditors. It confirms that self-assessments and continuous improvement plans are accurate and credible, and it results in the issuance of a Letter of Attestation. A trusted proof of performance.
The FSA implements a mass balance traceability model and requires users to maintain a robust system for tracking and accounting product volumes. This allows users to make credible FSA Statements & Claims, building confidence and transparency across the value chain.
Why Verification?
- Continuous improvement: The FSA supports continuous improvement by helping farmers assess their practices, plan actionable steps, and track verified progress over time.
- Flexibility: Farmers can implement the FSA in different ways as a benchmarking tool, to plan and track improvements, or to be verified against defined performance levels.
- Clarity: With 109 questions across 11 sustainability topics, the FSA ensures essential practices are met and provides a clear pathway towards the implementation of intermediate and advanced practices.
- Recognition: Verified farmers and groups can make credible Bronze, Silver, or Gold performance claims, showcasing their sustainability achievements.
- Trust: Buyers gain transparent and reliable insight into on-farm sustainability practices, backed by independent third-party verification.
The Benefits
- For farmers, the FSA helps demonstrate sustainability performance credibly while saving time and resources by avoiding multiple audits. It supports long-term improvements in on-farm practices and provides better access to markets while strengthening relationships with buyers.
- For buyers, with a transparent, scalable way to track sourcing and progress across different geographies and crops.
- For companies, the FSA facilitates meaningful collaboration across the supply chain and provides a clear roadmap for continuous sustainability improvement. It allows companies to leverage existing agricultural and sustainability efforts, align with global industry benchmarks, and strengthen responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency.
Why verification matters?
The FSA does not certify products. Instead, it verifies and assesses on-farm practices, providing independent assurance, supporting continuous improvement, and enabling credible sustainability claims.
GROWING A BETTER PLANET AWARD
For FSA users wanting to communicate their FSA achievements, we invite you to submit an entry for the 2025 ‘Growing a Better Planet’ Award. The deadline for submissions is October 10th.