Deise Caron
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To verify compliance with the requirements of Principle 4 of ProTerra Standard I would:
4.1.1 – Check if there was any conversion of HCV areas into agricultural areas after 31 December 2008 until present. For this I would ask for evidences of satellite images and/or aerial photography with adequate resolution comparing the status of the concerned certification areas in or before 31 December 2008 with the actual status of such areas. In case a conversion would be identified, I would check if it ocurred until 31 December 2020. If confirmed, I would ask for evidences of actions taken by the organization to restore such cleared areas or compensate the lost ecosystems and its values.
4.1.2 – Additionally to the checks for indicator 4.1.1, I would check if there was any additional governmental regulation that should be complied with, for example a stricter cut-off date, to be sure that there wasn’t any illegal conversion.
4.2.1 – Ask for evidences that the organization has identified/mapped all valuable biodiversity areas, riparian vegetation, vegetation around flood plains, steep slopes, hills, wetlands and any other legally preserved areas, and that such areas are maintained and protected (or restored if necessary).The organization must have a documented biodiversity management plan.
4.2.2 – Ask for evidences that the organization has protected rare, threatened or endangered wildlife species, for example prohibiting gathering, hunting or fishing in the organization’s area.
4.2.3 – Check if the company has procedures to avoid invasive species and new pests. For example, cleaning machinery procedures when moving from one area to other, certificates of origin of seeds, etc.
4.3.1 – Ask for documented Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the organization’s activities and related Management Plan to address potentially harmful or damaging impacts and risks identified. Check if the Plan includes actions to maintain or maximise biodiversity and records of monitoring activities. There should be evidences that external experts were involved in such assessment and management plan. The organization must publish a summary of the management plan and ESIA in their website.
4.3.2 – Check evidences, including visual inspections where possible, and maps showing that the organization maintain the native vegetation or has a plan to protect and restore native vegetation where necessary.Hello everyone! My name is Deise, I live in Brazil and I work with sustainability certification programs since 2011. One of the first programs I worked with as an auditor was the ProTerra Standard and over the 10 years I worked at FoodChain ID I also participated as a member of the ProTerra certification committee in the technical revision of the ProTerra Standard and Protocol. Currently I am an independent consultant and my objective is to be acquainted about the new version of the ProTerra Standard to be able to provide consultancies about the Standard, conduct audits and/or conduct audit reviews.
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