The ASC have developed an Improver Programme (IP) comprising a set of procedures and tools to ensure that ASC standards or best practice improvements are consistently and effectively implemented. The IP model encourages uptake by groups of farmers and provides processes for group engagement in the improvement project.This document summarises collaborative efforts from ASC and SFP to develop a joint monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for the Improver Programme.

Poverty, low, unpredictable prices and unequal trading relationships affect small-scale producers of cocoa, cotton, and seafood. These challenges are exacerbated by regulation and climate change.Despite the differences between sectors, a living income approach and strategies to close the income gap can enable a decent standard of living. Working towards a living income for small-scale producers can contribute to social, cultural, and environmental benefits and support wider efforts to tackle the underlying cause of poverty.

Small-scale producers are at the sharp end of supply chains. They can - and do - face significant challenges in achieving and maintain a decent standard of living. ISEAL has been engaging with stakeholders about equity and livelihoods in sustainable supply chains. We are now looking to support the seafood sector in exploring income and livelihood strategies of small-scale fishers and fishing communities and considering opportunities for collaboration around equity and livelihoods.

This report summarizes the key lessons learnt by each key stakeholder group who participated in the ASC Improver Programme (IP) pilot. The IP was developed and piloted through the Integration of Seafood Certification and Jurisdictional Assurance Models project, between July 2019 - June 2022, which was supported by the ISEAL Innovations Fund and Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

In 2024/25 ISEAL supported its members to reflect and take action towards embedding equity and producer empowerment within their systems and practices. To date, this support has included: the development of an equity framework; the strengthening of equity within the ISEAL Code of Good Practice; a guidance note for embedding equity within monitoring and evaluation systems; and grant funding for specific projects to advance equity.

This assessment has been undertaken as part of the project Streamlining the path towards sustainability in the aquaculture industry.

This document summarises a joint approach ASC, SFP and SFW developed for data sharing through the Integration of Seafood Certification and Jurisdictional Assurance Models project, between July 2019 - June 2022. It explores data collected at different scales, and how this data can be created, shared and used by the project partners.

This white paper was commissioned by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) as part of the Integration of seafood certification and jurisdictional assurance models project which ran between July 2019 - June 2022, supported by the ISEAL Innovations Fund and State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.

A document describing the key findings from Training Needs and Landscape  Assessment of Shrimp Sector in East Java, Indonesia, as part of the Innovations Fund project Integration of Seafood Certification and Jurisdictional Assurance Models, supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), between July 2019 to June 2022.

This document identifies key lessons from a collaborative project between ASC, SFP and SFW to develop an improver programme to implement best management practices with the aim of improving farm and zonal management to mitigate critical production risks. 

Small-scale fisheries are a critical source of employment and livelihoods for millions of coastal families and communities, although in many cases, employment is seasonal and alternative sources of income are required. Small-scale fisheries also contribute to local food and nutrition security through the supply of high protein fishery products. However, small-scale fisheries face considerable challenges that limit their potential to contribute to sustainable livelihoods. 

This case study highlights how credible voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) support palm oil companies with regulatory requirements such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Featuring the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), it explores how VSS enable traceability, ensure legal production, and promote smallholder inclusion - helping businesses build deforestation-and conversion-free (DCF) supply chains that go beyond compliance.

The Smart Assurance project supported by the ISEAL Innovations Fund until July 2024 developed and tested a new type of oversight process that combines the use of satellite data, analytical methods, and ground verification supported by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or drones) with assessment practices to provide enhanced oversight both at scale and with a new level of granularity.

This document summarises the findings from ASC's pilot project exploring remote monitoring within aquaculture certification programmes, over in-person monitoring.Most aquaculture certification programs are reliant on in-person audits which occur just once a year due to cost and have been difficult to conduct because of COVID-19. Tracking improvements is time-consuming and costly with only in-person methods. Emerging technologies can address data gaps in smallholder shrimp farms and help grow farmer participation in ASC.

We are excited to launch the revision of the ISEAL Chain of Custody (CoC) Definitions and Models Guidance. The revision process will include:

Empowering small-scale seafood producers is a cornerstone of a sustainable seafood future. Small-scale seafood producers have historically been overlooked, yet they are not marginal actors—they are crucial contributors to global food security, ocean governance, and wider sustainability goals.ISEAL is engaging with stakeholders across the seafood sector – producers, companies, investors, researchers and NGOs - to develop understanding and take action to address the inequities in seafood markets and adopt more inclusive approaches.

This document identifies the Traceability and Chain of Custody options available for improvers' products, as identified through the ASC Improver Programme pilot. The IP was developed and piloted through the Integration of Seafood Certification and Jurisdictional Assurance Models project, between July 2019 - June 2022, which was supported by the ISEAL Innovations Fund and Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

Small-scale fishers in Indonesia face structural barriers which limit their participation in the fisheries sector, including limited access to technology, invisibility in data and policy making and marginalisation in decision-making. Although Indonesia is the second largest aquaculture and capture fisheries producing country in the world (after China) and 80% of its fishing industry depend on small-scale fisheries, fishers represent 25% of people who live below the poverty line in Indonesia.

Chain of custody (CoC) and traceability are big news right now. But are we all speaking the same language? We’re updating our CoC models and definitions guidance and we would value your input. Our public consultation is now open.