Our Standards
Climate Verification
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The implementation of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard has generated positive environmental and social impacts and more rewarding, stable markets for producers. Farms which meet the standard´s criteria are also taking actions to mitigate their impact on climate change. While there are a number of climate mitigation practices already defined in the SAN standard, the SAN Climate Module was developed to provide a tool for farmers to make a credible, defensible statement that is explicit about climate actions. The SAN Climate Module achieves this through clearly defined criteria that can be consistently applied and verified. |
The SAN Climate Module is a specific voluntary set of climate change adaptation and mitigation criteria which reinforces existing certification criteria and provides additional value. Those farmers that achieve compliance with the module are able to:
- assess the risks posed by climate change to their farms and communities
- analyze their practices to quantify and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated by growing, harvesting and processing activities
- increase the levels of carbon stored on their farms through the restoration of degraded lands, reforestation and improved soil conservation
- better adapt to altered growing seasons and other conditions resulting from the effects of climate change
SAN Climate Module: Criteria for Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change, February 2011 (PDF)
SAN Climate Module Verification Policy, June 2011 (PDF)
SAN Climate Module Scope and Policy
The SAN Climate Module Verification Policy determines the scope of verification for farms, group administrators and their member farms who are interested in voluntarily applying to this process. It also conveys the general verification conditions for farms, group administrators and their member farms interested in SAN Climate Module Verification. Finally, it establishes the conditions for cancelling the approved status of a farm, group administrator and its member farms with respect to the SAN Climate Module.
The SAN Climate Module Verification Policy applies to verifications performed by SAN approved inspection or certification bodies as of June 15, 2011.
For inquiries regarding the SAN Climate Module implementation and application, please contact SAN´s Standards & Policy Technical Coordinator, Adriana Rodriguez.
Development of the SAN Climate Module
From July 2010 to October 2010 a public consultation process was conducted on a SAN Climate Module draft according to the ISEAL Alliance Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental Standards. The public consultation comprised one 100-day round of on-line consultation, local workshops and trial audits. View the public consultation report and comments received.
