As the need for sustainable food and agriculture systems becomes increasingly urgent, there has been a variety of different sustainability initiatives launched in recent years with the aim of promoting a transition to sustainability.  FAO built on existing efforts to develop this universal framework for a Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture (SAFA). After 5 years of participatory development, SAFA was presented to FAO member countries on 18 October 2013. SAFA can be considered like an impact assessment tool that is both compatible and complementary to most existing initiatives.

The system is a holistic and inclusive framework for assessing sustainability performance in the food and agriculture sector, including crop and livestock production, forestry and fisheries.

http://www.fao.org/nr/sustainability/sustainability-assessments-safa/en/