Verifying good practices

Companies increasingly prioritise their sourcing of ingredients to respect people and biodiversity. In our field verification programme, UEBT provides practical and comprehensive supply chain assessments in line with our global standard. The focus is on understanding gaps and opportunities for improvement, and results in a set of recommendations for enhancing sourcing practices. It is not a certification, though companies may share results with clients on a business-to-business basis.

Verifications are requested by companies directly to UEBT and are for a specific botanical supply chain (natural raw material). As part of UEBT’s platform for companies committed to sourcing with respect, UEBT members are asked to verify - at the field level - some of their prioritised botanicals supply chains over time. Companies outside of the UEBT platform may also request verification.

Supply chain assessments based on an internationally recognised standard

UEBT assesses botanicals supply chains using the UEBT standard that is internationally recognised and covers important social, environmental and economic issues related to the sourcing of ingredients from biodiversity. Assessments pinpoint strengths and weaknesses for continuous improvement, and can provide an independent check for a company as well as client-facing documentation (if desired) that attests to a level of performance. No consumer-facing labelling is available in the UEBT verification programme, since it is not a third-party programme.

What is assessed?

The focus of the assessment is on the practices carried out in the sourcing areas – including those implemented by farmers, farm workers, wild collectors and local suppliers. The scope is determined by the company requesting verification and may include specific cultivation or wild collection areas, and local processing operations.

The verification programme

The verification programme is different from our UEBT certification programmes. Verification uses a gap-spotting approach, and has learning and improvement at its core.

Assessments cover all of the requirements in the UEBT standard and are conducted by UEBT experts who will provide recommendations for improvement.

If a company asks for an attestation of the level of performance against the requirements, UEBT can attest to these levels and issue an official document stating this. Frequency of verifications varies from once every year to once in three years, and depends on risks.

Assessing wild-harvested botanicals

SAI Platform and UEBT are partnering to accelerate the responsible sourcing of wild-harvested botanicals. Companies can have supply chains verified by UEBT’s expert network of wild harvesting assessors and in-house experts.

From due diligence to positive impact

Companies can take a gradual approach to meeting UEBT requirements as best fits their strategy. UEBT assessors look at the comprehensive requirements, but companies can show that they meet them one step at a time. Client-facing documentation can be provided, called ‘attestations’ that may attest to practices reaching ome of these two (2) specific thresholds of the UEBT standard:

• Responsible sourcing requirements – these are critical requirements in the UEBT standard that are for mitigating negative impact, meeting due diligence programmes, or for mitigating risk.

• Ethical sourcing requirements – these include all of the responsible sourcing requirements described above plus additional requirements that strive for positive impact for people and biodiversity.

Claims

Business-to-business claims or internal communications are possible in the verification programme, but there are no labelling opportunities. Claims are based on the level of requirements that have been met (see above section). The following text claims may be possible:

• “UEBT verified responsibly sourced [name of ingredient]”

• “UEBT verified ethically sourced [name of ingredient]”

Learn more about making UEBT claims.

Contact

Contact us to get started at verification@uebt.org

Get guidance

Interested in applying for verification? Visit our Get Verified page.

Learn more: