Layn Natural Ingredients has announced that it has received the Gold level status through SAI’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) programme.
Devised by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI), the FSA programme is used for self-assessment and third-party verification.
It enables food and drink businesses to assess, improve and validate on-farm sustainability in their supply chains and is based on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
The programme follows the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet and profit.
“We are honoured to have our monk fruit ingredient receive the Gold level recognition on the Farm Sustainability Assessment from the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative,” said Frank Xie, President and CEO of Layn Natural Ingredients.
“Sustainability has always been at the heart of Layn Natural Ingredients and this achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship and supporting farming communities."
"As one of the world’s largest suppliers of monk fruit, we are proud to lead by example in driving sustainable practices across the industry.”
The SAI Platform is the primary global value chain initiative for sustainable agriculture.
The nonprofit network collaborates with its members to accelerate the widespread adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and the transformation to sustainable food systems.
In addition to its monk fruit achievement, Layn has earned FSA Silver status for its stevia ingredient supply chain and is actively advancing grower programmes, agronomy innovation and environmental stewardship initiatives, to achieve FSA Gold for stevia as well.
Strengthening climate-resilient monk fruit through innovation and industry partnership
To address climate variability and secure long-term monk fruit supply, Layn and DSM-Firmenich have jointly launched a comprehensive Sustainable Project at source.
Through this collaboration, both parties evaluated soil and water resources across key growing regions, monitored farming practices using the Path2Farm tool and established pilot farms to test climate-resilient methods, such as soil preservation and drought management strategies.
The best practices proven through these pilots are now being scaled across Layn’s monk fruit grower network, supporting more than 80,000 farmers and were instrumental in enabling Layn to achieve the FSA Gold certification.
Complementing this partnership, Layn’s Botanical Research & Innovation Centre, established in 2017, continues to advance monk fruit agronomy with high-performing, high-yield monk fruit varieties and improved cultivation models designed to enhance stability and productivity.
Led by a team of top agricultural experts and plant scientists, the centre applies advanced breeding, field management innovation, integrated waste management, and upcycling practices to strengthen environmental performance throughout the monk fruit supply chain.
Additionally, Layn’s long-standing price-protection policy ensures contracted farmers receive stable and reliable income each season, reinforcing both social and economic sustainability at the source.