New GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks policy document takes effect

This article was amended on 11 November 2022 to include information on the transition period.

The new policy for all associated parties

The GLOBALG.A.P. brand of farm assurance solutions is intricately connected to a huge network of varied stakeholders. Whether they are producers, business partners or industry stakeholders, certification bodies, GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members, benchmarked scheme/approved modified checklist owners, trainers, or working groups and committees, there are many parties who are interested in using the GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks to demonstrate their connection to the brand.

In order to ensure that the GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks are not misused or misrepresented, and thereby protect brand integrity, the new policy titled “GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks use: Policy and guidelines” was introduced in version 1.0-1 on 4 July 2022.  

A go-to resource, with new opportunities for selected stakeholders

The trademarks policy represents a primary resource for those wishing to reference GLOBALG.A.P. or highlight their connection to our network.With in-depth information on key definitions and the proper usage of GLOBALG.A.P. logos, seals, identification numbers, claims, and texts, the policy provides a comprehensive guide for the most common use cases.

Specific stakeholders who formally participate in the GLOBALG.A.P. network will have the opportunity to use one of the new GLOBALG.A.P. seals. The exclusive new seals represent a special way for GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members, Registered Trainers, and Benchmarked Scheme Owners or Benchmarked Checklist Owners to promote their official connection to GLOBALG.A.P. 

Policy becomes normative document for producers in IFA v6 

Valid since 4 July 2022, the new policy becomes part of the normative documents for the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard version 6 which launched in April this year. This means that producers will have their compliance with the trademark rules checked by certification bodies as part of their IFA v6 audit.

The new trademarks policy requirements however only become binding once a producer has transitioned to IFA v6. In the meantime, the rules in IFA v5 (v5.2, v.3-GFS, or v5.4-1-GFS according to your current certificate) still apply. 

New implementation deadline of 1 June 2023 for all other stakeholders 

GLOBALG.A.P. is eager to implement this key tool which will strengthen the work of our Integrity Program. However, we are also keen to support all key stakeholder groups in adopting the new rules within an appropriate timescale.

For this reason, GLOBALG.A.P. has extended the implementation deadline for the new rules to 1 June 2023:  

• Any existing materials that already feature the GLOBALG.A.P. logo may remain in use until this deadline. 

• After this date, the specific use cases outlined in the trademarks policy must be followed and any materials updated. 

• The (re)design of any new materials between now and the mandatory implementation date must follow the new trademark rules immediately. 

• All stakeholders, with the exception of producers as outlined above, are required to follow the new rules by 1 June 2023.

Please take this additional time to thoroughly review the new policy and assess your use of any GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks and claims, updating them where necessary. 

If more than one use case is applicable – for example, if you are a Community Member but also a producer group, GLOBALG.A.P. business partner, consultant, etc. – you must follow the policy requirements most applicable to the scenario in which the trademarks or claims would be displayed.

Your GLOBALG.A.P. representative is available for questions at any time.  

Download now 

The GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks policy is available in English, Spanish, and German.

Read the full document here: 

English – GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks use: Policy and guidelines 

Spanish – Uso de marcas registradas GLOBALG.A.P.: Politica y directrices 

German – Verwendung der GLOBALG.A.P. Handelsmarken: Bestimmungen und Richtlinien  

For any questions regarding the GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks policy, please contact customer support at customer_support@globalgap.org