U.S. Farmed Certification
Ensuring compliance with the American Farmland Trust’s Standard for U.S.-sourced ingredients
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What is U.S. Farmed Certification?
U.S. Farmed Certification recognizes products with at least 95% of agricultural ingredients sourced from United States farms and growers. Products certified with U.S. Farmed will stand out from competitors and help consumers make buying decisions that sustain U.S. farmers and the land they tend.
Specifically, U.S. Farmed is a traceability standard that verifies material sourcing to U.S. farms. The certification program is designed for vertically integrated supply chains.
As part of the American Farmland Trust’s goal to forge sustainable solutions for American farmers, the U.S. Farmed Certification directly supports U.S. farmers and growers as they confront the losses associated with diminished farmland integrity and demographic-level shifts away from legacy family farms.
By earning U.S. Farmed certification, companies may proudly display the certification logo on product packaging to communicate to consumers that their dollars are supporting U.S. farmers today while ensuring a sustainable livelihood for future generations of U.S. farmers and growers.
Why SCS Global Services?
With over 40 years of experience in third-party certification, SCS is a trusted global leader in verifying regulatory, food safety, and sustainability claims in the food and agriculture industry. Our dedicated Food & Agriculture Team comprises technical experts with extensive experience in the agriculture sector. Our exceptional customer service ensures a seamless certification process that is efficient, reliable, and tailored to your specific needs. Maximize efficiency and cost savings by bundling your U.S. Farmed certification with other certifications offered by SCS. Choose from a range of certification services including USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project, Sustainably Grown, food safety certifications such GLOBAL G.A.P., PrimusGFS, and SQF. Bundling your certifications allows you to streamline the certification process, saving time and resources while ensuring compliance with multiple standards.
- Benefits
- Certification Process
- FAQ
- Program Documents
- Market Access: Certification allows businesses to demonstrate the verification of their material sourcing to a U.S. farms, showing commitment to U.S.-grown ingredients and American farmers.
- Consumer Confidence: Certification promotes transparency in supporting farmers growing ingredients in the United States.
- Stakeholder Recognition: Gain recognition from stakeholders, including retailers, consumers, U.S. farmers and grower groups, and government agencies for your proactive approach to sourcing agricultural commodities and ingredients from U.S. farmers.
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Application
Upon receiving your application for U.S. Farmed Certification, our team will review the application to determine if the producer and/or distributor appears to comply or may be able to comply with U.S. Farmed requirements. The application for certification can be found on the Program Documents tab.
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Traceability Analysis
Once audit scope is determined, a supply chain traceability analysis is scheduled with your organization’s management. This analysis can be conducted with a hybrid approach incorporating both in-person and remote sessions. A sample of the suppliers that grow or distribute U.S.-grown ingredients or products included in the operation for which certification is requested will be selected. The analysis involves a comprehensive review of the operation traceability procedures and processes with an onsite inspection to confirm segregation of the product to be certified.
All supply chain analyses will be conducted when a representative of the operation is available and can access operation records and at a time when facilities and activities that demonstrate U.S. Farmed compliance or capability to comply can be observed.
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Compliance Evaluation:
Following the traceability inspection, our certification team evaluates the findings to determine if the U.S. Farmed requirements are met. Any areas of non-compliance are identified, and corrective actions must be submitted within 30 days.
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Certification Decision:
SCS conducts a final technical review of the inspection report and corrective actions documentation, then makes the final certification decision. SCS can also provide client marketing support.
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Annual Inspection:
To maintain certification, an inspection is conducted once every 12 months following the initial inspection. An onsite inspection will be required every three years.
What does the certification process involve?
The certification process includes an initial on-site inspection and traceability assessment, followed by annual inspections thereafter, to ensure ongoing compliance with U.S. Farmed requirements.
How long does it take to obtain certification?
Once an operation’s application for certification is received and reviewed, an on-site inspection will be conducted within 3 months.
After completion of the initial on-site inspection, the on-site inspection report and any additional information requested from or supplied by the applicant will be reviewed. If ingredients, growing systems, and all procedures and activities of the applicant's operation comply with U.S. Farmed, SCS shall grant certification.
If an applicant for certification is not in compliance with U.S. Farmed requirements, a written notification of noncompliance will be sent to the applicant. The applicant may correct noncompliance and submit a description of the corrective actions taken with supporting documentation to SCS within 30 days after receiving the written notification of noncompliance. After review of the corrective action(s) documentation, a certification decision will be made within one week.
Where can I find the inspection checklist for producers and distributors?
The inspection checklist can be found in the Program Documents tab.
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