GLOBALG.A.P. for certification bodies
Certification bodies (CBs) around the world play a key role in GLOBALG.A.P. operations, from farm auditing and assessment to the registration and maintenance of producer data in our IT systems. All GLOBALG.A.P. certificates are issued by approved CBs who are accredited and independent third-party entities.
Audit the portfolio of GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions
Become a GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification body
GLOBALG.A.P. certificates are issued by our network of more than 185 approved certification bodies (CBs) around the world. As accredited and independent third-party entities, they mark our smart farm assurance solutions as some of the most robust on the market. Understand how to fulfill the requirements, find an accreditation body, and apply for approval to audit the leading portfolio of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons.
CBs and the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system
CBs are embedded in the GLOBALG.A.P. network, performing a range of tasks that enable both the certification process and the practical monitoring of our solutions in the field.
Through a sublicense and certification agreement with producers, CBs provide their auditing services and facilitate the validation of information that is required by potential buyers. They also represent an essential first-hand source of information for producers and supply chain stakeholders seeking certification.
As our portfolio of solutions continues to grow, GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs always have the opportunity to extend their auditing scope in the license and certification agreement – ensuring they stay at the forefront of smart farm assurance.
What are the responsibilities of a GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB?
Conducting both announced and unannounced farm audits and assessments to check compliance with certification requirements
Registering and updating audit, assessment, and certification data in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems, ensuring the accuracy of producer information
Informing producers and supply chain stakeholders about certification deadlines and annual audit/assessment requirements
Supporting the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrity Program in resolving complaints or irregularities that are reported to the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat
Fulfilling the accreditation requirements of the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system and working to uphold integrity and transparency obligations
Continuously training and maintaining the competency of staff, from in-house trainers (IHTs) and scheme managers to farm and quality management system (QMS) auditors
Why become a GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB?
Increase your portfolio of auditing services
Grow your business opportunities by offering certification to a package of leading farm assurance solutions for safer and more sustainable farming practices.
Reach new customers
Appear in the list of GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs promoted throughout our website, enabling producers and other potential clients to easily find and contact you.
Get direct technical support
Connect with the GLOBALG.A.P. technical experts responsible for coordinating product development and standard revisions.
Gain visibility for your performance
CB excellence is detailed on the GLOBALG.A.P. website, with a key performance indicator (KPI) rating that builds trust with clients.
Stay ahead of the latest industry trends
Meet growing demand for GLOBALG.A.P. certification, audited in over 130 countries worldwide and increasingly requested by retailers.
Contribute to our governance
CBs who are also GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members have the opportunity to participate in the GLOBALG.A.P. Certification Body Committee.
Five steps to becoming a GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB
Read the CB requirements in “GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations – Rules for certification bodies”, paying close attention to section 4, “CB approval process.” Then, register in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems – CB Administration Tool (CB-AT) – and submit the completed application form. Pay the evaluation fee to initiate the approval process when you have received the invoice. Current fees can be found in the GLOBALG.A.P. fee table.
Apply for accreditation with an accreditation body (AB). CBs that want to become GLOBALG.A.P. approved must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17065 for the relevant scope or standard. The full list of ABs that are authorized to offer CB accreditation for working in the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system can be found below.
Apply for GLOBALG.A.P. approval. This requires your confirmation letter from the AB, as well as valid liability insurance. The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat then evaluates and accepts the application if all requirements are met, signing license and certification agreements with all CBs that have successfully passed the internal approval process. You will receive an invoice from GLOBALG.A.P. c/o FoodPLUS GmbH (or GLOBALG.A.P. North America dependent on your location) for the applicable annual license fees.
When CBs have achieved “provisionally approved” status, they will be added to the list of approved CBs on the GLOBALG.A.P. website, have access to the relevant GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems, and be able to issue nonaccredited certificates to a limited number of producers. Farm and QMS auditors must be registered in CB-AT, including uploading evidence of auditor qualifications and paying the auditor registration fee. CBs then have six months from this date to provide the accreditation certificate and nominate an in-house trainer to participate in an IHT training. The CB training catalog can be found in CB-AT.
After the IHT has passed the IHT exam and the application has been finally approved, the status in the list of approved CBs will become “approved”. Limits on issuing certificates under “provisionally approved” status are then removed.
GLOBALG.A.P. solutions
Our standards are implemented by almost 200,000 producers and value chain stakeholders around the world. Become the CB of choice in your area by offering audit services for the full portfolio of GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions.
What are the accreditation requirements?
