While the Seeds Canada discussion has dominated headlines, the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) has been busy enabling itself to evolve and thrive in a new world.
Our sustainability initiative is an example of us trying to meet the needs of our existing clients by developing services that support them as they try to continue to supply the food chain when a new market demand emerges.
Our latest effort is a project designed make CSI a verification body for the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) tool.
Developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform, the FSA is a set of tools for food and drink businesses that want to assess, improve and validate on-farm sustainability in their supply chains.
The FSA is a self-assessment questionnaire with 112 questions about farming practices in 17 topic areas. The questions cover all pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and business. The tools enable effective and efficient supply chain collaboration right down to the level of the farmer. It is applicable to all agricultural crops, in all locations, regardless of farm size.
Almost 100,000 farmers in more than 25 countries around the world belong to FSA-verified farm groups. They produce a wide and expanding range of row crops, fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs and spices.
The FSA offers optional third-party verification of self-assessment results. FSA-approved verification bodies perform audits to assess if an individual farm or a group of farmers have implemented the FSA correctly, and if the self-assessment results at farm level are in line with their findings. On this basis, verification bodies can issue an FSA Letter of Attestation that enables making an FSA Performance Claim.
That’s where CSI comes in. By serving as an FSA verification body, we can use our skills to help the Canadian grain, pulse crop, fruit and vegetable industries demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and be more attractive to the value chains they supply.
It may be a somewhat controversial word within the seed industry, but the concept of sustainability is big among consumers. They want to know the produce they’re buying is produced sustainably and responsibly. That opens up a number of opportunities for food processors to get their products noticed not only on the shelf, but online as well. The FSA name and label can be used off-pack via online consumer communications such as sustainability reporting.
In order to validate on-farm sustainability improvement, a new approval process confirms that FSA verification bodies are meeting strict internationally recognized requirements such as ISO 17065 and qualifications for in-house trainers and auditors who can perform independent FSA verification assessments.
SAI Platform continues to invest in auditor quality and oversight. 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; online modules for auditor training that allow for self-paced learning and a verification body integrity program to ensure accurate and consistent verification processes, 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.
We’re excited to on board with this initiative and have recently completed the new process to become an official verification body with the SAI Platform through GLOBALG.A.P.
—Roy Van Wyk is executive director of the Canadian Seed Institute
