In 2023, we witnessed the synergy of SAI Platform members and partners, highlighting the urgent need for collective action and industry collaboration. Our annual report title, ‘Transforming the Agricultural System,’ encapsulates this critical phase of our ongoing journey together.
As a member-led industry organisation, SAI Platform plays a pivotal role in guiding this transition to a more sustainable food system. We are reminded once more that sustainable agriculture is powered by people. Recognising our shared responsibility, we are committed to amplifying our impact and collaborative endeavours to drive collective action towards more sustainable sourcing and food production.
Transforming the agricultural system is an ambitious goal and we have an unprecedented window of opportunity to fundamentally integrate sustainability and circular economy as the status quo. This transformation is not merely necessary; it is imperative that we regenerate the ecosystems that ensure value chain resilience upon which our businesses depend.
At SAI Platform, we recognise the urgent need to tackle critical challenges such as water scarcity, soil degradation, and the welfare of our ecosystems and animals under the stewardship of farmers, backed by the industry they supply to. This transformation must ensure financial sustainability for farmers and our supply chains as we redefine our relationship with the environment.
Regulatory bodies and shareholders worldwide are sharpening their focus on sustainability metrics. Meanwhile, governments are often facing a stalemate to make the required adaptations to agricultural policies. Given such dichotomies, finding multifaceted solutions is increasingly driven by robust industry alignment and collaboration to enable a transition. This underscores our crucial role in facilitating progress and bridging existing concerns to pave the way forward.
To support farmers, who are continually adapting to a barrage of changing regulations, we must advocate for rules that are pragmatic and feasible for farmers and processors alike. Farmers need to be efficient, produce the food we eat and steward eco-systems that are demonstrative through outcome-based metrics. Right now, over 50% of our members have committed to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which empowers farmers to use their knowledge and resourcefulness in sustainable practices.
As we look to 2030, our members have made significant commitments. SAI Platform will be pivotal in achieving these targets by leveraging our expertise and serving as the convening authority that provides a safe space for learning, networking and collaborating to find practical solutions.
Let’s keep building connections and collaborating to tackle the challenges we face to drive the transformation of the agricultural industry into the next era. It is through a collective responsibility that we will foster an agricultural system that is sustainable for future generations.
SAI Platform has grown to encompass over 180 members spanning global food and beverage value chains. Our collective resourcefulness and collaborative effort have significantly advanced sustainable practices forging strong partnerships and uniting the beef, crops and dairy sectors behind an aligned approach to regenerative agriculture.
As a resilient and innovative member-led community, we are a formidable force for change. We continually develop actionable, measurable solutions that advance the industry, with invested stakeholders at the table.
Our members rely on practical tools and solutions like the European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability (ERBS), the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA), the Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP), and our latest Regenerating Together programme that supports measurable regenerative agriculture outcomes across all farming sectors. The continuing relevance of these solutions will hinge on their ability to adapt to evolving legal requirements and policies.
In 2023, in response to a mandate from our members, we spearheaded an industry-wide shift to regenerative agriculture. Widely accepted by SAI Platform members, our definition, is increasingly becoming the rule of thumb as the global industry framework for regenerative agriculture.
Sustainability credentials across all industries are key to global market access and a mandatory aspect of compliance. To recognise and celebrate these essential developments, we introduced the FSA Growing a Better Planet award to honour the outstanding sustainability efforts of the FSA’s diverse users, highlighting our collective progress towards a shared vision.
Through the European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability (ERBS), the beef sector is witnessing significant advancements. Connecting a quarter of a million farmers, the ERBS is making substantial progress in aligning and reporting on sustainability targets within six of Europe’s largest beef-producing countries.
2023 demonstrated SAI Platform’s continued focus on progress and capacity building among our members. Initiatives from the Crops Working Group such as the Climate Conversations webinar series facilitated deep exchanges on critical issues such as carbon footprint reduction and climate adaptation strategies within the sector.
Our growing expertise and size allow us to influence and foster solid industry collaboration while advocating for practical, measurable, and impactful solutions. This is crucial as we develop solutions that not only resonate across industry stakeholders but also have the potential to be integrated into national programmes by governments and agricultural ministries.
