The Potato Sustainability Alliance(PSA) has 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.

“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.”

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.

What to expect

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• -  Following the December 2025 on-farm assessment submission deadline, PSA randomly selected 23 farms for third-party verification reviews.
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• -  Selected farms were contacted in January 2026 with next steps and detailed guidance.
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• -  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.

For questions about PSA’s on-farm assessment, programming, and third-party verification, please contact psa.program@potatosustainability.org. 

Source:  Potato Sustainability Alliance February 3, 2026 news release