Other party private solution
AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer
AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer is a private add-on to the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for producers that supply the Dutch retailer Albert Heijn. It contains two modules that address a range of criteria for social compliance and sustainable production methods.
Targeted criteria for Albert Heijn suppliers
What is AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer?
Launched in 2022, AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer was developed to strengthen partnerships with fruit and vegetable producers in the areas of social and environmental sustainability. The add-on consists of two modules: Producer (criteria on transparency and workers’ well-being) and Nature (criteria on soil/water management, energy, fertilization, integrated pest management, and more). Applicable to fruit and vegetable production and audited in combination with the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard, FoodPLUS GmbH worked with Albert Heijn to create the private solution which reduces duplication in the supply chain.
AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer at a glance
Audited together
with IFA for fruit and vegetables to minimize the audit burden for producers
Focused content
on socially and environmentally responsible farming practices
Robust integrity
through third-party, accredited GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification bodies
Audited together
with IFA for fruit and vegetables to minimize the audit burden for producers
Focused content
on socially and environmentally responsible farming practices
Robust integrity
through third-party, accredited GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification bodies
Which topics does AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer address?
Social compliance
Biodiversity
Resilient and healthy soil
Fertilization
Integrated pest management
Emission reduction of plant protection products
Efficient water use
Energy
CO2 footprint
Who should use AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer?
AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer is only available for individual producers (multisite with or without a quality management system) who supply fruit and vegetable products either directly or via their suppliers to Albert Heijn in the Netherlands. The add-on can only be implemented by producers registered in the Netherlands.
All producers must hold certification to IFA, as the audit builds on existing criteria in the IFA standard . Furthermore, the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) add-on (or an equivalent alternative as mentioned in the add-on documents) must be implemented at farm level.
Reducing audit duplication in the supply chain
How does AH Beter voor Natuur & Boer work?
The add-on content is formed of control points and compliance criteria (CPCCs) which are graded as either Major Must or Minor Must. There are also additional control measures which are optional. The AH Beter voor Natuur en Boer checklist contains dedicated Albert Heijn requirements – 46 CPCCs – that are audited in combination with those in the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for fruit and vegetables.
Which documents are required?
General rules specifications: Rules that define how the audit process works, from the scope of the add-on to the audit requirements.
Checklist: The full list of add-on criteria as used by CB auditors, enabling producers to perform a self-assessment in preparation for the on-site audit.
How is certification status verified?
Every producer registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. system is assigned a 13-digit GLOBALG.A.P. identification number (e.g., a GGN). This number allows real-time verification of certification status in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems , upholding our rigorous transparency requirements throughout the supply chain.
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