In the Dairy Working Group, transformative impact is underway through the integration of the Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP) with national programmes. Building on the successful integration with Ireland, Australia, and the USA, the SDP aligned with the QM Milch standard, a leading dairy benchmark in Germany. Covering approximately 92% of Germany’s dairy farms and 95% of its milk production, this recognition is poised to significantly enhance the adoption of the tool among German suppliers.
As we build our 2025-2030 strategy, we will look to three focus areas: gateway to expertise, collaborative action and industry solutions. By working together with finance and technology sectors, policymakers, and other vested stakeholders, we ensure that our sustainability efforts are more comprehensive and impactful, leading to lasting changes across the agricultural landscape.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our members for their continued engagement and collaborative efforts. We would particularly like to thank the members on our Executive Committee, the various Steering Committees and Working Group chairs for their guidance, support and commitment to SAI Platform. And lastly, the Secretariat for their passion, hard work and drive to help make this transformation a reality.
SAI Platform’s global reputation as an influential authority on sustainable agriculture continues to widen. Increasingly we are recognised for our unique convening power that is uniting the agri-food industry worldwide to tackle transversal challenges through collective action and collaboration.
Our growing visibility importantly conveys how our working groups, tools, and programmes, are bringing diverse stakeholders together and fostering innovative solutions. This is helping our members to generate value across their supply chains, achieve commercial success, and deliver impactful progress towards a more sustainable future.
On September 27th 2023, SAI Platform announced the launch of its new framework for Regenerative Agriculture, ‘Regenerating Together’ at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit.
The news was received positively and presented an opportunity for SAI Platform to have a leading voice in the conversation, offering the first ever globally aligned definition of regenerative agriculture.
Our commitment to member engagement is embedded in the foundations upon which SAI Platform is built. By working together, our members are cultivating a vibrant and influential ecosystem where industry leaders converge to exchange ideas that actively shape the future.
Through active collaboration and a fervent pursuit of knowledge, we are supporting sustainability practices by fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation and improvement. Our collective efforts are delivering tangible results and bringing positive change at local, regional, and global levels.
Throughout the year, we host a variety of tailored webinars and working group meetings that cater specifically to our members in the beef, crops, and dairy sectors. Our Annual Event gathering unites our members around the world, offering a comprehensive snapshot of our organisational ambitions, efforts and achievements.
Our events not only provide a platform for dialogue and exchange but also reinforce our shared commitment to collaborative action as we reshape the future of agriculture.
SAI Platform’s Annual Event 2023 was held in the city of Minneapolis within the diverse and vast agricultural landscape of the state of Minnesota.
Renowned for its rich farming heritage and important role in the nation’s food supply, Minnesota provided the perfect setting to explore and examine how farmers from across the beef, crops and dairy sectors are implementing regenerative agriculture in their farming operations.
This exclusive member- and invitation-only event brought together over 100 sustainability experts, thought leaders, academics and progressive farmers who are driving the transition to a more sustainable food system.
This year’s IEP on Sustainable Sourcing & Trade, organised by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) in partnership with SAI Platform, was held online and in the field between 26 September and 7 November 2023.
Building on the successes of previous years, the course set out to tackle critical aspects of sustainable development, including:
The trends that are impacting supply chains globally.
Towards carbon neutral and climate resilient agri-food systems.
From theory to practice: learning from the field.
As a key skill set to manage sustainable development.
A practical and innovative component was added to this year’s edition of the IEP. Hosted by Veracruz in Portugal, participants took to the fields to experience regenerative agriculture in practice and learn directly from the experts and farmers.
Connect in person at one of our workshops, learning journeys, trainings and executive programmes, or online through our exclusive webinars.
Results from the SAI Platform Membership Survey 2023 highlighted the vital correlation between active member engagement and strong member satisfaction.
Boasting an impressive 89% overall satisfaction rate, the survey underscored our pivotal role as a leading networking space.
It is here that SAI Platform facilitates connections between industry leaders and where collaboration among industry peers tackles shared industry challenges head-on.
Our members are setting leading examples in their sustainability strategies. A staggering 92% of respondents are implementing sustainable practices, with many scaling these initiatives across their operations directly because of SAI Platform’s activities.
We asked our members which top 3 adjectives they associate with SAI Platform.
