Layn Natural Ingredients, one of the world’s largest manufacturers and innovators of natural botanical ingredients and solutions serving brands in food, beverage, flavor, nutraceutical, personal care, animals, and pets, is thrilled to announce that it has received the Gold level status through SAI’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) program.
Devised by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI), the FSA program 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 program follows the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and profit.
“We are honored 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 programs, agronomy innovation, and environmental stewardship initiatives, with the goal of achieving FSA Gold for stevia as well.
STRENGTHENING CLIMATE-RESILIENT MONK FRUIT THROUGH INNOVATION & 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 Center, 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 center 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.
SUPPORTING THE GLOBAL SWEETENER SUPPLY CHAIN
The monk fruit harvest season is in full swing, and fall is the ideal time for brands to secure supply and guaranteed pricing through Layn’s multi-year monk fruit contracts, which provide long-term assurance to meet the growing demand for natural sweeteners.
“As the world’s largest producer and innovator of monk fruit and stevia, Layn’s vertically integrated sourcing — from tissue culturing and seedling to farmer partnerships and quality control — we ensure our partners consistent quality, stable output, and sustainable agriculture,” Xie stated.
Layn’s monk fruit portfolio includes monk fruit extract, monk fruit juice powder, and monk fruit juice concentrate, offering versatile solutions for a wide range of applications. Complementing its supply leadership, Layn also advances natural sweetener innovations, including SteviUp® M2, fermented Mogroside V, U.S.-made stevia, and U.S.-made sweetener blends for clean-label, reduced-sugar applications.
To secure a multi-year monk fruit contract, email info@layn-usa.com. To learn more about Layn, its extensive portfolio of ingredients, and sustainability initiatives, visit www.layncorp.com
About Layn Natural Ingredients: Layn Natural Ingredients is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and innovators of natural botanical extract ingredients – including innovations based on advanced precision fermentation and enzyme-based technology. For more than 25 years, Layn has served leading brands across food, beverage, flavor, nutraceutical, sports nutrition, personal care, and pet & animal nutrition, and also offers contract manufacturing services. Truly vertically integrated, Layn delivers a fully secure, manufacturer-direct, transparent and scalable supply chain from seeds and agronomy to extraction and formulation. Its world-class R&D operation includes more than 3.2 million square feet of state-of-the-art extraction, and global innovation centers throughout the world to conduct research, ensure quality, and provide formulation and application guidance — alongside a newly opened U.S. manufacturing facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana, which expands local production capacity, strengthens supply-chain resilience, and supports customers seeking U.S.-made botanical solutions. Committed to quality, innovation, and sustainability, Layn continues to advance botanical science while empowering brands with clean-label, high-purity, plant-based solutions. Botanify your product portfolio now with Layn Natural Ingredients – Email botanify@layn-usa.com, or visit: www.layncorp.com.
