Sustainable Local Sourcing

Outcome

% of food / seeds that are sourced from local and environmentally sustainable value chains

This indicator measures the extent to which the action procures food and/or seeds through local and environmentally sustainable value chains. It indicates the extent to which the intervention’s food/seeds procurement practices contribute to supporting local supply chains and reducing environmental harm.

Determine the indicator value using the following methodology:

 

1) Define what is being measured. Specify whether the indicator covers food, seeds, or both, and define the specific commodities included in the scope of procurement.

 

2) Define "local" and "environmentally sustainable":

   - Local sourcing: Define what qualifies as "local" (e.g., same region, country, or within a specific distance from the intervention area).

   - Environmentally sustainable: Set criteria for what qualifies as “environmentally sustainable” in your context. Specify how many criteria a supplier/producer must meet for the food/seeds to be classified as “environmentally sustainable”. Be realistic about which criteria potential suppliers can meet and which you can practically verify. Examples of possible criteria include:

   - Sustainable water use: efficient irrigation and water extraction practices that do not overuse local water resources

   - Soil health practices: measures that protect soil fertility and reduce erosion

   - Responsible agrochemical use: reduced and safer use of pesticides/fertilisers

   - Deforestation-free sourcing: commodities are not produced through recent land clearing in protected or high-value ecosystems

   - Biodiversity-friendly production: practices that maintain on-farm biodiversity

   - Sustainable packaging and waste practices: use of reusable/recyclable packaging and eco-friendly waste handling

   - Transport and logistics footprint: sourcing that reduces transport distance and emissions

   - Appropriate varietal choice: seed varieties are adapted to local agro-ecological conditions and support climate resilience (e.g., drought tolerant where relevant), avoiding varieties that drive unsustainable water/input demand.

   - Genetic integrity and quality assurance: seed is quality-controlled (germination rate, purity) to reduce wastage and replanting

   - Invasive / biodiversity risk screening: avoid introducing invasive species or varieties that threaten local biodiversity

 

3) Decide how procurement will be measured. Decide whether procurement will be measured using:

    - Financial value (e.g., EUR spent on locally and environmentally sustainable food/seeds); or

    - Quantity (e.g., kg or tonnes of food/seeds procured). This approach is not recommended if you procure multiple commodities recorded in different units (e.g., bags, kg, litres) and converting them to a single unit would be too time-consuming or impractical.

 

4) Collect data from relevant sources. Collect and triangulate evidence to assess which procured food / seeds meet the minimum environmental sustainability criteria defined in Step 2. This may include:

   - Procurement and tender documents: verify that sustainability criteria were included in specifications and applied in supplier selection

   - Supplier documentation: supplier self-declarations, traceability information (origin, batches / lots), and any relevant sustainability certificates / standards (where available)

   - Supplier contracts: check for sustainability requirements / clauses (e.g., compliance with national environmental rules; exclusion of sourcing from protected areas; restrictions on banned agrochemicals)

   - Verification checks (as feasible): spot checks/visits to producers or processors, observation of practices, and/or key informant interviews (e.g., producers, cooperatives, extension services, authorities)

Use a risk-based approach: apply stronger verification for higher-risk commodities / contexts, and document any limitations.

 

5) To calculate the indicator value:

  - sum the total value/quantity (Step 3) of food / seeds procured that meet both the local definition and the environmentally sustainable criteria (Step 2)

  - divide by the total value/quantity of all food / seeds procured under the action

  - multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage

The data can be disaggregated by:

  - commodity type: food vs seeds (or by specific commodity type, if applicable)

  - geographic area: if relevant for defining “local”

1) Identifying whether food/seeds come from environmentally sustainable value chains can be challenging and time-consuming. Avoid setting criteria that are too hard to verify. Instead, select criteria that are realistic to check while still being credible and meaningful.

 

2) This indicator is used by DG ECHO as one of its Key Outcome Indicators.