What are the responsibilities of a GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB?

• Conducting both announced and unannounced farm audits and assessments to check compliance with certification requirements

• Registering and updating audit, assessment, and certification data in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems, ensuring the accuracy of producer information

• Informing producers and supply chain stakeholders about certification deadlines and annual audit/assessment requirements

• Supporting the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrity Program in resolving complaints or irregularities that are reported to the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat

• Fulfilling the accreditation requirements of the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system and working to uphold integrity and transparency obligations

• Continuously training and maintaining the competency of staff, from in-house trainers (IHTs) and scheme managers to farm and quality management system (QMS) auditors

What are the accreditation requirements?

ABs ensure a standardized, high level of quality and integrity in the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system. To become GLOBALG.A.P. approved, CBs must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17065 for the relevant scope.

CBs can apply for accreditation with any AB that meets the following requirements:

• The AB has signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with FoodPLUS GmbH (the legal entity and owner of the GLOBALG.A.P. brand)

• The AB is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF)

• The AB is a signatory of the Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) for product certification. This means that the AB has been subject to a peer evaluation in the product certification field and received a positive recommendation in the subsequent report. The MLA status of an AB can be verified on the IAF website.

What are the costs for approved CBs?

License fees

CBs pay license fees to the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat. These include an evaluation fee (one-time fee for the initial application or scope extension), an annual basic license fee, as well as supplementary fees for additional scopes or add-ons and each country where a certificate is issued.

Training fees

CBs should also expect to budget for the obligatory and recommended trainings. CB training fees can be found in the CB training catalog via CB-AT. The annual CB license fee includes one scheme manager update training for one person per year.

Registration and certificate/assessment license fees

CBs are also invoiced for the GLOBALG.A.P. registration fee and certificate/assessment license fee, which is a size-based fee for each producer that the CB audits or assesses. CBs invoice the producer for this fee to account for the cost.

All fee information can be found in the GLOBALG.A.P. fee table. For CBs who conduct audits/assessments in the USA and Canada, please refer to the GLOBALG.A.P. North America fee table. Please note that fees associated with accreditation are not handled by the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat.

How is CB performance monitored?

CB performance is monitored by the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrity Program, which assesses all CB head offices as well as a sample of the producers they have audited. The results form part of the key performance indicator (KPI) rating that is displayed in the list of GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs and is updated every six months. The list contains further information on CB status and performance ratings.

If the CB assessment identifies issues in CB operations, the report is forwarded to the Integrity Surveillance Committee for a review of their approval status and potential sanctions.

How to extend your auditing scope

CBs that are approved for one or several GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions can extend the scope of their license and certification agreement with GLOBALG.A.P. (c/o FoodPLUS GmbH) to offer certification for additional standards, add-ons, and scopes. This enables a CB to increase their service offering and attract new clients.

Applications for extensions follow the same process as initial applications for approval. In some cases, the scope extension request may require accreditation and a new IHT training (for any CB auditor). Preconditions for GLOBALG.A.P. add-ons can vary, and CBs must submit a signed letter of intent alongside evidence of accreditation for the base standard to which the add-on applies.

• Read the requirements for the scope/standard/add-on in the relevant GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations.

• Register for approval for the additional scope/standard/add-on in CB-AT.

• If applicable, apply for accreditation for the additional scope/standard/add-on with an AB from the list, and upload your AB confirmation letter to CB-AT.

• Pay the applicable fees and attend the relevant additional trainings.

• When approval is confirmed, auditors must be assigned to the relevant scope/standard/add-on in CB-AT.

 If you have questions about the process, please see the FAQ or contact us.

Understanding the list of GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs

CB status

• Provisionally approved
  The CB has successfully passed the first part of the GLOBALG.A.P. approval process and is allowed to issue nonaccredited certificates to a limited number of producers.

• Approved 
  The CB has successfully completed all parts of the GLOBALG.A.P. approval process, including verified accreditation, and is allowed to issue an unlimited number of accredited certificates.

• Suspended 
  The CB has received a Red Card and is suspended from issuing or reissuing certificates.

CB performance rating

The star system was established to promote continuous improvement in our CB network. CBs are assessed on head office performance, auditing and reporting quality, audit processing time, audit timing rules, database management, complaint management, and administrative management. Regardless of their rating, all CBs listed (unless sanctioned with a Red Card) are approved and may be selected by a producer.

• 1 – unacceptable performance

• 2 – major improvement necessary

• 3 – some improvement necessary

• 4 – good performance

• 5 – excellent performance

• Pending – There is not yet enough evidence collected within the evaluation criteria to establish an overall KPI rating. This does not mean poor performance.

 Further information

• CBs who are GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members can be identified by their green seal.

• A Yellow Card means that the CB has received two warnings and has failed to demonstrate sufficient improvement as detailed in the GLOBALG.A.P. CB sanction catalog. The Integrity Surveillance Committee will rule on the next steps for reassessment.

• A Red Card prevents the CB from issuing any certificates. The Integrity Surveillance Committee may only lift this sanction if confidence in the CB’s operation is restored following reassessment.