Norwegian fish farm Norcod obtains GLOBALG.A.P. IFA certification
Headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, Norcod is the world’s first dedicated cod-farming
operation to secure certification against the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for Aquaculture. The IFA standard covers the entire aquaculture production chain from feed to fork. It lays down strict criteria for legal compliance, employees’ occupational health and safety, animal welfare, food safety, and environmental and ecological care.
Norcod also underwent the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP), a part of the certification process which assesses social risks on the farm and provides additional transparency to supply chain partners.
The certification experience
“We are very pleased and proud to be the first within our industry to obtain this certification,” says Norcod’s CSO, Hilde Storhaug. “It demonstrates the clear operational focus on sustainability that we’ve had from the outset, and that Norcod is a responsible player in the aquaculture industry.”
And the certification process? “It went very smoothly, as predicted,” Storhaug feels. The GLOBALG.A.P. website lists “5 steps to getting certified,” which provide a good basis for planning the process necessary for achieving certification. The certification body finder also means you can easily search for an appropriate certification body to carry out the audit. The option to hire a Farm Assurer (consultants who are trained directly by GLOBALG.A.P.) to help prepare for the inspection or audit means that help is always at hand.
What does IFA certification mean for Norcod?
As Storhaug notes, the aquaculture industry in Norway is already strictly regulated. But “by certifying our business according to a respected international standard, we further show that it is committed to our employees, to ensuring optimal fish welfare and health, and to preserving both the local and global environment.” In terms of food safety, the GLOBALG.A.P. IFA standard for Aquaculture has GFSI recognition for scope A2 farming of fish – making it the only aquaculture farming standard to have achieved such recognition.
In the words of Norcod CEO Christian Riber, “obtaining this certification is the result of a strong team effort working towards clear sustainability performance goals. It shows that we are practicing what we preach, and I congratulate all our personnel for their dedication, especially during the challenging pandemic situation.”
And finally, now that Norcod has been successfully certified against the IFA standard, the company may decide to join the GGN label initiative and use the consumer label for responsible farming on Norcod products. Congratulations Norcod!
Article adapted from ‘Norcod achieves prized GlobalG.A.P. certification’ from June 1, 2021.
Click here for the original version: https://wvb.com/news/industry/view/id/9974281
About Norcod
The core business of Norcod AS is commercial sea farming of cod, but through ownership and partnerships, the company is involved in the entire value chain. Norcod’s existing fish farms are located in central Norway with ideal conditions for cod. The company is contributing to blue ocean value creation with minimal impact on the environment while supporting local communities. Norcod is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange’s Euronext Growth Market.