64 responses, multiple choice
In an era of intensifying environmental challenges and growing urgency for climate resilience, SAI Platform’s commitment to making a global impact is paramount. At the heart of our strategy lies a collaborative approach: by uniting our strengths, sharing ideas, and discussing both successes and setbacks, we pave the way for innovative solutions.
Together, we learn and inspire, bringing back new, tested strategies and toolkits ready for effective implementation. Thanks to the commitment and collective efforts of our 180 members worldwide, we are not only reaching across the globe, but we are making a real difference on the ground.
ERBS member organisations
FSA member organisations
SDP member organisations
Regenerating Together founding members
We partner with like-minded organisations, sharing knowledge and resources to avoid duplication of efforts. Recognising our aligned missions, we collaborate seamlessly to advance sustainable agriculture.
Since 2017, we’ve closely worked with the Cool Farm Alliance, particularly in metrics collection for our Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) and our Regenerating Together Programme.
Since 2019, we’ve co-organised the International Executive Programme (IEP) on Sustainable Sourcing & Trade with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), alongside leading academic institutions in sustainable agriculture and global value chains.
At SAI Platform, active collaboration is the cornerstone of our sustainability efforts in the food and beverage industry. Across various sectors and the broader ecosystem, we have cultivated a dynamic environment where members unite to find commonalities and build connections. This collaborative setting facilitates the exchange of ideas and best practices, empowering our members to take decisive action. Together, they develop essential tools and solutions for tangible impact at local, regional, and global levels.
The European Roundtable for Beef Sustainability (ERBS) stands as a pivotal platform, bringing together stakeholders from the six largest beef-producing countries in Europe. With a shared commitment, the ERBS coordinates sustainability initiatives to drive impactful change across the industry.
As the European beef industry faces the complex challenge of ensuring sustainability across the entire value chain, encompassing environmental responsibility, social welfare, and economic viability, it is more important than ever to coordinate action and accelerate progress with tangible results.
The ERBS actively collaborates with organisations dedicated to enhancing the sustainability of European beef production. In 2023, we continued to foster connections with Global Meat Alliance, AnimalhealthEurope, Animal Task Force, European Livestock Voice, and COPA-COGECA to enable a collaborative environment for sharing insights and best practices among industry peers.
Actors across the value chain in the ERBS are committed and actively working on making positive progress in beef sustainability.
The Roundtable aligns everyone in working towards measurable progress to the same aligned targets.
We recognise the diversity of production systems across Europe and provide freedom for delivering progress in a way that suits the local context.
Hosted by Bord Bia, Ireland, the ERBS Annual Event underscored the importance of knowledge sharing and collaborative efforts in identifying industry barriers and bridging gaps to improving European beef production sustainability.
Having completing its second round of progress reporting in 2023, the ERBS facilitated alignment among member organisations toward common sustainability goals.
Progress reports are shared with the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB), and the ERBS continues to co-lead the National Roundtable Community, ensuring European perspectives contribute to the global drive for positive change in beef production.
Pressing topics such as Biodiversity, Deforestation, Animal Welfare, and European Landscape Research were on the table during this webinar series for members to encourage knowledge exchange and informed decision-making.
The ERBS continues to set ambitious and relevant sustainability targets and enlisted the expertise of an external expert Padraig Brennan. The research commissioned explored environmental, animal welfare, social, and economic dimensions within the European landscape. The findings emphasised the transformative potential of supply chain collaboration in advancing beef sustainability across multiple fronts.
Delving into specific themes under the European Union’s regulatory framework. Each forum will feature external experts who will explore a deeper understanding of the legislation, propose practical solutions, and facilitate knowledge sharing among members.
Covering crucial industry topics such as EUDR, GHG emissions, Nature Conservation, Resilient Farming, and Animal Welfare.
Establishing new outcome targets supported by materiality assessment and stakeholder consultation to ensure alignment across all ERBS Platforms within European countries, driving collective progress towards sustainability goals.
Capability development through collaborative action is central to ensuring the long-term viability of agricultural supply chains.
In 2023, the Crops Working Group (Crops WG) made significant strides in this direction through its Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) workstream. This initiative refined and showcased the essential skills, knowledge and tested approaches within our community, refining and showcasing these across the sector.
