SCS-001 Fair Labor Practices and Community Benefits Module
Ensuring a Safe, Equitable Workplace
Leaders in the field of sustainable agriculture have long recognized the importance of conducting operations in a manner that supports the needs of workers, their families and communities.
Now, growers and handlers of agricultural products can be independently certified under the Fair Labor Practices and Community Benefits label for their efforts to ensure a safe, equitable workplace and support local communities. The label includes provisions for equitable hiring and employment practices, safe workplace conditions, workers right to organize, worker housing, child labor, access to health, education, and transportation services, impacts to the community, local hiring, purchasing, and contributions, and economic stability. This comprehensive certification provides a consistent, transparent set of requirements that directly benefit workers, their families and communities.
SCS-001: Draft American National Standard for Trial Use for Sustainable Agriculture
This certification module is based on the social and economic sustainability elements of a new Draft American National Standard for Trial Use (SCS-001) for Sustainable Agriculture, which was filed by SCS with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the official national standards body for the U.S. This leadership standard was published on April 13, 2007, and will be finalized through an ANSI-approved multi-stakeholder, consensus-based non-proprietary standards process. The standard sets a new benchmark in the production and handling of agricultural products, addressing key environmental, social and product quality issues.
Organic Growers and Handlers May Qualify Now
Farms and handlers who are already certified as organic under the U.S. National Organic Program may qualify now for certification for the Fair Labor Practices and Community Benefits label. Contact SCS for details.
How to Get Certified
| Sustainable Agriculture Standard Fact Sheet | Summary of the new Draft American National Standard for Trial Use (SCS-001) for Sustainable Agriculture (PDF, 3 pages) |
| Fair Labor Practices Summary | Fair Labor Practices and Community Benefits Questions and Answers Fact Sheet (PDF, 2 pages) |
| Requirements for Growers and Handlers | Complete Fair Labor Practices requirements of the Draft American National Standard for Trial Use (SCS-001) for Sustainable Agriculture (PDF, 40 pages) |
| Initial Application Form for Producers | Download and complete this form now to begin the certification process. A member of the SCS staff will contact you to discuss your facility's particulars, including auditing requirements. (PDF, 1 page) |
| Draft American National Standard for Trial Use (SCS-001) for Sustainable Agriculture | This standard was filed by SCS with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The draft standard was published by ANSI on April 13, 2007, and is effective for a trial use period of up to three years. (PDF, 127 pgs; 1.85Mb) (PDF, 127 pgs; 1.85Mb) |