Initiative
EFP IN ALBERTA
Completing an EFP is an important first step in producing livestock, field and horticultural crops that meet standards for sustainable sourcing. Many large agri-food businesses and major restaurant chains are moving toward only purchasing products that are from sustainably sourced operations. Industry is also responding to this market demand and are seeing the value of the EFP Program for demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship. When McCain said they would only purchase products that are sustainably sourced, the Potato Growers of Alberta made completing an EFP a requirement for membership. Alberta Milk require the completion of an EFP as part of their proAction environmental module.
Now companies and producer groups can take it one step further with the launch of the EFP+ Program, which allows a means for making globally recognized sustainability claims and expand into new markets.
EFP+ : GLOBAL EQUIVALENCY IN SUSTAINABILITY FOR ALBERTA PRODUCERS
As consumers and food industry giants seek out farms that prioritize sustainability - and have the assessments to match, EFP is leading Alberta producers to meet these demands. As sustainable sourcing benchmarking becomes the new normal, the EFP framework and support from local EFP technicians enable producers to meet and even exceed sustainability standards. Producers enrolled in an EFP have found that meeting sustainable sourcing requirements is easier when they have completed the EFP process.
WHAT IS EFP+?
EFP+ allows producers to achieve equivalency to the FSA global standard by completing an environmental assessment designed specifically for producers who operate within the Alberta context while taking advantage of all of the other benefits EFP has to offer.
It does not replace the regular EFP program, and is only eligible (and relevant) for Farm Management Groups. You can read all the frequently asked questions about EFP+ here.
EFP+ PROGRAM CONNECTS INDUSTRY AND FARMERS TO A GLOBAL STANDARD
The EFP+ program is an upgraded version of the standard EFP workbook, that provides the producer with an official equivalency score with SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA).
The FSA is widely recognized as a food and drink industry reference for sustainable crop farming. It was created to encourage the industry-wide adoption of beneficial management practices that improve farm performance and sustainability outcomes.
The EFP 4.0+ workbook was benchmarked in conjunction with Canadian legislation to the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) 3.0.
The Alberta EFP is aligned to FSA Gold Level (100% essential, 100% intermediate, 96% advanced) when taking into account Canadian Federal legislation. Regarding the verification requirements, the Alberta EFP was benchmarked as FSA aligned. This means that Farm Management Groups (FMGs) can use an approved verification body to perform an FSA verification audit using their producers’ results from their Alberta EFP+ workbooks. The producer group can then make international sustainability claims that are equivalent to the FSA standard.
WANT MORE INFORMATION ON THE EFP+ PROGRAM?
EFP+ is designed for producers within Farm Management Groups, as such there are additional steps that need to be taken by producer groups to make these sustainability claims. We have developed support documents that outline the steps that need to be taken, and which players are responsible for each step. Connect with our team for more information on the EFP+.
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THE ALBERTA EFP ADVANTAGE
Education & Awareness
For Alberta Producers
Supported by Technicians
Eligibility for Funding
Easy to Upgrade to EFP+
FSA Credit
Assistance with Audit/Verification
Full of Resources & Tips
EFP+ FAQs
What is EFP+?
The EFP+ program an upgraded version of the standard EFP workbook, but provides the producer with an official equivalency score with SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment.
Can anyone sign up to do an EFP+ workbook?
No, only established Farm Management Groups* can make requests on behalf of the producer to complete an EFP+ workbook.
What is the Farm Sustainability Assessment?
The FSA is widely recognized as a food and drink industry reference for sustainable crop farming. It was created to encourage the industry-wide adoption of better management practices that improve farm performance and sustainability outcomes. https://saiplatform.org/fsa/
What is a Farm Management Group?
The Farm Management Group (FMG) is the organization that organizes and executes the EFP+ program and additional FSA requirements for a group of farms (ex. company purchasing raw products or a commodity group).
What are the benefits of EFP+?
EFP+ provides many benefits:
- Allows producers to achieve equivalency of the FSA global standard by completing an environmental assessment designed specifically for producers who operate within the Alberta context.
- Alberta EFP has the governance structure and auditor guidance in place to assist with the verification component of the FSA.
- Management of benchmarking to updated FSA assessments and local legislation.