By nurturing our vibrant community network, the CSA workstream facilitated collaborative learning among industry peers at various stages of their journey. This collaboration has fostered innovation, best practice adoption and ultimately accelerated the implementation of sustainable solutions across the sector. We look forward to continuing this progress in the years to come.
A key highlight of the CSA workstream was the well-received and highly attended Climate Conversations webinar series. The series explored ways to integrate primary farm data into members’ climate strategies and adopted landscape level approaches to drive change. In total the series attracted over 600 attendees, received more than 600 recording views to date, and featured contributions from over 30 global experts.
Eight participating members shared their efforts to implement climate-smart and regenerative agriculture practices within their value chains. This collective endeavour generated valuable insights in the creation of the Regenerating Together Transition Support Guide in 2024.
The Crops WG facilitated its first climate and regenerative agriculture project, initiated by five members to start in 2024. This one-year fact-finding and baselining project focuses on peanut farmers in Argentina, aiming to inform a potentially longer-term transition support programme across the full crop rotation.
The establishment of the Crops Advisory Group further enhanced member participation and engagement, providing strategic guidance and fostering deeper collaboration within the group.
In 2024, Members can expect a considerable focus toward catalysing the adoption of climate smart and regenerative agriculture throughout their value chains.
The Climate Smart Agriculture workstream will focus on deliverables to build on the Regenerating Together Programme. Our aim is to circulate these findings and insights within the SAI Platform community. By leveraging our unique position, we plan to connect members working with farmers in the same sourcing districts and create a common ground for multistakeholder projects.
Our focus will continue developing capability through the launch of a new webinar series, as well as the evolution of a learning hub with resources to support members in their transition.
SAI Platform’s Dairy Working Group stands as a cornerstone of industry collaboration and collective action. Comprised of some of the world’s leading dairy companies from farmer coops to FMCGs, our members are committed to tackling the sustainability challenges that necessitate a united approach with pragmatic solutions.
Through initiatives such as the Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP) Carbon Module, which provides a common approach for dairy processors to share their GHG emission factors with dairy buyers, we have laid the groundwork to enhance harmonisation around a robust approach aligned with recognised standards on GHG emissions reporting and target-setting.
The development of this significant module has galvanised our community’s carbon experts who are leveraging their collective knowledge to empower all members. Ensuring equitable participation and reinforcing the capacities of every member company is essential not only for meeting individual goals but also advancing common sector targets.
As one of the most engaged communities of SAI Platform, the members of the Dairy Working Group have played a pivotal role to SAI Platform’s Regenerating Together – a global framework for regenerative agriculture.
With more than 30 pilots across North America, Europe, and Oceania, members ensured dairy farming systems were well represented during the development of the framework. With solid foundations in place, members are well-positioned to work on common outcome indicators to measure and build pathways towards more regenerative dairy farming systems.
Members of the Dairy Working Group will continue to consolidate their path towards 2030 by focusing on aligning the dairy industry on key sustainability topics and the recognition of the Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP) as the one industry solution for efficiently reporting dairy sustainability and demonstrating impact.
Want to know more about how to get involved with our working groups?
SAI Platform Australia continues its mission to drive sustainable practices in the production of food, fibre, and fisheries across the nation. Its influence and efforts are marked by several key achievements this year.
As the region’s leading initiative, we welcomed key new members to the platform, strengthening our collaborative impact and extending our reach. Woolworths, Australia’s largest retailer, joined alongside Greenham, an award-winning regenerative beef producer. Additionally, PepsiCo expanded their global membership to participate in the Australian Chapter, reflecting a growing commitment to sustainability across sectors.
Engagement with the global SAI Platform has also seen tangible progress this year. Members collaborate closely with farmers to implement the Regenerating Together global framework for regenerative agriculture within local farming systems. This hands-on approach ensures that the benefits of sustainable practices are realised directly where they matter most.
SAI Platform Australia continues to play a critical role in shaping a sustainable future for agriculture in the region, demonstrating a proactive and impactful approach in every endeavour.
Members, industry experts, and farmers discussed reducing carbon emissions and received updates from government representatives at this key event held in Canberra. Similarly, our monthly sessions—featuring external presentations and peer-to-peer roundtables—have become a fundamental part of our platform, covering diverse topics such as sustainability reporting and regenerative agriculture, which facilitate a rich learning and exchange environment.
