GLOBALG.A.P. Certification
GFSI-Level Food Safety and Responsible Practices
Kristy-Ann Bura
Raise Your Profile with GLOBALG.A.P. Certification
GLOBALG.A.P. is the world’s leading private sector certification platform for food safety and sustainability in agriculture. This affordable, holistic set of standards provides a clear path for companies to demonstrate your commitment to safer, responsible food production, processing, and handling practices. GLOBALG.A.P. certification enables producers and other companies in the product chain of custody to satisfy the demanding food safety, ethical, and environmental specifications of retailers and other major buyers, and opens the door to valuable new markets for large and small producers alike. Additionally, key GLOBALG.A.P. standards are Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked.
Take advantage of our comprehensive GLOBALG.A.P. auditing and certification services under the program’s flagship Integrated Farm Assurance standards for fresh fruit and vegetable producers, or under an array of certifications for processors and handlers along the product value chain.
SCS Qualifications
SCS has been a pioneer and innovator in the field of food safety and agricultural certification since the mid 1980s. We provide thorough, timely, and professional audits, with a worldwide network of experienced auditors who can meet your product-to-market deadlines. We are accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to conduct GLOBALG.A.P. audits.
Repeat customers choose SCS for four key reasons:
- Expert Knowledge: Our GLOBALG.A.P. auditors have an in-depth knowledge of farming and agriculture.
- Superior Customer Care: Our team is dedicated to providing each and every client with the best possible service.
- Scheduling Flexibility: We will work with you to schedule audits at a time that works best for you and your team.
- Ability to Bundle Services: We are accredited to provide auditing and certification services under multiple GFSI-benchmarked schemes, and can bundle a variety of complementary certification and auditing services that can save you time and money to satisfy customer and stakeholder demand.
- Service Options
- Training
- Process
- FAQs
- Benefits
GLOBALG.A.P. certification is available for all major types of production, from open field to hydroponics. You may be eligible on a single site, multi-site, and group certification basis. In addition, processors, handlers, and others in the chain of custody can obtain certification.
Core Solutions – Select the certification audit that best meets your needs from among these GLOBALG.A.P. Core Solutions:
- Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA)– promoting safe, responsible farm-level practices
- Fresh Fruits and Vegetables V6 GFS – includes over 600 species of fruits and vegetables
- V6 Smart – Non-GFS IFA certification option providing a more flexible on-ramp for fresh produce
- Hops – hops production
- Combinable Crops – for machine-harvested crops (e.g., grains, pulses, fodder, and extracts) for human or animal consumption or industrial use
- Chain of Custody (CoC) – segregation and traceability of products from GLOBALG.A.P certified operations
- Produce Handling Assurance (PHA) – food safety and traceability for post-harvest activities
- Harmonized Produce Safety Standard (HPSS) – based on the Combined Harmonized Standard from IFPA’s Produce GAP Harmonization Initiative
- Crops for Processing (CfP) – targeting crops intended for further processing
Add-Ons – You may also elect to add on the following certifications:
- GRASP – additional social auditing addressing worker health, safety, and welfare on the farm
- SPRING – farm-level add-on for sound water management from irrigation and groundwater use
- GGFSA – combining Farm Safety Assessment (SAI Platform) with GLOBALG.A.P under a single audit
- FSMA – for exports to the US under Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule
Pre-Assessment – SCS can walk you through a pre-assessment process. Pre-assessment is a non-scored mock assessment designed to assess the level of your preparedness for a certification audit. Ask about combining a pre-assessment with your initial audit for greater efficiency.
Smart Checklist Builder – This tool helps you identify relevant GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons based on your specific production processes or operations, and enables you to generate a customizable self-assessment checklist to kickstart the certification process.
Read more about these GLOBALG.A.P. Core Solutions and Add-Ons here.
SCS Consulting offers a wide range of educational resources, trainings, courses, and webinars to prepare your team for success with GLOBALG.A.P. and other Global Food Safety (GFS) and sustainable agriculture related topics.
| Featured Course: |
| GLOBALG.A.P. Producer Workshop, Version 6 |
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| This two-day course is designed for food safety and quality team members of all levels involved in the GLOBALG.A.P. program. The training explains the various farm certification options and the requirements upon which the Standard, inspections, and audits are based. It is available in-person (public or onsite at your facility) or self-paced online, in either English or Spanish. Find out more here. |
Visit our Training Center for a complete schedule of upcoming food safety and quality management trainings and courses on GLOBALG.A.P. and related topics, including HACCP for Agricultural Operations, Internal Auditor, SQF, FSMA, and much more. Or visit our Resource Center to find complementary webinars and other materials to support your needs.
