Sustainable Agriculture Standard Stakeholder Comment Period Announced

EMERYVILLE, Calif., April 12, 2016 /3BL Media/ -  SCS Global Services (SCS) announced today that its Sustainably Grown Certification Standard, Draft Version 2.0, has been released for public and stakeholder review and comment.  SCS welcomes feedback on the new draft, which represents the next version of its comprehensive certification standard for environmental, social, and economic sustainability performance in the agriculture sector.

“Sustainably Grown certification recognizes outstanding performance in the production of agricultural crops, and guides producers on a path of continuous improvement,” said Lesley Sykes, SCS Manger of Sustainable Agriculture. “We are pleased to release this next version for review, and look forward to input from the stakeholder community.”

The Sustainably Grown certification program has gained international prominence as a leading certification option for producers, scored among the top certification programs under several independent assessments. 

According to Sykes, Version 2.0 modifications include: 1) improved ease-of-use for self-assessment; 2) improved auditability; 3) new optional credits for industry best practices; and 4) updated prohibited and limited use pesticide lists.  In addition, Version 2.0 has been benchmarked to the new ANSI/LEO-4000 National Sustainable Agriculture Standard, as well as to the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP) Reference Code, to provide increased market recognition opportunities for participating producers.

The standard addresses a broad range of environmental issues, including production system parameters, soil and water resources, air quality, climate change, ecosystem protection, energy efficiency, and waste management.  Social responsibility requirements cover work agreements, wages and benefits, working hours, child and slave labor prohibitions, non-discrimination and freedom of association, human resource management, health and safety, and community relations. The standard also includes financial sustainability, product quality and safety, and transparency provisions.

Stakeholders interested in reviewing Version 2.0 and submitting comments should visit the SCS website. Additional tools to facilitate the process are also available on the site. 

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SCS Global Services has been providing global leadership in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development since 1984, with programs spanning a wide cross-section of industries including green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, and retail.  SCS is accredited to provide services under a wide range of nationally and internationally recognized certification programs. SCS is a chartered benefit corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.