Sustainable Food Group Sustainability Standard
Certification Goals and Overview
Modeled after the Sysco (R) Sustainable/IPM Program, implemented worldwide with 68 fruit and vegetable supply chains and more than two million acres, the Sustainable Food Group Sustainability StandardTM addresses requests from additional producers to similarly document and report performance to buyers and others. This new standard, developed by the IPM Institute of North America in collaboration with Azzule SystemsTM and PrimuslabsTM addresses soil health, pest management, agrochemicals, waste and recycling, water, energy, processing, employee relations and conservation, and can be implemented as a self-assessment or a third-party-audited certification, including in conjunction with food safety audits.
Program Details
Program Description
The Sustainable Food Group Sustainability Standard is applicable to specialty crop farming operations and facilities. Operations can be audited and certified to the Standard as an addendum to food safety audits or as a stand-alone certification. The objective of the program is to recognize farming and processing operations for performance on sustainability measures and encourage continuous improvement. If you have additional questions that are not addressed on this website please follow the link here to our contact page.
Certification Process
1. Apply for certification. Click here for a list of approved Certification Bodies.
2. Review certification process, perform self-assessment using the Sustainability Standard Checklist document, schedule on-site audit and pay certification costs.
3. Review Sustainability Standard normative documents in preparation for on-site audit.
4. Undergo on-site audit.
5. Audit score and report reviewed from Certification Body, certification granted if approved.
Benefits
Market recognition for your business and accomplishments in sustainability.
Verification of successful and ethical business practices.
Certified ecological, economic, and social quality.
Identify areas for improvement.
Preserve, expand access to local and international markets.