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Add-on to core solution

BioDiversity

BioDiversity is an add-on that specifies a set of science-based requirements which aim to help producers demonstrate their on-farm biodiversity management practices and retailers to identify suppliers that fulfill their corporate social responsibility pledges.

Monitor and manage key biodiversity indicators

What is BioDiversity?

The BioDiversity add-on functions as the base for a farm-level audit which supports producers in demonstrating their biodiversity management practices to retailers and traders. In turn, supply chain stakeholders may require suppliers to undergo an audit to contribute to fulfilling their corporate social responsibility pledges. Designed to be paired with theIntegrated Farm Assurance (IFA) for fruit and vegetables standard, the audit covers aspects such as soil and nutrients, land restoration measures, and integrated pest management. The add-on strives to monitor and protect key on-farm biodiversity indicators, raising awareness and providing guidance on the development of a comprehensive biodiversity action plan.

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BioDiversity at a glance

Document 1, Document, checklist, add-on
Audited together

with IFA for fruit and vegetables to minimize the audit burden for producers

Farm 3, Farm, producer agriculture, plants, crops
Offers cost-efficient audits

for a wide range of fruit and vegetable farm sizes and types, including smallholders and producer groups

Europe 1, Europe, EU, European Economic Area, EEA
Applicable to producers

based in the European Economic Area (EEA)

Continuous Improvement 1, Continuous improvement, monitoring and evaluation, optimization, tracking
Integrates continuous improvement

into the farm-level monitoring of biodiversity issues

Academy 3, Academy, training, course, upskill, capacity building
Establishes knowledge-sharing,

training, and capacity-building tools, as well as off-farm synergies

NGO 1, NGO, United Nations, UN, Global Compact, agribusiness
Supports

the UN Global Compact Food and Agriculture Business Principles

Which topics does BioDiversity address?

BioDiversity was developed by a multistakeholder project team on the initiative of the German retailer Lidl in 2020. The collaboration brought together biodiversity expertise from across the supply chain, NGOs, and academia, including Sustainable Food Systems GmbH (SFS), the Global Nature Fund, Bioland, fresh produce suppliers, producers in Spain, Poland, Italy, and Germany, and the Nürtingen-Geislingen University in Germany.

Our approach to standard setting ensures that add-ons to core solutions remain robust, realistic, and cost-efficient while meeting the evolving demands of buyers.

Core topics in BioDiversity v1.1 include:

  • Biodiversity action plan

  • Farm areas dedicated to biodiversity

  • Protection and restoration measures

  • Soil and nutrient management plan

  • Integrated pest management

  • Wastewater management and protection of water sources

  • Off-farm synergies and collaboration

  • Training, knowledge sharing, and capacity building

  • BioDiversity representative

  • Farm self-assessment on biodiversity

Discover how BioDiversity helps you address challenges in the agricultural sector.

Who should use BioDiversity?

BioDiversity is applicable only to fruit and vegetable producers located in the EEA.

The add-on offers cost-efficient audit options for both individual producers (single site and multisite producers) and producer groups, including smallholders. Producers can get audited in any EEA country where a GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification body (CB) conducts audits.

V1.1 must be used in combination with IFA v6.

How does BioDiversity work?

  • Compliance with the add-on requirements is audited annually by an accredited and independent third-party CB together with the annual IFA audit (or an audit against a benchmarked scheme/checklist).

  • Producers can choose from any GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB active in the relevant country – although the same CB which conducts the IFA audit must also conduct the BioDiversity audit.

  • A successful CB audit results in a letter of conformance valid for one year.

The add-on is composed of principles and criteria (P&Cs). P&Cs are graded in two levels: Major Must and Minor Must.

Principles

  • Fundamentals that set the foundation of a GLOBALG.A.P. requirement

  • Written in question form

  • Describe the outcome to be achieved in the corresponding criteria.

Criteria

  • Methods that producers can use to demonstrate a principle to be true

  • Compliance can be demonstrated in different ways, e.g., data, record of procedure

  • Evidence must demonstrate that the outcome is achieved

Read more about the audit process and add-on requirements.

