The VIVE programme has been benchmarked against the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) and was awarded a Silver Equivalence against the latest version of the assessment – FSA 3.0. By gaining this benchmark, the VIVE programme has demonstrated that its quality meets the standards of another globally recognised, widely used scheme. VIVE participants who achieve VIVE Claim level are now able to supply any company that requires a Silver FSA standard, reducing the need for multiple assessment and granting them access to a wider network of buyers.
The SAI platform is used by more than 150 companies around the world. It aims to enable its member companies to lead the way in sustainable agriculture and develop tools through their different programmes which will lead to large scale change in sustainable agriculture. The FSA is an example of one of SAI’s programmes. The FSA was initially created to drive continuous improvement on farm, social, environmental, and business performance through supply chain engagement. It helps participants to understand how sustainable they are, then implements improvement steps to try and help them to become more sustainable. The benchmark awards participants on a scale of bronze to gold, where the VIVE programme achieved a Silver Equivalence Rating.
Benchmarking the VIVE programme against the FSA shows the programme’s continued commitment to making ingredient supply chains more sustainable. It also demonstrates an understanding of the need to standardise reporting on the best sustainability practices. This standardisation allows for easier comparisons to be made between programmes like VIVE and assessments like the FSA.
By achieving Silver Equivalence, the VIVE programme has demonstrated that farming practices involved in the programme are sustainable. This highlights the programme’s continued dedication to ensuring the supply chains of its participants continue to be sustainable. VIVE now joins over 100 other member companies, who are also FSA benchmarked, helping lead the way in sustainable agriculture globally.