Our annual field trip to farms near Orange, NSW, highlighted sustainable practices in various sectors, including viticulture and broadacre cropping. Participants gained firsthand insights and observed innovative research on carbon sequestration and soil carbon enhancements, enriching our collective knowledge and fostering further collaboration.
SAI Platform Australia continues to champion sustainability through targeted research and education. We commissioned the State of Play for Regenerative Agriculture in Australia report to identify and clarify the overlaps and gaps in local frameworks and certifications, thereby guiding more effective policies and practices. Furthermore, the Sustainable Sourcing in Food and Fibre micro-certification, delivered through the University of Melbourne, continued to draw significant interest, reinforcing our dedication to advancing sustainable education.
Advancing the sustainability of agricultural supply chains is crucial to China’s sustainable development ambitions.
The Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) is increasingly recognised as a practical tool to encourage the widespread adoption of sustainable farming practices in Chinese agriculture. There has been significant uptake in the use of the FSA in China, across a range of crops.
Given China’s prominent position as the world’s second-largest corn producer, SAI Platform’s China Workstream undertook a comprehensive examination of the feasibility of implementing an FSA Accelerator tailored specifically for the Chinese corn industry.
The objective of the accelerator was to drive tangible and verifiable progress towards more sustainable practices in the sector.
Over the course of the project, the workstream assessed the sustainability challenges and opportunities for the Chinese corn sector, mapping in detail raw material flows and exploring the feasibility of complex Farm Management Group arrangements.
The project yielded valuable insights into key sourcing regions, highlighting opportunities to scale up production volumes of FSA-verified corn in China. It forecasted substantial growth in corn cultivation and output nationwide.
These findings underscore the major role of corn production in China’s agricultural landscape while acknowledging the intricate and expansive nature of its supply chains.
Increasingly, Chinese companies are demonstrating interest in implementing the FSA to integrate sustainability into their long-term business strategies. We continue our engagement with our members and their supply chains in China, collaborating with consultants to enhance stakeholder capacity and promote sustainable practices in the agricultural sector.
Want to know more about how to get involved in our work at a regional level?
SAI Platform strives to foster industry collaboration, promote alignment on approaches and contribute practical solutions to sector-wide challenges.
Our industry-leading solutions empower users to effectively learn, capture, and demonstrate their sustainability progress, while also delivering measurable impacts, monitoring continuous improvements, and addressing key issues such as climate resilience, nature conservation, farmer livelihoods, and animal welfare.
Through collaborative action, our members and partners have developed credible and globally recognised tools and programmes that keep farmers and their communities at the heart of good agricultural and agri-food business practices.
The ERBS defines success in beef sustainability as an ongoing process of continuous improvement aligned by established measurable outcome-based targets in four key pan-European areas: Animal Medicines, Animal Welfare, Farm Management, and Environment.
By defining clear targets, the ERBS provides a framework for stakeholders to ascertain progress and drive meaningful change.
Recognising the diverse production systems, climates, and farm needs across Europe, the ERBS acknowledges the need for adaptable and flexible practices to address sustainability challenges effectively.
Every farm and region are unique in their own context and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for beef sustainability in Europe. By focusing on outcome-based targets at the European level, the ERBS empowers local stakeholders, farmers, and national initiatives to tailor their strategies and actions according to their specific circumstances and needs.
2023 marked the second round of progress reporting using the ERBS platform progress framework. Platforms seeking recognition from the ERBS follow a structured six-stage framework which offers a comprehensive evaluation of efforts and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
Platforms commit to the ERBS targets as a first step, activity plans are then implemented and finally, Platforms report every two years against their progress. Aligning with our overarching mission, the ERBS outcome areas define the trajectory of progress.
Stakeholders across the beef value chain are acknowledged for their role in delivering measurable positive impacts and perpetuating a cycle of improvement towards key sustainability priorities.
Existing programmes and schemes are acknowledged, and adaptations to local contexts are facilitated to ensure relevance and efficacy. In-country platforms are leveraging their intimate knowledge of local contexts to initiate projects tailored to specific needs, resulting in tangible positive impacts and progress.
Across the six Platforms in country within the ERBS network discernible progress continues, with 125 activities actively contributing to measurable, credible, and positive impact.
