FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Contact: info@leadingharvest.org
Benchmark unlocks access to FSA-aligned supply chains while maintaining Leading Harvest’s commitment to a flexible, outcomes-based, and capital markets aligned approach.
SEATTLE, WA, August 13, 2025 – Leading Harvest today announced that its Farmland Management Standard (FMS) has been officially benchmarked as equivalent to the Silver Level of the SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) 3.0, a globally recognized framework for sustainable agriculture.
“The FSA benchmarking provides FMS users with a critical advantage, the ability to align with global supply chain sustainability requirements while maintaining the flexibility and outcome-based approach that defines the FMS,” said Scott Hansen, Director of Standards and Education at Leading Harvest. “This benchmark reflects Leading Harvest’s commitment to reduce audit burden for growers while also driving reporting efficiencies across supply chains and capital markets.”
This milestone confirms that farmland certified to the FMS, when audited with a supplemental addendum, meets the rigorous environmental, social, and economic criteria of FSA Silver. The benchmarking was conducted by independent sustainability experts who reviewed the FMS against FSA 3.0 content, governance, and verification requirements.
“Congratulations to Leading Harvest on achieving FSA Silver Level Equivalence for the Farmland Management Standard,” said Joe Iveson, FSA Manager at SAI Platform. “This recognition reflects the standard’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and continuous improvement. It’s a significant milestone that demonstrates the credibility and impact of the scheme in driving positive change across the supply chain.”
The equivalency supports supply chain transparency and simplifies sourcing verification for buyers and brands relying on FSA-aligned reporting. It also positions Leading Harvest-certified farms to demonstrate conformance to widely accepted sustainability benchmarks with a single audit process.
About Leading Harvest
Leading Harvest is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes the entire value chain through market-driven and third-party audited standards, outcome-driven collaborations, and a learning network to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient global agricultural system. It created and maintains an innovative, third-party audited Farmland Management Standard, which is a universal, outcome-based sustainability standard focusing on farm management and continual improvement. Learn more at www.leadingharvest.org.
Contact
For more information about the benchmarking or to learn how to implement the Farmland Management Standard with FSA equivalence, contact info@leadingharvest.org.
