Integrated Farm Assurance

Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) is GLOBALG.A.P.’s flagship standard. Developed in consultation with stakeholders across the entire global supply chain, it takes a holistic approach to responsible farming and is audited annually by accredited, independent third-party certification bodies (CBs).

The IFA standard includes three scopes containing multiple product categories that cover agriculture, floriculture, aquaculture, and livestock. The certification status of all producers is visible in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems for transparency in the supply chain.

IFA is tried, tested, and trusted around the world with over  200,000 producers under certification worldwide.

 Holistic approach to responsible farming

The GLOBALG.A.P. IFA standard takes a holistic approach that covers responsible farming practices through the following key topics:

  • Food safety
  • Environmental sustainability and biodiversity
  • Workers’ health, safety, and welfare
  • Animal health and welfare
  • Legal, management, and traceability
  • Production processes
  • Integrated crop management (ICM) and integrated pest control (IPC)
  • Quality management system (QMS) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)

For  producers, IFA helps to improve farm management, raise the efficiency of farm operations, protect environmental resources, and enable access to international markets through compliance with a globally recognized standard.

For  supply chain stakeholders, sourcing from IFA certified production helps to ensure food safety, mitigate reputational risks, protect product integrity, demonstrate commitment to responsible farming practices, and enable reliable and trusted supply that addresses all major consumer demands.

How it works

1. IFA documents

The IFA standard is made up of several documents:
The rules: The GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations map out the requirements for the successful implementation of the standard as well as setting guidelines for its verification and regulation.
The checklists: Principles and criteria (in v6, control points and compliance criteria in v5) which clearly define the requirements for achieving the quality standard required by GLOBALG.A.P. Each principle is graded as a Major Must, a Minor Must, or a Recommendation. 

You can find your personalized IFA v6 documents  here, or access all valid documents in the  GLOBALG.A.P. document center.

National interpretation guidelines (NIGs) clarify how the principles and criteria have been adapted in a specific country. NIGs must be used in every country where they are available.
Standard guidelines are also available for each product category to help implement the standard.

2. IFA versions

IFA v6 is the latest version. A first interim final version was published on 26 April 2022 after a major revision of v5, and the final version was published on 29 September 2022. Until 1 January 2024, when IFA v6 becomes obligatory, multiple IFA versions are valid, including choices for those who require certification with GFSI recognition.   Click here for an overview of the valid versions.  

3. Certification options

Certification can be achieved by both individual producers and producer groups. There are different GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations for each option.
Option 1: Individual producer with or without an optional quality management system
Option 2: Producer group with a mandatory quality management system

4. IFA audits

IFA audits are carried out by  independent, third-party CBs which are approved by GLOBALG.A.P. Audits take place on a yearly basis, as defined in the GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations, according to the relevant checklist for each production process. To successfully pass the audit, producers must comply with 100% of the Major Musts and 95% of the Minor Musts. Corrective actions must be proposed for all non-compliances and submitted to the CB within 28 days of the audit. Non-compliances must be verified as closed and compliant before a certificate is issued.

5. IFA certification status

A successful audit results in a certificate which is valid for one year. The certification status is visible in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems (the  database and Validation Service). 

6. Upgrading IFA certification

GLOBALG.A.P.’s IFA standard is the foundational certification in our portfolio of smart farm assurance solutions. Add-ons are additional farm assurance products which address targeted areas of production and the supply chain. Producers can upgrade their status by combining add-ons with IFA audits. 

Quicklinks

Farm assurance products:  

IFA v6 
Discover the newest IFA version published in April 2022

IFA versions and GFSI recognition
An overview of IFA versions, validity, and recognitions

GLOBALG.A.P. add-ons
Upgrade your status with a portfolio of made-to-measure add-ons

How GLOBALG.A.P. works:

Find a Registered Trainer
Get GLOBALG.A.P. expertise to support your audit preparations

Smart farm assurance solutions
Learn more about how IFA v6 is spearheading our vision for a smarter future

Public consultations and field trials
How our stakeholders influence standard development

Integrity program
How we ensure the consistent delivery and implementation of our standards worldwide

Benchmarking
Reducing audit fatigue by recognizing equivalent schemes and checklists

Videos

Webinar on Option 2

Five steps to certification