GLOBALG.A.P. Certification Integrated Safety in Agriculture

GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farms Assurance (IFA) - the certification of the primary production sector.

The GLOBALG.A.P. standard, through the specific modules for the products subjected to certification, is united by the systematic use of good agricultural practices aimed at reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables and intended for feeding livestock in favor of consumer food safety and environmental protection.

Requirements regarding ethics and working conditions are also integrated with these elements.

There are 2 kinds of certifications:

• Option 1: single manufacturer who intends to certify their products against the requirements defined by the GLOBALG.A.P. standard referable to their business.
• Option 2: group of producers (e.g. cooperatives and producer organizations), which intends to certify the activities in the field against the requirements defined by the GLOBAL G.A.P. of reference.

The GLOBALG.A.P. IFA standard is divided into scopes, which cover production aspects of a more general nature, and modules, which concern production aspects of a more specific and detailed nature, classified by product type.

CSI is accredited for the certifation of the following modules:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Cereal production
• Plant propagation material

The PPM module has been included with version 5.0 as a sub-purpose among the GLOBALG.A.P. standards, consequently it is formed, both by a general part equal to all the other modules and by a specific part that covers specific aspects including: site management and soil, management of substrates, premises where the production cycle takes place, health and safety of workers and conditions and terms of sale of plant reproductive material.
With a view to increasing control along the entire supply chain, this standard meets the needs and requests of the certified producers of GLOBALG.A.P. IFA Fruits and Vegetables, Cereal Production and Flowers and Ornamental Plants, to have greater food safety and from the point of view of compliance with the laws on registration of varieties, of purchased reproductive material.
Complementary to the GLOBALG.A.P. additional modules have been designed, such as:

• GLOBALG.A.P. GRASP (Global G.A.P Risk Assessment on social practice) is a voluntary module concerning the assessment of social risk in farms and producer groups, developed to evaluate social practices in the companies where it is applied.
• GLOBALG.A.P. CoC Chain of Custody: The Chain of Custody standard applies to all parties in the fruit and vegetable chain, who wish to market the product as a GLOBALG.A.P. certificate, guaranteeing its traceability and identification during all phases (handling, storage, marketing). The subjects to whom the Chain of Custody applies can be individual farms, cooperatives, storage warehouses, brokers, wholesalers who purchase and market fresh unprocessed fruit and vegetables.

Advantages of GLOBALG.A.P. certification

The GLOBALG.A.P. certification represents an opportunity for companies in Italy to adapt to primary production processes to respond effectively to the legislative demands of the large-scale retail trade and the market in terms of low environmental impact, social responsibility and food safety.
European retailers, who are very accurate regarding food production and processing processes, require certification as proof of Good Agricultural Practice capable of guaranteeing the principles of sustainability in agriculture.

CSI is an authorized body to carry out checks in accordance with the Albert Heijn Protocol. The protocol, defined by the Dutch chain Albert Heijn, guarantees, through risk analysis (Risk Assessment), the correct implementation of the legislative limits of MPR (Maximum Permitted Residue) for fresh products. The audits against the aforementioned protocol can be combined with the GLOBALG.A.P.

GLOBALG.A.P. certification news

The IFA standard was revised through an extensive stakeholder involvement and consultation process and V5 was published in July 2015 with one year conversion period. This means that the V5 became obligatory in 2016. The version has undergone several updates to keep in line with changes in industry as well as to maintain the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognition for Aquaculture, Hop and Fruit & Vegetables. In February 2020 GLOBALG.A.P. has introduced v5.3-GFS. This version will be the IFA standard that has GFSI recognition.