The board of directors of the Potato Sustainability Alliance has approved the implementation of a third-party verification process for its PSA Program.
This is the first time PSA has implemented a formal third-party verification process, which will review on-farm assessment responses for accuracy and alignment with reported practices. PSA says a small, randomly selected group of 23 farms was chosen to participate and was notified in January.
PSA says these reviews will take place in early 2026 and are expected to conclude before planting season in most regions.
All enrolled growers who submitted a 2025 on-farm assessment were previously notified that submissions could be selected for review as part of this new verification process. Additional resources to help growers understand and prepare for the process will be shared in advance.
“Participants are asked to provide evidence supporting the management practices reported as implemented in their assessment,” says Natalie Nesburg, PSA program manager. “The type of evidence required varies by question and may include documentation such as records, logs, maps, plans or invoices. In some cases, practices can be visually confirmed during the on-farm visit or verified through a discussion with the grower to better understand how the practice is carried out in operation. A checklist is provided in advance that outlines acceptable forms of evidence and includes examples to help participants prepare.”
PSA says Where Food Comes From, an independent, third-party food verification company, will review the on-farm assessments and conduct impartial reviews that help strengthen program integrity.
“Insights from these visits help strengthen data quality and inform program-level improvements where needed,” Nesburg says.
Nesburg says PSA members and the PSA Program Committee, which is composed of growers, processors, fresh marketers and supply chain partners, helped shape the framework and resources. PSA members also helped shape the third-party verification process.
The verification framework is built on the Syngenta Outcomes in Agriculture Standard, Nesburg says. Growers completed the self-assessment through the Cropwise Sustainability mobile app using primarily yes/no questions. From the responses, growers received a leadership level: essential, basic, medium or high for each criterion.
“The SOA outlines verifiable criteria across six sustainable outcomes: optimal production, water impact, soil health, biodiversity and habitat, human and animal health, and community leadership,” she says. “These include defined drivers of change and specific management practices such as nutrient and pest management, conservation practices, irrigation, regulatory compliance and farm records.”
During verification, the reviewer evaluates the completed self-assessment and conducts a field review to confirm accuracy. Growers receive a PSA guidance document, verification checklist and a summary findings report.
Nesburg says this initial year is focused on implementation, gathering insights and program refinement.
“PSA will use learnings from this first cycle to implement program enhancements for the 2026 assessment and strengthen the framework where needed,” she says. “A summary report of the verification reviews, key findings and recommended improvements will be presented during the 2026 PSA Summer Symposium.”