ABs ensure a standardized, high level of quality and integrity in the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system. To become GLOBALG.A.P. approved, CBs must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17065 for the relevant scope.
CBs can apply for accreditation with any AB that meets the following requirements:
The AB has signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with FoodPLUS GmbH (the legal entity for the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat)
The AB is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF)
The AB is a signatory of the Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) for product certification. This means that the AB has been subject to a peer evaluation in the product certification field and received a positive recommendation in the subsequent report. The MLA status of an AB can be verified on the IAF website.
Understanding the AB list
*The AB is in the IAF product MLA with Sub-scopes Level 4: GLOBALG.A.P. General Regulations and Level 5: GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance Control Points and Compliance Criteria. These ABs are active in GLOBALG.A.P. accreditation.
** These ABs are not yet active in GLOBALG.A.P. accreditation. While the AB is not yet in the IAF product MLA with Sub-scopes Level 4 and Level 5 for GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance, they can still be chosen by a CB.
Find an accreditation body
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF**
Company: Pakistan National Accreditation Council - PNAC
Country: Pakistan
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF**
Company: National Standardization Council of Thailand - NSC
Country: Thailand
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA / IAF*
Company: Comite Francais d'Accreditation - COFRAC
Country: France
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA / IAF*
Company: ENAC
Country: Spain
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA / IAF**
Company: Cyprus Organization for the Promotion of Quality - CYS-CYSAB
Country: Cyprus
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Czech Accreditation Institute - CAI
Country: Czech Republic
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: DANAK
Country: Denmark
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Bundesministerium f. Digitalisierung u. Wirtschaftsstandort
Country: Austria
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Belgian Organisation for Accreditation - BELAC
Country: Belgium
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH - DAkkS
Country: Germany
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Hellenic Accreditation System S.A. - ESYD
Country: Greece
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Irish National Accreditation Board - INAB
Country: Ireland
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Sistema Nazionale Accreditamento - ACCREDIA
Country: Italy
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Dutch Accreditation Council - RvA
Country: Netherlands
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Norwegian Accreditation - NA
Country: Norway
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: IPAC
Country: Portugal
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Swedish Board for Accred.& Conformity Assessment - SWEDAC
Country: Sweden
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Swiss Accreditation Service - SAS
Country: Switzerland
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA*
Company: Turkish Accreditation Agency - TÜRKAK
Country: Turkey
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA**
Company: The Finnish Accreditation Service - FINAS
Country: Finland
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA**
Company: Slovenian Accreditation- SA
Country: Slovenia
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within EA/IAF*
Company: Polish Centre for Accreditation - PCA
Country: Poland
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Organismo Argentino de Acreditacion - OAA
Country: Argentina
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme - KOLAS
Country: Republic of Korea
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Organismo Uruguayo de Acreditacion - OUA
Country: Uruguay
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Organismo Nacional de Acreditación de Colombia - ONAC
Country: Colombia
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Japan Accreditation Board - JAB
Country: Japan
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Taiwan Accreditation Foundation - TAF
Country: Taiwan / Chinese Taipei
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: CNAS
Country: China
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: JAS-ANZ
Country: Australia & New Zealand
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: INMETRO
Country: Brazil
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Ecuadorian Accreditation Service - SAE
Country: Ecuador
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Entidad Mexicana de Acreditacion, a.c. - EMA
Country: Mexico
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: South Africa National Accreditation System - SANAS
Country: South Africa
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: United Kingdom Accreditation Service - UKAS
Country: United Kingdom
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: American National Standards Institute - ANSI
Country: United States of America
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB)
Country: India
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: Bureau of Accreditation - BoA
Country: Vietnam
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: IOAS Inc. (IOAS)
Country: United States of America
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF**
Company: Egyptian Accreditation Council - EGAC
Country: Egypt
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF**
Company: Komite Akreditasi Nasional (National Accreditation Body of Indonesia) - KAN
Country: Indonesia
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF**
Company: National Center of Accreditation - NCA
Country: Republic of Kazakhstan
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF**
Company: National Institute of Quality - Directorate of Accreditation - INACAL - DA
Country: Peru
Name: MoU with FoodPLUS within IAF*
Company: International Accreditation Service - IAS
Country: United States of America
Latest news
25 March 2024
Changemaker Awards 2024 launches
In September 2024, FoodPLUS GmbH (GLOBALG.A.P. and the GGN label) will launch the first annual Changemaker Awards at the GLOBALG.A.P. SUMMIT 2024 to celebrate those fostering positive change in the world of farming.
