GLOBALG.A.P. for buyers

• GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons can be applied to the production processes of more than 700 different plant and aquatic species. Each species belongs to a product category with its own checklist that details the certification requirements.

• Every audit is conducted against the relevant checklist and in accordance with the GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations – a set of certification rules for checklist implementation.

• Audits are performed by independent and accredited third-party certification bodies (CBs).

• Each certificate holder is assigned a unique identification which can be used to validate the certification status in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT platform at any time.

• The GLOBALG.A.P. certification system is one of the most robust on the market.

GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons can be applied to the production processes of more than 700 different plant and aquatic species according to the following product categories:

• Fruit and vegetables

• Aquaculture

• Flowers and ornamentals

• Hops

• Combinable crops

• Tea

• Plant propagation material

For an up-to-date list of specific products included in each category, see the GLOBALG.A.P. product list.

From the shrimp farms of Vietnam and the banana plantations of Ecuador to the tulip greenhouses of the Netherlands and the mango orchards of Mali, the world of farming is incredibly varied. 

Farm types and sizes are as diverse as the ecosystems and communities in which they operate, so we cover the following options:  

• Smallholders/family farms 

• Individual producers with a single or multiple site(s) 

• Producer groups (cooperatives etc.)  

Producers can get certified in any country where a GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB conducts audits.

Created by stakeholders, for stakeholders, GLOBALG.A.P. standards are developed in a collaborative approach with a broad network of contributors. 

Every producer registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system is assigned a 13-digit GLOBALG.A.P. identification number (e.g., a GGN).  

This number allows verification of certification status in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT platform, upholding our rigorous transparency requirements throughout the supply chain.

Our mission is to foster the global adoption of safer and more responsible farming practices.  

This means implementing practices that address the range of challenges that face the global farming industry and threaten its future viability, from water scarcity and deforestation to food waste and animal welfare. 

GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions offer a variety of ways to address the different aspects of responsible farming, and our science-based criteria provide practical steps to improve farm management. 

Our flagship Integrated Farm Assurance standards adopt a holistic approach to:  

• Food safety 

• Environment

• Workers’ health, safety, and welfare

• Animal health and welfare 

• Legal, management, and traceability 

• Production processes 

Find out more about our impact areas and claims

The GLOBALG.A.P. portfolio includes more than 15 standards and add-ons, each fulfilling a specific purpose – whether it be holistic on-farm certification, compound feed manufacturing, or traceability in supply chains. This flexible approach to certification ensures we can offer solutions for a variety of needs.

GLOBALG.A.P. standards are implemented by almost 200,000 producers in over 130 countries worldwide, audited by a network of more than 190 certification bodies. The Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for fruit and vegetables makes up the majority of these certificates, covering more than four million hectares of production every year.

• Integrated Farm Assurance for fruit and vegetables

• Integrated Farm Assurance for hops

• Integrated Farm Assurance for aquaculture

• Produce Handling Assurance

• Harmonized Produce Safety Standard

• Crops for Processing

• Compound Feed Manufacturing

• FSMA PSR add-on

Via a holistic approach, the Integrated Farm Assurance standard addresses the environment, including biodiversity. To further extend the certification scope, a range of add-ons address requirements on water, biodiversity management, input metrics, and more.

• Integrated Farm Assurance for fruit and vegetables

• Integrated Farm Assurance for hops

• Integrated Farm Assurance for flowers and ornamentals

• Integrated Farm Assurance for aquaculture

• Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use (SPRING) add-on

• BioDiversity add-on

• Impact-Driven Approach to Sustainability add-on

• TR4 Biosecurity add-on

Basic criteria on workers’ health, safety, and welfare are included in the IFA standards. Additional coverage on workers’ well-being topics is addressed via the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) add-on. Some retailers require their suppliers to implement the GRASP add-on with their IFA certification each year. The GRASP add-on is otherwise voluntary and is a trusted tool for demonstrating a commitment to workers' health, safety, and wellfare to your customers and supply chain partners.

The GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody (CoC) standard ensures that any product sold with a GLOBALG.A.P. claim or bearing the GGN label is truly sourced from a GLOBALG.A.P. certified production process.

The standard specifies strict requirements for the segregation, traceability, and therefore integrity of a product’s GLOBALG.A.P. certification status throughout its lifecycle. Applicable to products originating from Integrated Farm Assurance or Compound Feed Manufacturing certified production processes, CoC is tried, tested, and trusted across the globe with certificate holders operating in over 60 countries.

Explain to your suppliers why GLOBALG.A.P. certification is one of your sourcing requirements so that they can understand the benefits it brings to them. The following links are useful resources:

• GLOBALG.A.P. for producers – A webpage that provides a helpful starting point for producers

• Smart Checklist Builder – Find out which solutions are relevant and build a self-assessment checklist

• GLOBALG.A.P. Registered Trainers – Locate a trainer near you

• GLOBALG.A.P. capacity building – Learn more about entry-level access to GLOBALG.A.P. and find training courses from the Academy

Companies with a GLOBALG.A.P. certificate may advertise this fact through use of the GLOBALG.A.P. logo and/or their unique GLOBALG.A.P. identification number.  

You can use the ID number (for example a GGN, CoC Number, PHA-N, etc.) to verify whether the company has a certificate and check its validity.

Unique numbers given to producers (and any other legal entities) registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. system made up of a prefix (often referring to the standard) and a 13-digit number, separated by a space (e.g., GGN 123456789101).

These numbers allow verification of certification status in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT platform. You can find it on your certificate/letter of conformance, and it should always accompany your use of the GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks.

It stands for GLOBALG.A.P. Number. GGNS are unique identifier codes given to producers (and any other legal entities) registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. system to GLOBALG.A.P. IFA and CFM standards. See question two on GLOBALG.A.P. identification numbers for more information.

The GGN label is a cross-category consumer label that can be found on a variety of products, including fruit and vegetables, farmed seafood, flowers, and plants. It stands for certified, responsible farming and transparency and exists to offer shoppers consistent, consumer-relevant assurance and orientation throughout the store.

Along with the GGN label, unique 13-digit GGNs that are linked to producers with GLOBALG.A.P. certification are printed on product packaging. When shoppers find a GGN on their product, they can enter it into the online GGN label portal to find a farm profile for the producer.

Learn more about the process for joining the GGN label initiative today.

The majority of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons are audited annually – meaning that the resulting certificate or letter of conformance is valid for one year.

There are also a small number of standards with a three-year cycle. For more information, visit the webpage for the relevant standard and read the detailed information.

Complaints received by GLOBALG.A.P. are recorded, analyzed, and investigated by a dedicated complaint management officer. Certification bodies (CBs) investigate the complaints through document reviews and, if needed, unannounced integrity assessments. They must then, within a defined time period, report to the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat all findings and action taken.
Complaint information is shared with the Certification Integrity team to facilitate the selection and scheduling of integrity assessments. This may result in targeted integrity assessments for on-site investigation and follow-up.

If a producer does not make the necessary corrections to gain compliance within the specified timeframe (usually 28 days, but may be fewer), the producer is non-compliant, and certification is not granted until the corrections are submitted to the CB and accepted. The producer will receive a suspended status during this time.

If corrections are required due to an investigation, the certification status is suspended until the corrections are submitted and accepted. In rare cases, it may lead to cancellation of certification and the producer may not reapply for certification during the next 12 months.

For individual producers applying for independent certification (Option 1), the auditor will visit the site to conduct an audit. If the individual producer has multiple sites, all sites will be visited and audited. If the producer has multiple sites and implements a quality management system (Option 1 multisite with QMS), it is similar to auditing producer groups (Option 2).

For producer groups (Option 2), the auditor(s) will visit a sample of the sites* and conduct an audit of the quality management system.

*Different rules for the GFS version where GFSI requires that all high-risk sites according to risk assessment be audited.