Good Agricultural Practice Framework and the Integrated Farm Assurance Standard

GLOBALG.A.P is a joint effort between enterprises of agricultural products that establishes voluntary standards and rules for the development of a Good Agricultural Practice (G.A.P.) Framework and the certification of production processes of agricultural (including aquaculture) products around the globe.

The GLOBALG.A.P standard is primarily designed to reassure consumers about how food is produced on the farm.

The GLOBALG.A.P. standard has the following aims:

• to establish rules of common acceptance worldwide,
• the development of a framework of good agricultural practice (G.A.P.),
• the continuous improvement and understanding of good practices,
• to minimise adverse environmental impacts of farming operations,
• to reduce the use of chemicals, and
• to ensure a strong commitment to occupational health and safety as well as animal welfare.

1. integrated pest management systems (IPM),
2. integrated crop management systems (ICM).

The Global Gap series of standards includes the Integrated Farm Assurance standard.

The 4.0 version of the GLOBALGAP IFA covers agricultural management relevant to producers worldwide farming: beef, sheep, dairy, pigs, chicken, whole farm and combinable crops. Version 4 of the IFA provides further emphasis on:

• Hygiene and safety at work,
• Packaging of products in the field,
• Maintaining traceability,
• ' Integrated control ', and
• Handling of product in the packing centre.

For certification under GLOBALG.A.P. the following requirements exist for each category of inspection:

OPTION 1: requirements for individual producer certification

• Annual internal audits in accordance with the requirements of the Protocol GLOBALG.A.P. (by the manufacturer),
• At least one annual regular inspection in accordance with the requirements of the Protocol GLOBALG.A.P. (certification),
• 10% special inspections in all inspections carried out by the body (certification).

• The producer group must comply with the manual controls and procedures,
• All group members should operate under the same system,
• All members of the group must be inspected by an internal or external Inspector,
• The internal inspection must take place on an annual basis and cover all critical points of GLOBALG.A.P.,
• The producer sample to be inspected for certification shall be equal to the square root of all producers (Guide IAF),
• 10% special inspections in all inspections carried out by the body (certification).