SMP25011 Standardised approach to assess and address sustainability impacts (TS-04-215-001)

The Seed Money Project (SMP) aims to help seed sector companies prepare for compliance with EU legislation and create meaningful impact by developing and assessing the feasibility of a harmonised and standardised approach for identifying, assessing, addressing, and reporting on ESG impacts in line with the CSRD and CSDDD. Building on PPP Sustainability Insights, which developed a standardised method for assessing global environmental and social risks in the agri-food sector6, this SMP will analyse options for translating the risk assessment into a harmonised approach for CSDDD and CSRD compliance for the seed sector. This approach will focus on creating standardised processes to meet due diligence obligations and reporting requirements efficiently across the seed sector while promoting collaboration among seed companies and relevant stakeholders to address shared ESG challenges.
The SMP objectives are fivefold: 1) explore areas of alignment in EU supply chain legislation to streamline implementation and reduce the burden on companies; 2) study the feasibility of a harmonised approach for CSDDD and CSRD compliance tailored to the needs of the seed sector; 3) assess the feasibility of developing standardised processes to assess and address company-level risks in the seed sector; 4) build a strong, aligned consortium for future collaboration, including international partners and non-value chain actors; and 5) develop a roadmap for a follow-up project.
EU supply chain legislation and the necessary due diligence and reporting processes require collaboration between international value chain and non-value chain actors to assess and address negative impacts and bridge the knowledge gaps on effective sector collaboration. The SMP will therefore focus on onion seed supply chains in South Africa, a major global producer of onions seeds, to gather reliable insights. Project partners represent 70-80% of global onion seed production and sales, making South Africa an ideal case study for a sector-based exploration. This project aims to develop transferable lessons for other agri-food sectors facing similar challenges, demonstrating the scalability of this standardised approach.