The diverse array of initiatives reflects a concerted effort to address local contextual needs, spanning from training programmes to the creation of innovative tools and influencing national certification schemes.
Plan EcoAntibio project aimed at reducing the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry.
Hosting webinars for beef farmers on essential topics such as Hoof Care and Colostrum Care.
Establishment of the Academy of Sustainable Agriculture to provide further education and knowledge based on ERBS principles.
Launch of a pilot project to develop a dedicated tool for data extraction and analysis to
enhance animal welfare and medication management.
Focused efforts on Data Collection for GHG reduction.
Utilisation of the Farm Sustainability Learning Hub to provide online training and support to Irish beef farmers, with over 7,300 participants registered to date.
To learn more about the work of ERBS or to find out how you can get involved contact ERBS Director, Rozanne Davis.
SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) unites businesses throughout the value chain to champion sustainability priorities and extend support to farmers where it matters most.
The FSA demonstrates commitment and dedication to sustainable agriculture, exemplifying how collective efforts pave the way for a future where people and the planet can thrive.
In 2023, the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) continued in its goal to foster demonstrable continuous improvement of on-farm social, environmental, and business performance. The FSA remains a trusted authority to guide its’ practitioners to improve water stewardship, labour practices, soil health and biodiversity.
The launch of the FSA’s Online User Training in the SAI Platform Academy empowers the FSA community worldwide with the essential skills to integrate the FSA seamlessly into their approach with farmers. Finalising the FSA 3.0 benchmarking process ensures our assessment criteria remain relevant and adaptable, furthering supply chain collaboration.
The inaugural FSA Growing a Better Planet award recognised exemplary sustainability efforts across our diverse users and celebrated collective action towards our shared vision. The winner, Phata Sugarcane Outgrowers Cooperative, from Malawi, stood out for their commitment to collaboration and dedication to ensuring that implementing sustainable practices benefitted and improved the livelihoods of their farmers and the long-term viability of the cooperative.
The FSA is reaching new countries and growing in regions like Central and South America, and Africa. We look forward to next year, as we expand the FSA to incorporate regenerative agriculture outcomes and cultivate continuous improvement.
The FSA continues to maintain its relevance as a common reference for farm sustainability schemes, as well as a consistent approach to determine alignment. Over 85 schemes and standards are benchmarked against the latest version of the FSA.
A new online course in the SAI Platform Academy equips the growing number of FSA practitioners managing implementation with farmers with the skills to build trust, collaborate, and improve relationships, driving positive change in sustainable sourcing practices.
Over 70 practitioners of the FSA came together for two days in Rome, Italy. Through workshops and a field visit, the attendees, including SAI Platform members from the Crops Working Group, exchanged experiences on deploying the FSA and Climate Smart Agriculture in their supply chains.
To learn more about how you can harness the power of the FSA or to get involved in shaping its future development contact FSA Director, Joe Rushton.
Our Regenerating Together Programme brings together a diversity of stakeholders from across the agri-food industry to support regenerative agriculture and drive systemic change across farming systems.
Thirty-three of our members recognised the strength of collaborative action in shaping a collective vision for regenerative agriculture. Together, we are making significant strides towards industry alignment to minimise duplication of standards and alleviate confusion for farmers and suppliers about which approach to follow.
SAI Platform’s Regenerating Together programme gained great momentum in 2023. The public release of our Regenerating Together global framework for regenerative agriculture in September 2023 received widespread support from SAI Platform members and the broader industry, who see our resources as instrumental to facilitating their transition towards regenerative agriculture.
Acknowledging the diversity of our agricultural sector, our global framework for regenerative agriculture emphasises the need for understanding local contexts. This involves identifying key environmental risks, prioritising outcomes, implementing practices, and assessing progress over time.
Built upon 10 environmental outcomes spanning the four impact areas: soil health, biodiversity, water and climate, the framework enables farms and supply sheds, across beef, crop and dairy sectors, to tailor their transition strategies according to their specific contexts.
Scaling the adoption of regenerative agriculture and integrating our framework into a comprehensive system for verification and progress reporting requires practical step-by-step guidance. As we open the programme to our full membership in 2024, we are looking forward to productive collaborations moving beyond alignment to action on the ground globally.