Infographic of the control points and compliance criteria of the TR4 Biosecurity Add-on version 1

How is conformance status verified?

Every producer registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system is assigned a 13-digit GLOBALG.A.P. identification number (e.g., a GLOBALG.A.P. Number (GGN)). This number allows real-time verification of conformance status in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems, upholding our rigorous transparency requirements throughout the supply chain.

Producers can control data access and privacy rights for audit reports, and the reports are not shared publicly or with third parties. This process is handled via your chosen CB.

Latest news

07 March 2025

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Explore how they use GLOBALG.A.P. CoC certification to create transparency and trust in their cherry and apple supply chain to global markets

Plants
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Core solutions
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06 March 2025

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Looking for technical news?

Technical news updates for all add-ons can be found in our technical news libraries.

Contribute to ecosystem health and resilience

Why choose BioDiversity?

Biodiversity – the huge variety of life on earth, encompassing animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi – is one of the world’s most precious resources. The protection, restoration, and enhancement of on-farm biodiversity is under increasing scrutiny across the value chain and now represents a major concern for brand owners, retailers, and consumers alike. BioDiversity offers a practical and cost-efficient path for producers to implement and demonstrate farm-level best practices that help contribute to the health and conservation of surrounding ecosystems.

Which industry challenges does BioDiversity address?

  • The impact of biodiversity on agricultural production is considered in numerous influential international frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EU’s European Green Deal.

  • As a result, sector transformation is increasingly expected by both civil society and major retail and food production chains – highlighting the need for coordinated action from all stakeholders.

  • The EU’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and Farm to Fork Strategy aim to put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery – with producers playing a positive and growing role.

  • Industry solutions are therefore needed to monitor and demonstrate how agricultural enterprises promote and enhance biodiversity at farm level.

  • BioDiversity is a cost-efficient add-on for fruit and vegetable producers with production processes certified to the IFA standard that complements rather than competes with existing certification systems.

Follow our five steps to BioDiversity to get started today.

BioDiversity in numbers (as of 31/12/2023)

Producer 1, Producer, farmer, stakeholder, supply chain, farm-level, smallholder
1,383

producers audited to the add-on

Globe 3, Globe, worldwide, network, implementation
6

countries with audited production processes

Farm 1, Farm, producer, agriculture, plants, crops
14,173

hectares of audited production

What are the benefits for producers?

  • Develop an effective biodiversity action plan and demonstrate your management of on-farm biodiversity.

  • Implement an outcome-based and scientifically sound methodology, recognizing farm-specific biodiversity realities.

  • Leverage synergies with IFA for fruit and vegetables, as well as other add-ons to core solutions such as the Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use (SPRING) add-on.

  • Apply our farm assurance solutions on a wide range of farm types and sizes, and access certification options for both individual producers and producer groups.

  • Benefit from a cost-efficient audit process which produces reliable data, improving transparency and risk monitoring in supply chains.

What are the benefits for supply chain stakeholders?

  • Implement a fit-for-purpose add-on developed by the sector, for the sector, that helps fulfill corporate social responsibility pledges.

  • Support alignment with relevant civil society stakeholders and international frameworks such as the EU’s European Green Deal.

  • Boost transparency and risk monitoring, and integrate a continuous improvement mechanism at farm level.

  • Further demonstrate commitment to more responsible farming practices by building on established principles and criteria in IFA for fruit and vegetables.

  • Access a flexible portfolio of farm assurance solutions that provides all the coverage you need through one certification system – including other add-ons such as SPRING and the Impact-Driven Approach to Sustainability (IDA).

Image of a person assembling wooden blocks that represent the activities of the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrity Program

Maintaining trust in GLOBALG.A.P. certification

The GLOBALG.A.P. Integrity Program was founded in 2008 as the first of its kind in food certification. Designed to ensure the consistent delivery and implementation of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons worldwide, the program monitors and assesses all aspects of the third-party certification process.

