ProTerra (Monitoring and Verification) MRV Standard v1.0

The ProTerra Foundation launched the ProTerra Monitoring and Verification Standard (MRV) in September 2023.

The Standard is a robust tool to support organisations in achieving and maintaining legal compliance regarding deforestation-free commodities and ensuring sustainable procurement practices. It is based on a set of requirements for an organisation’s supply chain management system and sustainability requirements for its suppliers. It provides a systematic approach to assessing and verifying an organisation’s due diligence practices in procurement.

Requirements for the supply chain management system include:

• Map the supply chain and assess the risk of deforestation and human rights violations at supplier level;
• Minimise and/or mitigate adverse impacts and risks;
• Implement risk prevention measures;
• Promote positive forest outcomes, including, where applicable: protect and restore forest ecosystems; work with farmers, cooperatives and local communities; support landscape and jurisdictional initiatives to help address root causes of deforestation; and promote and support international deforestation-free and capacity-building initiatives.
• Protect vegetated areas that fall outside the definition of forest, such as native grasslands, wetlands, marshes, peatlands, savannahs, steep slopes and riparian areas;
• Establish and maintain an operational grievance mechanism, in consultation and cooperation with relevant stakeholders, including early warning systems on deforestation risks, human rights issues and complaints.
• Consistently implement operational procedures to maintain complete segregation for each batch of Proterra MRV verified products from other materials from the point of receipt to the point of transfer to the next level in the supply chain.

The standard applies to all operators engaged in the procurement, trading or storage of agricultural commodities or related products. All agricultural commodities and products can be included in the scope of a specific ProTerra MRV Standard verification.

ProTerra MRV enables organisations to understand, manage and mitigate their supply chain risks and compliance gaps and risks.

Verification audits of the Standard are conducted by qualified third-party auditors who carry out an objective assessment of the organisation’s management system and its suppliers’ activities, including review of documentation, checking satellite imagery for information on potential deforestation, site inspection and interviews with relevant staff and stakeholders as necessary.

For assessing the suppliers of an organisation seeking a positive verification result, PT MRV defines a set of requirements. Suppliers compliance  with ProTerra´s MRV requirements by suppliers serves as proof that the organisation’s management system is working correctly and that there are no systemic non-compliances on the supplier side. Supplier requirements cover working conditions, environmental responsibility, good agricultural practices, legal land use, community relations and regulatory compliance.

Batches of goods and/or products from a non-compliant supplier should be clearly identified as such and this information should be passed on to the next step of the supply chain in which the economic operator operates. Non-compliances identified at the supplier should be addressed by measures in the management system of the purchasing economic operator.

The main difference between the PT MRV version 1 and the ProTerra Standard for Social and Environmental Sustainability version 5 (PT V5) lies in their focus and requirements.  PT MRV focuses on the management system with a detailed set of requirements.
In addition, PT MRV has no restriction on the use of GMOs and a cut-off date for deforestation of 31 December 2020, while PT V5 has a cut-off date of 31 December 2008. It is also important to note that PT V5 includes an additional set of sustainability and social requirements that are not present in PT MRV.

Both standards aim to foster good agricultural practices, protect the environment, and promote that workers and communities are treated with dignity and respect.

If you would like to learn more about the ProTerra Foundation´s Monitoring and Verification Standard, please contact us at info@proterrafoundation.org.