St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin – The Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA) announced that its Board of Directors has formally approved the implementation of a third-party verification process for the PSA Program, marking an important step forward in strengthening the program’s integrity, credibility, and long-term value for growers and the broader potato industry.
This marks the first time PSA has implemented a formal, third-party verification process as part of the PSA Program. As sustainability expectations continue to rise across the supply chain, independent verification provides an added level of confidence in PSA’s on-farm assessment data – reinforcing PSA’s commitment to credible, data-driven sustainability and ensuring the program remains trusted, consistent, and representative of real on-farm practices as it evolves alongside grower needs.
“Verification reinforces the credibility of the PSA Program while staying true to our grower-focused approach,” said John Mesko, CEO of the Potato Sustainability Alliance. “This step demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and to providing credible, reliable data that reflects what growers are doing in the field.”
Provided images (from left to right): John Mesko, PSA CEO; Where Food Comes From logo; Kathryn Britton, WFCF Vice President, Customer Experience
Why Verification Matters
Third-party verification enhances confidence in PSA’s on-farm assessment data by adding an independent review component. This process supports PSA’s role as a trusted source of sustainability information and helps ensure that program reporting continues to meet evolving expectations from customers, partners, and stakeholders – without adding unnecessary burden to growers.
What This Means for Potato Growers and Sustainability Efforts
Third-party verification will focus on reviewing on-farm assessment responses for accuracy and alignment with reported practices. A small, randomly selected group of farms that submitted a 2025 PSA on-farm assessment will be chosen to participate. Participation is not an audit and does not result in a pass/fail grade. Reviews are designed to be collaborative and educational, supporting program improvement. PSA fully covers all verification costs with these selected farms.
Independent Third-Party Verification Partner
Verification reviews will be conducted by Where Food Comes From, PSA’s independent, third-party verification partner. Where Food Comes From is a trusted leader in food and agriculture verification, with decades of experience supporting transparent, credible, and practice-based verification programs across the supply chain. Their role is to conduct impartial reviews that strengthen program integrity while respecting grower operations and time.
“Where Food Comes From is pleased to partner with the Potato Sustainability Alliance on this important step,” said Kathryn Britton, Executive Vice President, Customer Experience of Where Food Comes From. “Verification plays a critical role in building trust and transparency across the food and agriculture supply chain. Our goal is to conduct on-farm reviews that support growers, strengthen data credibility, and help ensure sustainability programs reflect what is truly happening on farms.”
What to Expect
- Following the December 2025 on-farm assessment submission deadline, PSA randomly selected 23 farms for third-party verification reviews.
- Selected farms were contacted in January 2026 with next steps and detailed guidance.
- Verification 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.
“We appreciate the continued support and participation of growers in the PSA Program,” Mesko added. “Verification is an important step forward in ensuring the program remains grower-focused, credible, and valuable for the long term.”
For questions about PSA’s on-farm assessment, programming, and third-party verification, please contact psa.program@potatosustainability.org.
The Potato Sustainability Alliance consists of growers, supply chain partners, non-profit organizations, and advisors working together to improve the economic, environmental and social aspects of potato production in the United States and Canada. In conjunction with our partners, we support the identification and adoption of sustainable production practices and meet consumer and market expectations by benchmarking the farm-level sustainability performance of potato production.
For more information about the Potato Sustainability Alliance and its members, please visit potatosustainability.org.
Questions and inquiries regarding this information should be directed to PSA communications lead, Courtney Rude Lamie, at courtney@potatosustainability.org.