We’ve updated the names of farm requirement categories in version 1.4 of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard. This article will explain what’s changed, why it matters and how it impacts you.
Why rename the farm requirement categories?
Our certification program is evolving. In addition to our Sustainable Agriculture Standard, we are developing new specialized certification solutions focused on critical impact areas such as regenerative agriculture, climate, and livelihoods. These will be available as optional add-ons for existing Certificate Holders or as standalone options for new partners. For farmers, they offer greater market access and a way to showcase specialist practices. For companies, they support stronger ESG reporting and sustainability leadership. The first of these new solutions—the Regenerative Agriculture Standard—will be published in 2025.
What does this mean in practice?
To support these exciting new solutions, we’ve simplified the names and structure of our farm-level requirements. From version 1.4 onwards, all standards—whether it's the Sustainable Agriculture Standard or new ones like the Regenerative Agriculture Standard—will be built on a shared structure:
Base requirements apply across all standards. These are the essential practices every certified farm needs to follow.
Specialized and continuous improvement requirements reflect the specific focus of each standard. Some of these may apply to more than one standard, but not all.
Regardless of the category, all requirements are mandatory. The graphic below shows how these pieces come together in each standard.
How does this change impact you?
Previously, farm requirements were grouped into six categories: Core, Mandatory Smart Meters and Mandatory Improvements (level 1 and 2), Self-Selected Smart Meters and Self-Selected Improvements.
We’ve simplified these into just three categories: Base, Specialized, and Continuous Improvement. All these requirement categories are mandatory. This simplification makes the farm requirement categories easier for you to use, both now and in the future when we introduce new standards.