GLOBALG.A.P. compared schemes
Harmonizing the requirements of different farm assurance schemes cuts duplication and reduces both the complexity and the cost of certification. The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat conducts internal desk reviews of applicant schemes to determine whether there are adequate similarities between the two for the applicant scheme to achieve “compared” status.
Looking for similarities between farm assurance schemes
What are compared schemes?
Compared schemes are certification schemes that have undergone an internal desk review process by the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat and have been found to partially conform with a GLOBALG.A.P. standard and/or add-on.
What is the advantage of comparing schemes?
Although they are not the same as benchmarked schemes, the compared scheme desk review process provides transparency to the sector, and producers and retailers are both able to ensure that their expectations are met even when the requirements of the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system are not fulfilled.
What is partial conformance?
Partial conformance means that the scheme requirements contain gaps or differences that prevent the scheme from achieving benchmarking recognition. Unlike GLOBALG.A.P. benchmarked schemes, compared schemes are not subject to a peer review, on-site assessments, or benchmarking committee recommendation. For this reason, producers certified to these compared schemes do not appear in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems.
Learn more about scheme comparison or GLOBALG.A.P. benchmarking
Want to kick off the scheme comparison process by talking to an expert or learn more about about benchmarking options?
Similar farm assurance schemes
View compared schemes
The following schemes have been reviewed by the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat and partially conform with a GLOBALG.A.P. standard and/or add-on.
Compared schemes
The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat publishes a transparent summary of which requirements are not fulfilled by the respective compared scheme. To view these in detail, click on the name and download the document.
Compared schemes and benchmarking FAQ
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
Compared schemes are certification schemes that have undergone an internal desk review process by the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat and have been found to partially conform with a GLOBALG.A.P. counterpart. They differ from benchmarked schemes and checklists because they have not been through the full benchmarking process and are not equivalent to any GLOBALG.A.P. standard or add-on.
GLOBALG.A.P. benchmarking is the process of recognizing alignment between different farm assurance systems. This reduces complexity, administration, time, effort, and costs for stakeholders throughout the value chain by cutting duplication.
As a result, producers enjoy the benefits of certification to different schemes and/or checklists through a single audit process, the benchmarked scheme and checklist owners gain international recognition through equivalence with a leading solution from GLOBALG.A.P., and retailers can source with confidence from a greater pool of suppliers around the world.
Compared schemes are not equivalent to their GLOBALG.A.P. counterparts. To avoid confusion in the supply chain, producers certified to those schemes are therefore not registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems.
Yes, once any outstanding discrepancies between the applicant’s scheme and the relevant GLOBALG.A.P. standard or add-on version have been resolved. A new benchmarking application including participation in all the review stages is then required. Steps to upgrade from compared scheme to benchmarked scheme include:
The update and/or addition of all nonequivalent or unaddressed certification rules or G.A.P. requirements
The creation of a new scheme version, or the creation of a new scheme with a name that clearly differentiates it from the existing compared scheme
The full application process for GLOBALG.A.P. benchmarking, including evaluation by the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat, on-site assessments, peer review by GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members, and recommendation from a benchmarking committee
Scheme and checklist owners can apply for benchmarking to any GLOBALG.A.P. standard, GLOBALG.A.P. add-on, or a combination of both. Our portfolio of standards and add-ons can help you identify harmonization opportunities.
Scheme and checklist owners must be a legal entity with liability insurance and follow ISO/IEC 17065 rules. They must be operational for a minimum of 12 months and issue certificates to at least 10 producers before applying for benchmarking. Scheme and checklist owners must have ownership and legal protection of their scheme and checklist documents. For more details on benchmarking requirements, see section 2 of the GLOBALG.A.P. benchmarking regulations.
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Contact us
For questions about benchmarking or compared schemes, please contact us at benchmarking@globalgap.org.