GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) Standard v6

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 2024-2025 pipeline + EU policy + sustainability + AI integration. v6.1 AMENDMENT (December 2024): technical updates + clarifications + remediation handling improvements + alignment with EU Green Deal + CSRD-readiness. v6 SMART (2024): modular risk-based sub-scheme with audit-frequency flexibility for established producers; reduces audit burden for low-risk operations while maintaining integrity via risk-based monitoring + AI-driven audit selection. EU GREEN DEAL + FARM TO FORK STRATEGY ALIGNMENT: GLOBALG.A.P. evolving to support EU Green Deal targets - 50 percent pesticide reduction by 2030 + 25 percent organic farming by 2030 + 50 percent antibiotic reduction + 20 percent fertilizer reduction + biodiversity restoration + ecosystem-services valuation. EU BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY 2030 - 10 percent high-diversity landscape features + 30 percent EU land protected; IFA v6 st

• EU regulatory readiness + due diligence
• CSRD/ESRS data feed integration
• Digital + AI adoption + traceability

• EU readiness gap
• CSRD data integration absent
• Digital adoption lagging

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 crosswalk to adjacent food safety + quality + sustainability standards. GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative): IFA v6 is GFSI-recognized under GFSI Benchmarking Requirements for primary production scopes; certification accepted by GFSI member retailers + brands globally. FSSC 22000 (verified separately in this corpus): primary food-MANUFACTURING-and-processing focus (vs IFA pre-farm-gate); IFA + FSSC complementary in farm-to-plate chain; both GFSI-recognized. BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) - Food Safety + Storage and Distribution + Agents and Brokers + others; British Retail Consortium predecessor; competitor to FSSC + IFA for downstream segments; GFSI-recognized; ~20,000 sites globally. IFS (International Featured Standards): IFS Food + IFS Logistic + IFS Wholesale-Cash & Carry + IFS Broker; predominantly European retailer-driven; GFSI-recognized

• Multi-scheme certification + crosswalk
• Scheme equivalence documentation
• Multi-scheme reporting unified

• Crosswalk gaps
• Multi-scheme certification fragmented
• Equivalence not leveraged

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 sectoral + geographic adoption. ADOPTION: GLOBALG.A.P. is the WORLD'S MOST WIDELY-USED pre-farm-gate food safety + agricultural quality scheme + ~200,000 PRODUCERS certified across 130+ COUNTRIES; covers majority of EU + UK fresh produce + significant share of US + Canada + Australia + Latin America + Asia + Africa + Middle East production. KEY GEOGRAPHIES: (a) EU + UK - ubiquitous for fresh produce retail supply + most major retailers require GLOBALG.A.P. or equivalent; (b) US + CANADA - growing adoption + integration with Produce Safety Rule + FDA + state programs; (c) LATIN AMERICA - large adoption for fresh-produce export (Chile + Peru + Mexico + Brazil + Colombia + Costa Rica + Guatemala + Dominican Republic + Argentina); (d) SOUTH AFRICA - ubiquitous for export fresh produce; (e) AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND - significant adoption + Coles + Woolworths + Aldi mandates

• Certification scope per market
• Retailer-specific requirements documentation
• Multi-certification strategy

• Geographic scope unclear
• Retailer requirements not met
• Multi-certification fragmented

GLOBALG.A.P. status + FoodPLUS GmbH governance + stakeholder engagement. GOVERNANCE: FoodPLUS GmbH (Cologne, Germany) is the operational entity wholly-owned by GLOBALG.A.P. ASSOCIATION (members + Board + governance). KEY GOVERNANCE BODIES: (a) GLOBALG.A.P. BOARD - strategic direction + ~12-15 elected members + Chair; (b) RETAILER/SUPPLIER BOARD - balanced retailer + producer representation; (c) TECHNICAL COMMITTEE - standard maintenance + revisions; (d) NATIONAL TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS - country-specific implementation; (e) SUBSCOPE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES (Crops + Livestock + Aquaculture + product-specific); (f) GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR - annual stakeholder engagement + 35+ events globally; (g) ADVISORY BOARDS - sectoral + technical. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT: producers + retailers + brands + traders + CBs + governments + NGOs + academia + GFSI + sustainability schemes. STANDARD MAINTENANCE: v6 (Se

• Stakeholder participation + Tour attendance
• Standard-roadmap tracking
• Multi-priority readiness

• Stakeholder engagement weak
• Standard roadmap not tracked
• Priority readiness gaps