27 February 2024
Join us at SUMMIT 2024: Early Bird tickets now on sale!
For the first time since 2018 in Peru, the SUMMIT event will return in September 2024 in Warsaw, Poland, to explore the latest developments in food safety and sustainability, as well as the future of the industry.
Everything you need to know
Resources for GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification bodies
The gateway to the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems, key documents, and the most common FAQs for certification bodies (CB).
GLOBALG.A.P. SUMMIT 2024 tickets now available!
Join us to discuss the latest developments in food safety and sustainability, as well as the future of the industry. Take advantage of our Early Bird discount now – saving you €250 per person until 31 May 2024!
GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems
Key documents
GLOBALG.A.P. trademarks use: policy and guidelines
Rules and regulations
V1.0-1
English | Last updated: 25/01/2024
Rules and regulations define how a specific standard must be implemented – from the certification scope to the audit requirements for certification bodies.
GLOBALG.A.P. certification body sanction catalog
Rules and regulations
V6
English | Last updated: 10/10/2023
Rules and regulations define how a specific standard must be implemented – from the certification scope to the audit requirements for certification bodies.
Looking for technical news?
Technical news – Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA)
Technical news summaries for all entries relating to the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard.
Technical news – Core solutions
Technical news summaries for Chain of Custody, Compound Feed Manufacturing, Crops for Processing, Produce Handling Assurance, HPSS, and TR4 Biosecurity Standard.
Technical news – Add-ons
Technical news summaries for all entries relating to add-ons to core solutions, including GRASP, SPRING, and more.
Technical news – Systems and services
Technical news summaries for all entries relating to GLOBALG.A.P. systems and services, including IT systems such as Audit Online Hub.
Technical news
Stay up to date with the latest solution and IT developments with the technical newsletter.
What are the costs for approved CBs?
License fees
CBs pay license fees to the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat. These include an evaluation fee (one-time fee for the initial application or scope extension), an annual basic license fee, as well as supplementary fees for additional scopes or add-ons and each country where a certificate is issued.
Training fees
CBs should also expect to budget for the obligatory and recommended trainings. CB training fees can be found in the CB training catalog via CB-AT. The annual CB license fee includes one scheme manager update training for one person per year.
Registration and certificate/assessment license fees
CBs are also invoiced for the GLOBALG.A.P. registration fee and certificate/assessment license fee, which is a size-based fee for each producer that the CB audits or assesses. CBs invoice the producer for this fee to account for the cost.
All fee information can be found in the GLOBALG.A.P. fee table. For CBs who conduct audits/assessments in the USA and Canada, please refer to the GLOBALG.A.P. North America fee table. Please note that fees associated with accreditation are not handled by the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat.
What are the training requirements for approved CBs?
Farm and QMS auditors working for a GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB must be registered in CB-AT. This includes uploading evidence of auditor qualifications and paying the auditor registration fee.
The designated scheme manager must take part in an annual scheme manager update training.
The designated in-house trainer (IHT) must take part in the relevant compulsory CB trainings (dependent on scope).
All farm auditors are required to pass the relevant GLOBALG.A.P. online tests (dependent on scope) before they may conduct audits.
All QMS auditors must attend a GLOBALG.A.P. QMS auditor training.
Find a GLOBALG.A.P. training to fulfill the requirements via CB-AT.
How is CB performance monitored?
CB performance is monitored by the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrity Program, which assesses all CB head offices as well as a sample of the producers they have audited. The results form part of the key performance indicator (KPI) rating that is displayed in the list of GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs and is updated every six months. The list contains further information on CB status and performance ratings.
If the CB assessment identifies issues in CB operations, the report is forwarded to the Integrity Surveillance Committee for a review of their approval status and potential sanctions.
GLOBALG.A.P. Community Membership
CBs who are also GLOBALG.A.P. Associate Community Members receive an official seal to communicate their affiliation and have the chance to contribute to our governance structure through the Certification Body Committee.
How to extend your auditing scope
CBs that are approved for one or several GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions can extend the scope of their license and certification agreement with GLOBALG.A.P. (c/o FoodPLUS GmbH) to offer certification for additional standards, add-ons, and scopes. This enables a CB to increase their service offering and attract new clients.
Applications for extensions follow the same process as initial applications for approval. In some cases, the scope extension request may require accreditation and a new IHT training (for any CB auditor). Preconditions for GLOBALG.A.P. add-ons can vary, and CBs must submit a signed letter of intent alongside evidence of accreditation for the base standard to which the add-on applies.