Which solutions can be combined with BioDiversity?

BioDiversity is designed to be paired with IFA certification for fruit and vegetables. Audits are conducted together with the IFA audit, allowing producers to extend their certification scope flexibly and efficiently through a single audit.

Learn more about GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions.

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Ready to get started?

Use our Smart Checklist Builder to easily understand which GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions are recommended for your production practices and generate a personalized checklist for your self-assessment.

Your guide to implementation

How to prepare for a BioDiversity audit

Learn more about the key documents and fee structure of BioDiversity. Follow our five steps to BioDiversity for an overview of the audit process, and find a GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification body (CB) in your area to get started.

Implementation and CB audit process

How does the CB audit process work?

  • Designed to complement existing Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) certification, compliance with the BioDiversity requirements is audited annually together with the IFA audit by accredited and independent third-party CBs.

  • Producers can choose from any GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB active in the relevant country – although the same CB which conducts your IFA audit must also conduct the BioDiversity audit.

  • A successful CB audit results in a letter of conformance valid for one year.

  • The CB is responsible for uploading the audit reports and maintaining the accuracy of producer data in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems.

  • Producers will be audited annually by a CB as part of the renewal process.

Which documents are required?

  • GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations and GLOBALG.A.P. BioDiversity general rules specifications: Rules that define how the audit process works, from the scope of the add-on to the audit requirements.

  • Principles and criteria (P&Cs): Principles are the fundamental requirements for each add-on. They describe the outcome to achieve and are accompanied by corresponding criteria that detail the various ways in which a producer can demonstrate compliance.

  • Checklist: The full list of add-on criteria as used by CB auditors, enabling producers to conduct a self-assessment in preparation for the CB audit.

  • Guidelines: A supporting document that clarifies terminology and outlines procedures to help producers comply with the add-on requirements.

Which version of BioDiversity is currently valid?

There is currently one version of BioDiversity available for audit.

  • BioDiversity v1.1 was published in December 2023. It replaced v1 on 1 January 2024.

The FAQ contains more information on documents, the renewal process, and more.

What are the BioDiversity add-on requirements?

P&Cs are graded in two levels: Major Must and Minor Must.

  • To pass a CB audit, producers must comply with 100% of the Major Must principles and at least 75% of the Minor Must principles.

  • Corrective actions must be proposed for all non-compliances and submitted to the CB within the specified period.

  • Non-compliances must then be verified as corrected and compliant by the CB before a letter of conformance can be issued.

How much does a BioDiversity audit cost?

Each farm is unique, and the total audit costs depend on a combination of factors such as farm size, number of sites, location, necessary preparation measures (such as establishing new procedures), and more.

BioDiversity contains three cost elements:

1. Implementation costs: Incurred by the producer to prepare for the CB audit

2. CB service fees: Determined and invoiced by the CB to cover audit time and travel costs

3. GLOBALG.A.P. assessment license fee: Calculated based on the audit option

The GLOBALG.A.P. fee table contains full information on the fee structure for each standard and add-on.

Five steps to BioDiversity

Key documents

The three most relevant documents are linked below. Click ‘view more’ to see further related documents. Remember to always check with your CB that you have all necessary documents prior to audit.

BioDiversity

Checklists

V1.1

English | Last updated: 29/11/2024

xlsx

Checklists are documents containing standard/add-on principles and criteria which are used during the audit/assessment to check whether compliance is achieved. They may also be used to conduct self-assessments.

BioDiversity

Principles and criteria (P&Cs) (CPCCs)

V1.1

English | Last updated: 29/11/2024

pdf

Principles and criteria are a complete list of the requirements for a given standard or add-on. The foundational requirements each detail an outcome that must be achieved, and the corresponding ways in which compliance can be demonstrated.

BioDiversity

Rules and regulations

V1.1

English | Last updated: 29/11/2024

pdf

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. 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.

