Focus groups and working groups
Flowers and Ornamentals Focus Group
The Flowers and Ornamentals Focus Group was established to support the process of updating the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard.
Purpose and structure
In late 2019, the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat began the process of updating the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard. The Flowers and Ornamentals Focus Group was established to support this process.
Focus group members are industry experts who can offer insights and guidance for the floriculture sector.
Activity
In phase 1, the goal of this focus group was to evaluate the IFA v5.2 standard for flowers and ornamentals, determine the content which should be included in the revised version, and strategize on how to cover the new content. The focus group prepared the draft documents of IFA v6 for flowers and ornamentals for the second public consultation period at the end of 2020.
In phase 2, the focus group fine-tuned the content of IFA v6 for flowers and ornamentals for the fourth and final round of public consultation.
In phase 3, the focus group focused on incorporating the feedback received during the fourth public consultation period and resolving any other outstanding issues. The final draft was presented to the GLOBALG.A.P. Advisory Board for adoption in October 2021. The new standard was published in April 2022.
In phase 4, the focus group is advising on the correct interpretation and implementation of the new IFA v6 standard for flowers and ornamentals, analyzing incoming feedback and comments from floriculture producers and auditors. This information exchange also serves as a basis for developing implementation guidelines.
The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat also consults the focus group on specific topics that may arise in relation to other GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions for the flowers and ornamentals sector, such as the Impact-Driven Approach to Sustainability (IDA) add-on, and the revision of IFA for plant propagation material which is used by the sector.
Learn more about IFA v6 for flowers and ornamentals.
GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat representative: Juan Carlos Isaza
For further information on the Flowers and Ornamentals Focus Group, please see the terms of reference.
Flowers and Ornamentals Focus Group members
Contact us
For questions about the focus groups, please contact us at committees@globalgap.org.