Chain of Custody FAQs
For the sake of simplicity, these FAQ use the terms “certified products,” “certified producers,”
and “certified companies.” However, products, producers, and companies themselves are not
certified. “Certified product” refers instead to a product originating from a production process
certified against the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard. “Certified
producer/producer group/company” refers to a producer/producer group/company whose production
processes have been certified.
The GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody (CoC) standard therefore applies to the company’s processes,
not the certification of any product or the company itself.
What is the IFA standard?
The IFA standard is an internationally recognized standard for agricultural production. It is
our core product and the result of years of intensive research and collaboration with industry
experts, producers, and retailers around the globe. Our goal is safe and sustainable agricultural
production to benefit farmers, retailers, and consumers throughout the world.
How does the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system work?
Production processes are inspected/audited and certified against strict standards covering
aspects such as food safety and traceability; environment, including biodiversity; workers’ health,
safety, and welfare; and animal welfare. These inspections and audits are undertaken by independent
certification bodies. In order to be awarded a GLOBALG.A.P. certificate, farms must be managed in a
manner which ensures food safety and safeguards the environment and social welfare. This is what
makes the GLOBALG.A.P. system unique and ensures greater sustainability in production processes. It
also helps improve business performance and reduce waste of vital resources. The result is a
general farming approach that lays the foundation for best practices for generations to come.
What is the CoC standard? Will it help to assure my clients that the product really stems from a GLOBALG.A.P. certified production process?
In addition to agricultural production certification, GLOBALG.A.P. also offers chain of custody
certification. The chain of custody is the process of tracking a certified product throughout the
supply chain – from the farm through the various stages of trading, sorting, packing, and
warehousing to the end consumer. This chain of custody is monitored through the invoicing and other
sales documentation processes. The final product label has a code which confirms that the item is
genuinely GLOBALG.A.P. certified.
Does my business need CoC certification?
Any product sold with the GLOBALG.A.P. claim needs to be traceable from the farm to the final
consumer. For this to work, every company along the supply chain needs to be certified according to
the CoC standard. The CoC standard ensures a continuous chain throughout which certified products
are identifiable, segregated, and traceable.
If your company receives products from a GLOBALG.A.P. certified source and wants to sell them as
such, you need CoC certification.
Who does not need certification?
There are exceptions. You do not require CoC certification if your company …
- buys certified products but does not wish to sell them as GLOBALG.A.P. certified. In this case
the chain is broken, and you and your customers may not make any claim about the product being
GLOBALG.A.P. certified.
- is a freight forwarder who does not have ownership of the certified products but merely
transports them.
- only provides contracted services for certified companies and therefore can be covered by your
customer’s CoC certification as a subcontractor.
I do not physically handle the products; do I need CoC certification?
Yes. If you take legal ownership of the products and wish to give your customers sales documents
with a GLOBALG.A.P. claim, you need to have CoC certification.
How do I know that a product is GLOBALG.A.P. certified?
In addition to GLOBALG.A.P. agricultural production certification, GLOBALG.A.P. offers the CoC
standard that ensures traceability of the certified product through every stage in the supply
chain, from the farm to the final consumer. This is monitored through the invoicing and sales
documentation process, and the final label on the product has a code (GGN/CoC Number) that confirms
that the item is genuinely GLOBALG.A.P. certified.
Do all my products have to be GLOBALG.A.P. certified if I apply for CoC certification?
No, but you must make sure that you have implemented systems for segregating GLOBALG.A.P.
certified and non-certified products.
I am not trading any GLOBALG.A.P. certified products yet; can I still proceed with getting CoC certification?
Yes. The certification body will, however, want to come for a brief visit once you start
handling or processing GLOBALG.A.P. certified products to make sure your systems are working
properly.
Do I always have to put a GGN or a CoC Number on the label of my products if I hold a CoC certificate?
No, not if a client requests you not to. However, for the chain of custody to be maintained, the
products must be sold with the GGN/CoC Number and GLOBALG.A.P. claim in the sales documents. Only
GLOBALG.A.P. certificate holders can use the GGN on packaging or invoices.
I hold a CoC certificate. A company without GLOBALG.A.P. certification carries out part of one of my processing procedures (storage/ packing); do they also need CoC certification?
If you want another company to carry out part of the process, such as storage or packing, then
they can be included in the scope of your ChoC certificate – but only if you retain ownership of
the products. You will need to contact your certification body to include your subcontracted
companies within the scope of your certificate.
My company is IFS Food certified; can this replace the CoC certification?
No, IFS Food audits have a slightly different focus and would require a few additional control
points related to GLOBALG.A.P. certified products in order to be equivalent to the CoC standard.
However, if you have already been audited according to IFS Food (or another programme recognised by
the Global Food Safety Initiative), it is worth checking with your certification body if they can
introduce the CoC inspections/audits into your existing inspection/auditing schedule. IFS auditors
who have received additional CoC training can inspect and audit against the CoC standard in a
combined inspection/audit with the IFS Food, IFS Cash & Carry/Wholesale, IFS Logistics, and/or
IFS Broker audit. The inspection/audit will result in two separate certificates.
My company is BRC Global Standard for Food Safety (BRCGS) certified; can this replace the CoC certification?
No, BRCGS audits have a slightly different focus and would require a few additional control
points related to GLOBALG.A.P. certified products in order to be equivalent to the CoC standard.
However, if you have already been audited according to BRCGS (or another programme recognised by
the Global Food Safety Initiative), it is worth checking with your certification body if they
can introduce the CoC inspections/audits into your existing inspection/auditing schedule. In the
framework of this module, the BRCGS auditor would inspect/audit the CoC standard in addition to the
BRCGS audit in the produce packaging company. The inspection/audit will result in two separate
certificates.
As a supply chain member, where can I find more information?
Please see our Quicklinks for more information on scope and certification options.
To find out about our services for retailers, go to
GLOBALG.A.P. for
buyers.
How do I get certified?
Simply follow the five steps to certification listed at www.globalgap.org/getcertified, and you
are on your way!
You can find information on certification bodies that can conduct the required assessment
process at
GLOBALG.A.P.
approved certification bodies.
What will be inspected/audited?
A certification body will inspect/audit your company to ensure that …
- you are purchasing GLOBALG.A.P. certified products from a certified supplier;
- certified products are clearly identifiable;
- certified products are separated from non-certified ones;
- certified products are traceable and volumes recorded; and
- you have an effective management system in place.
What are the costs for GLOBALG.A.P. CoC certification?
The costs for CoC certification consist of the following:
- Costs of implementing the standard: Each company is unique, so depending on
their specific situation, some companies may need to implement new policies, processes, and
installations to comply with the standard.
- GLOBALG.A.P. registration fee: This fee is charged by the GLOBALG.A.P.
Secretariat via certification bodies. Click
here to see
our current fee table.
- Certification body service fees: Costs for the inspections/audits (time, travel
costs) and services provided by the independent certification body are negotiated directly between
the company and the certification body. These fees depend on individual price policies, the
duration of the inspection/audit, travel costs, time needed for preparation, and follow-up. To find
a list of all certification bodies, go to
GLOBALG.A.P.
approved certification bodies.
Please note: Certificates are issued per scope (Crops/Livestock/Aquaculture) and are valid for
one year.
How does GLOBALG.A.P. differ from other farming certification schemes?
There are a number of other farming certification schemes, but they do not have the same strict
environmental, social, and food safety standards, nor such a rigorous chain of custody standard to
track the products from farm to customer.