Working together with farmers, academia, civil societies, and the public sector, SAI Platform has developed an aligned approach to agriculture aimed at:
while ensuring farmers’ business viability within a just transition approach.
Our Regenerating Together global framework for regenerative agriculture was adapted into an Assessment Tool that allows for data consolidation to track progress towards regenerative agriculture at farm and supply shed level.
Over 20 of our leading members, including multi-national companies and farmer cooperatives, have reviewed the Assessment Prototype alongside their farmers and subject matter experts. This collaborative effort has spanned over 20 countries, across 5 continents and engaged with more than 20 production systems.
To capture expertise from diverse farming systems and geographical regions, our Regenerating Together programme worked closely with our Beef, Crops and Dairy Working Groups. This collaborative approach ensures that unique needs per sector are effectively addressed in the framework.
To learn more about our Regenerative Agriculture Programme or how you could get involved in shaping its future development contact Regenerative Agriculture Director, Dominik Klauser.
The Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP) is a unified approach to driving continuous improvement in dairy sustainability for use in the commercial relationships between dairy buyers and processors.
Building on the criteria for the Dairy Sustainability Framework (DSF), the SDP offers a business-to-business reporting framework for measuring progress and reporting on sustainability across the dairy value chain.
In 2023, the Sustainable Dairy Partnership (SDP) experienced a significant surge in adoption with 27 dairy processors – 11 of whom are among the top 20 dairy processors – currently underway with reporting on progress and over 70% of reports already shared with dairy buyers.
This uptake in SDP adoption not only paves the way for increased engagement downstream in the dairy value chain but also acts as a great enabler for dairy processors in expanding dairy markets such as India or Latin America. Here, the SDP offers a business-to-business reporting framework aligned with global dairy buyers’ expectations.
Amidst increasing requirements for transparency and data disclosure along agri-food supply chains, ensuring the ongoing relevance of the SDP is key. This ensures continued support for the dairy sector in fulfilling its sustainability commitments as we approach 2030.
Drawing from the wealth of expertise within our dairy community and the insights gleaned from the development of the Carbon Module, the SDP is poised to drive further alignment and transparency in sustainable reporting. In 2024, our focus will home in even further on critical topics such as animal health and welfare, as well as advancing regenerative agriculture.
To learn more about the Sustainable Dairy Partnership or how you could get involved in shaping its future development contact Dairy Director, Patricia Garcia Diaz.
SAI Platform ended 2023 in a good financial position with a reasonable operating surplus. Income exceeded expenditure which is positive as a larger revenue base is necessary to meet ever increasing member ambitions and a growing organisation.
Year-on-year comparison of income vs expenditure (2022 / 2023).
SAI Platform’s primary source of funding comes from annual membership fees, supplemented by revenue from industry solutions.
Our annual work programme is designed to align with SAI Platform’s strategic priorities and cater to the diverse needs of our broad membership. The Executive Committee (ExCo) prioritises and allocates the budget based on detailed plans submitted by the Secretariat, which are thoroughly reviewed during a face-to-face meeting held in the fourth quarter of each year.
Despite strong year-end figures for 2023, we experienced a decline in new membership growth for the first time, and the number of outstanding fees increased significantly. We have formulated plans to address these issues in 2024 to ensure continued financial stability.
Our objective is to maintain a healthy balance between revenue and expenditure, ensuring a reasonable surplus at year-end for both the operating reserve and restructuring reserve, if necessary. The reserve is reviewed annually to ensure it aligns with the organisation’s growth, as Swiss law requires an adequate reserve.
Maintaining this balance has been feasible while our industry solutions and projects were under development. However, as these solutions mature and gain recognition, scaling becomes a priority, necessitating additional funding. As SAI Platform expands, we also need to invest in our organisational structures to ensure efficiency and compliance. Consequently, a membership fee increase, effective as of January 2024, was agreed upon at the 2023 General Assembly. This increase is essential to support our growth and the evolving needs of our projects and industry solutions.
*Note: The operating reserve is not the delta between income and expenditure as it reflects the cumulative surplus from previous years.
The financial statements for SAI Platform for the year ending 31 December 2023 were audited by Fiducaire TECAFIN SA, Geneva, Switzerland on 11th April 2024.
Leadership
Member engagement
Collaboration
Industry solutions
Finance
