Which topics does the TR4 Biosecurity Standard address?

The TR4 Biosecurity Standard is based on the content of the existing TR4 Biosecurity Add-on for Bananas – the result of a global action plan presented by the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat and the World Banana Forum (WBF) in 2018.

Core topics in the TR4 Biosecurity Standard v1 include:

• Understanding the threat/​Pathogen awareness

• Training and awareness-raising activities

• Farm management and risk assessment

• People present on the farm and people in transit in the proximity of the farm

• Waste, water, and soil management

• Wildlife management and conservation plan

• Tool, equipment, and machinery management

• Natural disaster management plan

• Planting material

• Monitoring and identification of affected plants

• Foc TR4 suppression plan (for farms where Foc TR4 is already present)

Discover how the standard helps you address the challenge of Foc TR4.

How does the TR4 Biosecurity Standard work?

• Compliance with the standard requirements is audited annually by an accredited and independent third-party CB or VB.

• Producers can choose from any GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB or VB active in the relevant country.

• A successful CB or VB audit results in a letter of conformance valid for one year.

The standard is composed of principles and criteria (P&Cs), which are all graded at Major Must level (obligatory).

Principles

• Fundamentals that set the foundation of a GLOBALG.A.P. requirement

• Written in statement form

• Describing the outcomes to achieve

Criteria

• Methods that producers can use to demonstrate a principle to be true

• Different ways to demonstrate compliance, e.g., data, record of procedure

• Evidence required for demonstrating that the outcome is achieved

Read more about the audit process and standard requirements.

How is conformance status verified?

Producers are assigned a Global Farm Number (GFN) at the moment of the registration. This number allows real-time verification of conformance status in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems.

If the producer has already been assigned a GFN or a Global Location Number (GLN), they must inform their CB/VB. Producers who are audited by a VB rather than a CB are responsible for ensuring that their intended customers accept audits by VBs.

Producers can control data access and privacy rights for audit reports, and the reports are not shared publicly or with third parties. This process is handled via your chosen CB/VB.

Which industry challenges does the TR4 Biosecurity Standard address?

• The social consequences of Foc TR4 are serious: Bananas and plantains are an important source of food, employment, and income for governments in many tropical countries. The wider spread of Foc TR4 throughout the world would affect millions of producers that rely on banana/plantain cultivation for their livelihoods.

• Like all other soilborne Foc strains, Foc TR4 cannot be controlled using fungicides and cannot be eradicated from soil using fumigants. The optimal, economically available preventive measure is quarantine, preventing the transfer of affected land or plant material from infected to Foc TR4-free areas.

• The capacity of Foc TR4 to survive in the soil for decades, along with its lethal impact and wide host range, are among the main reasons it was ranked as the greatest threat to banana production by the World Health Organization.

• The TR4 Biosecurity Standard is a key tool for preventing the spread of the pathogen to/​within/​from banana and plantain farms and, most importantly, it helps raise awareness about the seriousness of the disease on a global scale.

• Integrating this risk mitigation plan into the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system provides a platform for approving CBs or VBs and registering audits of the risk mitigation plan in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems.

• Making the standard available to producers who do not have another form of GLOBALG.A.P. certification enables the sector to cover an area big enough to prevent mass spreading and offers a tool with which local phytosanitary authorities, national plant protection organizations, and other value chain stakeholders can recognize compliant producers.

Follow our five steps to the TR4 Biosecurity Standard to get started today.

Implementation and CB/VB audit process

How does the CB/VB audit process work?

• Compliance with the TR4 Biosecurity Standard is audited annually by independent third-party CBs or VBs. The CB/VB audit covers all accepted products (bananas and plantains) and production processes, all registered production sites, and all product handling units.

• Producers can choose from any GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB/VB active in the relevant country.

• A successful CB/VB audit results in a letter of conformance valid for one year.

• The CB/VB is responsible for uploading the audit report and maintaining the accuracy of producer data in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems.

• Producers will be audited annually by a CB/VB as part of the renewal process.

• Letters of conformance are not transferable from one legal entity to another when production sites change ownership.

Which documents are required?

• TR4 Biosecutiry Standard general regulations: Rules that define how the audit process works, from the scope of the standard to the audit requirements.

• Principles and criteria (P&Cs): Principles are the fundamental requirements for each standard. They describe the outcomes to achieve and are accompanied by corresponding criteria that detail how a producer can demonstrate compliance.

• Checklist: The full list of P&Cs as used by CB/VB auditors, enabling producers to conduct a self-assessment in preparation for the CB/VB audit.

Which version of the TR4 Biosecurity Standard is currently valid?

The TR4 Biosecurity Standard is currently available in version 1, published in July 2023.

The FAQ contains further information on documents, the renewal process, and more.

How much does a TR4 Biosecurity Standard audit cost?

Each farm is unique, and the total audit costs depend on a combination of factors such as farm size, number of sites, location, necessary preparation measures (such as establishing new procedures), and more. The TR4 Biosecurity Standard contains three cost elements:

1. Implementation costs: Incurred by the producer to prepare for the CB/VB audit

2. CB/VB service fees: Determined and invoiced by the CB/VB to cover audit time and travel costs

3. GLOBALG.A.P. registration fee: Calculated based on farm size and invoiced by the CB/VB

The GLOBALG.A.P. fee table contains full information on the fee structure for each standard and add-on.