- Apply for Auditing
Fill out an SCS Application Form to register. Contact SCS at [email protected] to request guidance. SCS will return a proposal for your approval with suggested scope of work, timeline, and quote. To initiate the certification process, return a signed proposal and Work Order. - Schedule the Audit
SCS assigns an auditor and audit dates are proposed. Once an audit date is confirmed, an audit plan is provided to ensure that your team is prepared. - On-Site Audit
An on-site audit is conducted. A meeting involving the auditor and your management team is conducted at the beginning and the end of the audit. At the conclusion of the audit, the auditor discusses the audit results, including any non-conformities. - Complete Corrective Actions and Technical Review
Identified non-conformities must be addressed and evidence of corrective actions provided to SCS within 28 days. The auditor reviews and closes out non-conformities as warranted. Once this process is complete, the auditor submits an audit report. - Make Certification Decision
SCS conducts a final technical review of the audit report and Corrective Action documentation and makes the final certification decision. - Receive Certificate
If certification is achieved, SCS issues the certificate and final report to the facility/operation and posts audit results in the GLOBALG.A.P. Directory, as well as to any retailer databases when requested. Annual audits are required to maintain certification.
What is GLOBALG.A.P.?
GLOBALG.A.P. is an organization dedicated to providing multi-stakeholder standards to support food safety and responsible production in the agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture sectors.
What is GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA)?
GLOBALG.A.P.’s Integrated Farm Assurance provides farm-level guidance for producers. Its flagship standard for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry began as an effort to ensure basic food safety practices, but over the years has expanded into a comprehensive standard covering multiple aspects of product sustainability. In addition, there are now multiple Integrated Farm Assurance standards focused on hops production, grains, pulses, fodder, extracts and more.
What issues are covered by the Integrated Farm Assurance Version 6 (IFA V6) standard?
The IFA V6 standard addresses ten core topics:
- Traceability
- Food Safety
- Worker health, safety and welfare
- Biodiversity and habitats
- Energy efficiency
- Waste management
- Fertilizers and biostimulants
- Water management
- Integrated pest management (IPM)
- Plant protection products
How long does certification take?
From the onsite inspection to the issuance of the certificate typically takes from 4 to 8 weeks.
Are multi-site and group certifications allowed?
Yes, certifications are available to individual producers on a single-site or multi-site basis, whether or not you have implemented a Quality Management System (QMS). Small producers may also seek recognition under one group certificate, and for multi-site operations operating under a unified QMS and internal auditing procedure. T
What types of companies are covered under the GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody Standard?
GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody certification is reserved for product processors, handlers, distributors, and retailers in the supply chain seeking to show that they have sufficient management systems in place properly segregate, identify, and trace products originating from GLOBALG.A.P. IFA certified farm. This certification demonstrates the entity’s efforts to reduce safety risks and provide reassurance to customers, adding value to a brand in the market.
What additional audits can be bundled with our GLOBALG.A.P. certification?
First, SCS can help you gain additional recognition under four GLOBALG.A.P. Add-On certifications (see our Service Options tab for details), which are designed to satisfy demand in specific regions of the world. Secondly, SCS is accredited to conduct GFSI-benchmarked SQF certification, BRCGS, and PrimusGFS, and also conducts extensive audits and certifications under sustainable agriculture standards including SCS’ Sustainably Grown®, Fair Trade USA, Sustainability Standard (Sustainable Food Group), and others.
What is the difference between IFA V6 and V6 Smart?
The IFA Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Standard, Version 6 is GFS benchmarked, assuring international recognition to the highest level of assurance. The V6 Smart standard contains a more flexible set of requirements, but is not GFS benchmarked. Under V6 Smart:
- Unannounced audits are not mandatory
- Remote audits are permitted for recertification as an emergency measure
- A wider range of justifications are considered when extending a certificate’s validity
- A performance-based orientation has fewer prescriptive requirements
- Several “major musts” are downgraded to “minor musts”
Does certification involve unannounced audits?
As a GLOBALG.A.P. accredited certifier, SCS is required to conduct annual unannounced audits with no prior notification for at least 10% of our GLOBALG.A.P. clients. This includes clients being certified under the IFA V6 GFS, PHA and HPSS.
- Competitive Edge - Assure your customers that food is grown, harvested, and handled in conformance with rigorous food safety and responsibility standards
- Limit Your Risk - Minimize the potential for food safety incidents and recalls
- Global Recognition - GLOBALG.A.P. IFA is recognized by more than 100 countries, including major markets
- Become a Preferred Supplier - Many retailers worldwide require GFSI-benchmarked certification for their fresh produce suppliers
- Improvement over Time - Demonstrate continual improvements in quality, safety, and sustainability processes and practices
Apply Now
Ready to start the process? Complete an Application.
Kristy-Ann Bura
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