While getting to take advantage of all of the other benefits EFP has to offer:
- Education and awareness to assist producers in managing environmental risks on their operation.
- Support from regional EFP technicians who help producers complete the workbook, provide feedback on their plan, and point them towards local resources and programs.
- Eligibility for certain cost-share programs under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (S-CAP).
- Upgrading workbooks made easy in our online system.
- Access to over 500 local resources and programs throughout the workbook.
What is involved in completing an EFP+ workbook?
The EFP Plus workbook is very similar to the EFP standard workbook, with the addition of an FSA chapter, which includes an additional 14 questions.
The EFP questions are mapped to questions in the FSA self-assessment on the back end, making for a seamless experience for producers. Upon approval of the EFP workbook, producers receive an FSA report with their FSA performance score.
Does EFP+ involve an audit?
A small sample of farms from within a Farm Management Group will have to undergo a verification audit, as will be arranged by the Farm Management Group Coordinator in order to make an FSA claim.
Who can do the audits?
Only approved verification bodies by SAI Platform. https://www.globalgap.org/certification-bodies/
Which questions will be assessed during an audit?
The questions included in the FSA Report will be audited.
Where can I find my FSA Report?
This was emailed to you upon approval of your EFP Plus workbook. You can also find a copy under the “My Documents” tab of your EFP Webbook account. https://webbook.albertaefp.com/login/
How often do I need to update my EFP+ workbook in order to be considered current?
You should renew your EFP Plus workbook every three years in order to be considered current. Contact us if you need help renewing.
How does Alberta EFP support the verification process?
Alberta EFP has developed Auditor Guidance to support the auditor throughout the process. The Auditor Guidance is available upon request from the Alberta EFP office for verification bodies.
EFP+ Definitions
The FSA is a toolset developed by SAI Platform for farms and companies in agricultural value chains. It is used to evaluate on-farm sustainability performance, spur continuous farm improvement, support sustainable supply chain goals, and benchmark existing standards, codes, schemes and legislation.
The EFP+ is a version of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan workbook. Producers complete a locally designed and supported EFP+ workbook, and then receive an official equivalency score with FSA 3.0, while simultaneously getting to take advantage of the benefits of the EFP.
SAI Platform is the FSA scheme owner and manager. It is an organization created by the food industry, and its members develop, maintain, and improve the FSA. Membership comprises of stakeholders of the food and drink industry, including farmer cooperatives, manufacturers, processors, and traders from across the globe.
Means buying goods from suppliers who adhere to a code of practice that reduces the social, economic, and environmental impacts of food production, processing, and distribution. Environmental criteria include soil stewardship, nutrient management, agrochemical use, biodiversity enhancement and protection, and water. Social criteria are composed of human rights, worker conditions, social protection, employment relations, human development and social dialogue. Management criteria include economic viability, sustainable management, and supply chain responsibilities. Ethics criteria include no forced or child labour, prevention of corruption and compliance with legislation
The FMG is a group of farms that implement the FSA together, optionally including the direct buyer of their crop(s). The FMG needs to fulfil FSA requirements to ensure that it is a coherent, engaged, and transparent group of farms. As such, the FMG can undergo an FSA verification audit and the verified performance level result applies to crop(s) produced by the FMG. The FMG is managed by an FMG Coordinator.
The FMG Coordinator is the organization that legally represents the FMG. It is usually a first level aggregator or processor or a cooperative. The FMG Coordinator typically buys raw ag products from farms and is responsible for implementing the FSA. The FMG Coordinator sets up and manages the FSA Management System. The individual responsible for FSA implementation within the FMG Coordinator is referred to as the FMG Manager.
The Continuous Improvement Module is a set of guidance materials and templates to help the FMG Coordinator develop, implement, and monitor a continuous improvement plan for the FMG. The Continuous Improvement Plan will be subject to the FSA Management System audit in case of independent verification of Farm Management Group Performance and is optional for verification at stand-alone farms.
Verification bodies are SAI Platform-approved independent organizations, accredited to perform FSA verification audits and issue FSA Letters of Attestation. Afull list can be found here: https://www.globalgap.org/certification-bodies/
For the purposes of Alberta producers, this is the EFP+ workbook.