1 - 15 of 193

CERTIPAQ

Country

Head office:

France

Status

Approved

Rating

4.14

CTR Uluslararası Belgelendirme ve Denetim Ltd. Şti.

Country

Head office:

Turkey

Status

Approved

Rating

3.99

Green Certificaciones e Inspecciones S.C.

Country

Head office:

Mexico

Status

Approved

Rating

Pending

Bureau Veritas Certification Denmark A/S

Country

Head office:

Denmark

Status

Approved

Rating

3.71

UK Food Certification Ltd

Country

Head office:

United Kingdom

Status

Approved

Rating

Pending

1st Solution Certification USA, Inc.

Country

Head office:

United States of America

Status

Approved

Rating

Pending

AGROCOLOR S.L.

Country

Head office:

Spain

Status

Approved

Rating

3.5

Eurofins Assurance Vietnam Limited Liability Company

Country

Head office:

Viet Nam

Status

Approved

Rating

4.24

SGS ICS Italia S.r.l.

Country

Head office:

Italy

Status

Approved

Rating

3.46

Japan Organic & Natural Foods Association

Country

Head office:

Japan

Status

Approved

Rating

3.99

4PLUS INGENIEROS Y ARQUITECTOS S.L

Country

Head office:

Spain

Status

Approved

Rating

4.33

ABCERT AG

Country

Head office:

Germany

Branches:

Czech Republic

Italy

Status

Approved

Rating

4.17

ACERTA Certificación, S.L.

Country

Head office:

Spain

Branches:

Morocco

Status

Approved

Rating

4.26

LRQA (Seafood) Limited

Country

Head office:

United Kingdom

Status

Approved

Rating

3.98

AFRICERT LTD

Country

Head office:

Kenya

Status

Approved

Rating

3.49

Yellow Card sanction according to GR v6, Rules for Certification Bodies, 11.3.

Upcoming events

26 Mar

2025

What you need to know about ECIP benchmarked certifications – A free webinar hosted by ECIP

Location: Online, ZOOM
Event type: Webinar
Event format: Virtual

Plants
Fruit and vegetables
Flowers and ornamentals
Primary solutions
Capacity building
Workers’ well-being

08 Apr - 10 Apr

2025

CPMA Convention + Trade Show Montreal 2025

Location: Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Event type: Trade fair
Event format: On-site

Plants
Fruit and vegetables
Flowers and ornamentals
Core solutions
Primary solutions
Environment
Food safety
Workers’ well-being

A brief history of BioDiversity

2020–2021

The concept for BioDiversity is developed by a multistakeholder project team on the initiative of the German retailer Lidl. The collaboration involves representatives from the supply chain, NGOs, and academia, including Sustainable Food Systems GmbH (SFS), the Global Nature Fund, Bioland, fresh produce suppliers, producers in Spain, Poland, Italy, and Germany, and the Nürtingen-Geislingen University.

2021–2022

From November 2020 to March 2021, GLOBALG.A.P. works with Sustainable Food Systems GmbH (SFS) on the development of the initial criteria set. This involves the identification of relevant biodiversity topics and goals. Between April 2021 and December 2021, the criteria set is refined and developed into a practical and economically viable add-on. This includes the alignment of the checklist with IFA v5, validation of the concept in field trials, creation of guidelines and training material for CBs, and translation of the documents. Version 1 of the add-on is launched in February 2022.

2022–2023

Due to increasing international interest in the add-on, field trials are conducted outside of Europe for the first time in Costa Rica and South Africa. By the end of 2022, there are 178 audited producers across four countries. Alignment of the add-on with IFA v6 begins in late 2022, with the updated BioDiversity v1.1 launching in December 2023. By the end of 2023, there are 1,383 producers under assessment in six countries, marking a rise of over 670% on the previous year.

FAQ

Technical FAQ

Image of a customer support agent advising a stakeholder

Contact us

For technical/interpretation questions, please contact us at standard_support@globalgap.org.

For questions about the audit process or GLOBALG.A.P. IT platform, please contact us at customer_support@globalgap.org.