Read the requirements for the scope/standard/add-on in the relevant GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations.
Register for approval for the additional scope/standard/add-on in CB-AT.
If applicable, apply for accreditation for the additional scope/standard/add-on with an AB from the list, and upload your AB confirmation letter to CB-AT.
Pay the applicable fees and attend the relevant additional trainings.
When approval is confirmed, auditors must be assigned to the relevant scope/standard/add-on in CB-AT.
If you have questions about the process, please see the FAQ or contact us.
GLOBALG.A.P. Full Remote
The GLOBALG.A.P. Remote procedure was initially developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis in May 2020. As a solution that utilizes the established GLOBALG.A.P. certification system to avoid disruption in critical supply chains, it was updated as part of the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) version 6 standard revision and is now known as GLOBALG.A.P. Full Remote.
The audit procedure builds on the rules for standards and add-ons by providing guidelines on conducting remote audits and assessments. In regions where CBs cannot access production sites due to emergency situations, on-site audits and assessments for certification, certificate renewal, scope extension etc. may be postponed for up to six months. During this time, certification may be granted based on fully remote audits and assessments.
The procedure can only be used where travel restrictions prevent access to production sites.
It is applicable to all GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons, except those with GFSI recognition and the Produce Handling Assurance (PHA) standard.
Unless otherwise specified, the respective rules of the standard and/or add-on apply.
The procedure must be implemented for all principles and criteria in the same way as an on-site audit.
Initial certifications based solely on the GLOBALG.A.P. Full Remote procedure shall not be considered accredited until the first on-site follow-up audit has been successfully completed.
GLOBALG.A.P. Full Remote is available in multiple languages in the GLOBALG.A.P. document center.
Share your experience!
Are you already part of our mission to foster the global adoption of safer and more sustainable farming practices? We would love to hear from you!
Submit a testimonial about working with GLOBALG.A.P. for a chance to be featured on our website and social media channels – with more than 80,000 followers across five platforms.
FAQ
Upcoming events
16 Apr - 17 Apr
2024
GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR stop South Africa 2024
Location:
Paarl
Event type:
GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR stop
Event format:
On-site
23 Apr
2024
Seafood Expo Global 2024 – Panel discussion
Location:
Barcelona, Spain
Event type:
Trade fair
Event format:
On-site
Selecting the right certification body for you
GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification bodies
The list of certification bodies (CBs) which are approved to perform audits and assessments against GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons can be found below. The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat encourages you to evaluate and compare offers from different CBs to find the one that best suits your needs.
GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs
The list of GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs can be filtered by region, country, scope, and status. Click a CB to find more information and contact details.
If you do not filter your search, or filter only according to region and/or country, your search results will also show CBs that offer certification against benchmarked schemes, but which may not have approval for any GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons.
Understanding the list of GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs
CB status
Provisionally approved
The CB has successfully passed the first part of the GLOBALG.A.P. approval process and is allowed to issue nonaccredited certificates to a limited number of producers.Approved
The CB has successfully completed all parts of the GLOBALG.A.P. approval process, including verified accreditation, and is allowed to issue an unlimited number of accredited certificates.Suspended
The CB has received a Red Card and is suspended from issuing or reissuing certificates.
CB performance rating
The star system was established to promote continuous improvement in our CB network. CBs are assessed on head office performance, auditing and reporting quality, audit processing time, audit timing rules, database management, complaint management, and administrative management. Regardless of their rating, all CBs listed (unless currently suspended) are approved and may be selected by a producer.
1 – unacceptable performance
2 – major improvement necessary
3 – some improvement necessary
4 – good performance
5 – excellent performance
Rating pending – There is not yet enough evidence collected within the evaluation criteria to establish an overall KPI rating. This does not mean poor performance.
Further information
CBs who are GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members can be identified by their green seal.
A Yellow Card means that the CB has received two warnings and has failed to demonstrate sufficient improvement as detailed in the GLOBALG.A.P. CB sanction catalog. The Integrity Surveillance Committee will rule on the next steps for reassessment.
A Red Card prevents the CB from issuing any certificates. The Integrity Surveillance Committee may only lift this sanction if confidence in the CB’s operation is restored following reassessment.
Contact us
For general questions about CB administration, please contact us at customer_support@globalgap.org.
For technical support on GLOBALG.A.P. solutions, please contact us at standard_support@globalgap.org.
For questions on CB training, please contact us at cbtraining@globalgap.org.