GLOBALG.A.P. extended scheme family beyond IFA v6 itself. (a) CHAIN OF CUSTODY (CoC) - tracks IFA-certified product through post-farm-gate supply chain via product flow + segregation + labeling; required for downstream processors + traders to maintain IFA claim; complementary to IFA v6 farm-gate certification. (b) LOGISTIC STANDARD - logistics + warehousing + transport of IFA-certified product; GFSI-recognized; ensures cold-chain + traceability + segregation through logistics. (c) PRODUCT HANDLING (PoC) - downstream product handling including packing + ripening + processing minor; complements CoC. (d) localg.a.p. - intermediary stepping-stone scheme for SMALLHOLDERS + EMERGING-MARKET PRODUCERS not yet ready for full IFA v6; introductory + capacity-building toward IFA; popular in Africa + Asia + Latin America smallholder programs. (e) CFM (CROPS FOR PROCESSING) - specialised standard for

• Chain extension certification per scope
• Smallholder + localg.a.p. participation
• Specialty scope certification + cross-recognition
• Retailer-specific compliance

• Chain extension gaps
• Smallholder support inadequate
• Specialty scope misalignment
• Retailer-specific gaps

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 voluntary add-ons + retailer-specific extensions. (a) GRASP (GLOBALG.A.P. RISK ASSESSMENT ON SOCIAL PRACTICE) - voluntary social-practice add-on assessing workers' rights + occupational health + safety + child labour + minimum wage + collective bargaining + grievance mechanisms + housing conditions + transport; widely required by EU retailers + Fairtrade-adjacent supply chains; evolving toward harmonisation with SMETA + Sedex + amfori BSCI. (b) SPRING (SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM FOR IRRIGATION AND GROUNDWATER USE) - water sustainability add-on for water-stressed regions; aligns with AWS (Alliance for Water Stewardship) + WWF Water Risk Filter + ICRR ICR. (c) PLANET PRO PROGRAM (2024) - environmental excellence add-on covering biodiversity + carbon-neutral pathways + soil + ecosystem services + alignment with EU Green Deal + Farm-to-Fork Strategy + Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

• Add-on certification + compliance
• Retailer-specific evidence
• EUDR + deforestation due diligence
• Multi-scheme alignment

• Add-ons not pursued
• Retailer-specific gaps
• EUDR readiness gap
• Multi-scheme alignment ad-hoc

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 ALL FARM BASE (AF) - cross-cutting baseline. KEY AF CONTROL POINT FAMILIES: (a) AF 1 SITE MANAGEMENT - site history + risk assessment for new sites + management commitment; (b) AF 2 RECORD KEEPING + INTERNAL SELF-ASSESSMENT - documented records + annual self-assessment + corrective action; (c) AF 3 WORKER HEALTH SAFETY + WELFARE + GRASP HOOKS - occupational H+S + PPE + first aid + welfare facilities + training + accommodation + GRASP add-on for social-practice; (d) AF 4 SUBCONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT - subcontracted services oversight; (e) AF 5 WASTE + POLLUTION MANAGEMENT - waste reduction + recycling + pollution prevention + spill response; (f) AF 6 CONSERVATION + BIODIVERSITY - conservation plan + native flora-fauna + invasive species + land-use; (g) AF 7 ENERGY + WATER + INPUT MANAGEMENT - efficient use + monitoring + reduction; (h) AF 8 TRACEABILITY + SEGREGATION - lot

• AF compliance evidence + documented procedures
• Site management + risk assessments
• Worker H+S + training records
• Traceability + recall simulations

• AF compliance gaps
• Worker H+S records inadequate
• Traceability gaps + recall not tested

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 certification + audit + compliance architecture. CERTIFICATION BODIES (CBs): ~140 accredited CBs operating in 130+ countries; CBs must hold ISO/IEC 17065 product certification accreditation + meet GLOBALG.A.P. additional accreditation criteria + use Auditor Pool with approved auditors holding required qualifications + experience + ongoing training + IT-system certification + GLOBALG.A.P. ASSESSED INSPECTORS (GAI) + IT-system competence. AUDIT LIFECYCLE: (a) INITIAL CERTIFICATION - producer self-registration + scope selection + CB engagement + self-assessment + scheduled external audit + remediation period + Certificate of Conformity issuance (valid 1 year); (b) ANNUAL SURVEILLANCE AUDIT - full audit at minimum 1 year intervals; (c) UNANNOUNCED AUDITS - random surveillance to validate ongoing compliance; (d) v6 SMART - risk-based variable audit frequency for establishe

• CB contract + audit reports
• Compliance category tracking + remediation
• Smart sub-scheme readiness
• Integrity Programme participation

• CB selection issues
• Compliance category gaps
• Smart sub-scheme not adopted
• Integrity issues + sanctions

