Integrated Farm Assurance for fruit and vegetables

Which topics does IFA for fruit and vegetables address?

IFA for fruit and vegetables covers the major aspects of primary production, from preharvest activities to postharvest handling. The standard has been developed together with sector experts in the technical committees and focus groups and underwent extensive public consultation as part of our process for standard setting . This ensures that IFA remains robust, realistic, and cost-efficient for producers while meeting the evolving demands of buyers.

Core topics in IFA v6 for fruit and vegetables include:

• Traceability

• Food safety

• Workers’ health, safety, and welfare

• Biodiversity and habitats

• Energy efficiency

• Waste management

• Fertilizers and biostimulants

• Water management

• Integrated pest management

• Plant protection products

Discover more about how IFA helps you address challenges in the agricultural sector .

How does IFA for fruit and vegetables work?

• Compliance with the standard requirements is audited annually by an accredited and independent third-party CB.

• Producers can choose from any GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB active in the relevant country.

• A successful CB audit results in a certificate valid for one year.

The certificate is issued at scope level (IFA for plants) and lists the applicable product categories (e.g., fruit and vegetables, flowers and ornamentals) individually. Producers with multiple types of operations can therefore get certification for all of them through a single audit process.

IFA v6 checklists are generated digitally and are tailored to the producer’s specific production practices, eliminating any not applicable requirements. Our smarter, streamlined, and outcome-oriented approach also provides flexibility to producers in demonstrating compliance.

The standard is composed of principles and criteria (P&Cs). P&Cs are graded in three levels: Major Must, Minor Must, and Recommendation.

Principles

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

• Written in statement form

• Describing the outcomes to achieve

Criteria

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

• Different ways to demonstrate compliance, e.g., data, record of procedure

• Evidence required for demonstrating that the outcome is achieved

Read more about the audit process and standard requirements .

How is certification status verified?

Every producer registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system is assigned a unique 13-digit GLOBALG.A.P. identification number (e.g., a GLOBALG.A.P. Number (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.

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.

What are the two editions of IFA v6?

IFA v6 for fruit and vegetables is available in two parallel and equally valid editions:

• IFA v6 Smart, which fully embodies the GLOBALG.A.P. philosophy and is appropriate for the majority of producers

• IFA v6 GFS, designed for producers who require certification with recognition from GFSI

This decision stems from the extensive public consultation conducted during the standard revision. Many industry experts requested a more flexible and outcome-oriented IFA, but it was not possible to completely reconcile their preferences with GFSI requirements. To provide solutions for both use cases and to ensure that IFA certification continues to be applicable for the mass market, two editions were developed: IFA v6 Smart and IFA v6 GFS.

The two editions contain some differences in the GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations, such as rules for unannounced CB audits. Both editions are accepted for BRCGS- and IFS-certified post farm-gate product handling units. Customer requirements usually determine the edition that a producer will implement.