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 implementation roadmap. PRODUCER ROLES: (a) FARM MANAGER + GROWER - operational responsibility + day-to-day compliance + records; (b) QUALITY MANAGER + AUDIT MANAGER - documentation + audit-readiness + Major/Minor Must tracking + remediation + corrective action; (c) INTERNAL INSPECTOR (Option 2 group only) - intra-group internal audit + grower training + GLOBALG.A.P.-approved IT-system competence; (d) GROUP MANAGEMENT (Option 2) - shared QMS + management commitment + sanctions; (e) IPM SPECIALIST - integrated pest management plan + monitoring + biological controls; (f) PPP MANAGER - plant protection product compliance + records + storage + safety + MRL; (g) AGRONOMIST - production planning + soil + water + fertilizer; (h) PLANNER + SCHEDULER - sowing + harvest + post-harvest; (i) WORKER LIAISON - workers' rights + safety + welfare + GRASP; (j) ADMINISTRATIVE - subscri

• Role inventory + RACI
• IT-system competence evidence
• Tooling adoption + records
• Metrics + management review

• Roles undefined
• IT-system gaps
• Tooling fragmented
• Metrics gaps

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 CROPS BASE (CB) module covers crop production from propagation to harvest + post-harvest. KEY CB CONTROL POINT FAMILIES: (a) CB 1 SITE MANAGEMENT (links AF) + soil + topography; (b) CB 2 PROPAGATION MATERIAL - variety selection + seed quality + GMO regulation compliance + seed-saved-on-farm; (c) CB 3 SOIL MANAGEMENT - soil health + erosion control + fumigation + nutrient management; (d) CB 4 FERTILIZER + SOIL AMENDMENTS - fertilizer application records + nutrient-management plan + organic + manure handling; (e) CB 5 WATER MANAGEMENT - water use + quality testing + irrigation + EU Water Framework Directive + SPRING add-on; (f) CB 6 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) - 8-step IPM framework + biological controls + monitoring + thresholds; (g) CB 7 PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS (PPP) - approved-list + application records + Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) + EU + Codex MRLs + buffe

• Production records + PPP application + MRL evidence
• IPM plan + monitoring + biological controls
• Post-harvest cold chain + sampling

• PPP records inadequate
• IPM not implemented
• Post-harvest microbiological issues

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 LIVESTOCK BASE (LB) + AQUACULTURE BASE (AB) + product-specific standards. LIVESTOCK BASE (LB): covers cattle + sheep + dairy + pigs + poultry + turkey + ducks + other species. KEY LB CONTROL POINT FAMILIES: (a) LB 1 IDENTIFICATION + TRACEABILITY - animal identification + EU Reg. 1760/2000 + national livestock identification; (b) LB 2 ANIMAL WELFARE - 5 freedoms + stocking density + space + access to outdoors + handling + transport + slaughter readiness + EU Council Directive 98/58 + species-specific welfare standards; (c) LB 3 FEED + WATER - feed safety + traceability + GMO regulation + medicated feed + water quality; (d) LB 4 VETERINARY MEDICINE + RESIDUES - approved-list + prescriptions + withdrawal periods + Maximum Residue Limits + EU Reg. 470/2009; (e) LB 5 ANIMAL HEALTH - biosecurity + vaccination + disease surveillance + reportable disease management; (f) LB 6

• LB + AB compliance evidence
• Product-specific module records
• Veterinary + drug records
• Sustainability indicators

• LB + AB compliance gaps
• Veterinary records inadequate
• Sustainability indicators not tracked

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 scheme structure + GFSI recognition + version lineage. PUBLISHER: FoodPLUS GmbH (Cologne, Germany) - wholly-owned subsidiary of GLOBALG.A.P. ASSOCIATION. VERSION LINEAGE: (a) v5.0 (2015) + v5.1 (2016) + v5.2 (2017) + v5.3 (2019) + v5.4-GFS (2022); (b) IFA v6 launched September 2022 with transition period to mid-2024; (c) IFA v6.1 amended December 2024 with technical updates + clarifications; (d) IFA v6 SMART (2024) - modular risk-based sub-scheme. SCHEME ARCHITECTURE: modular three-tier hierarchy: TIER 1 ALL FARM BASE (AF) - cross-cutting baseline applying to all certified producers regardless of subscope; TIER 2 BASE STANDARDS per main subscope (Crops Base CB + Livestock Base LB + Aquaculture Base AB); TIER 3 PRODUCT-SPECIFIC STANDARDS - Fruit + Vegetables (FV) + Combinable Crops + Tea + Coffee + Flowers + Aquaculture species + etc. Producer certifies to ONE OR MORE

• Scheme structure documentation
• GFSI recognition evidence
• Option selection + Internal Inspector for groups

• Scheme structure unclear
• GFSI recognition not leveraged
• Option misalignment