GLOBALG.A.P. Certification

• All companies that trade with or handle the certified products* before packaging/labelling (packaged and bulk/loose products)
• All consumer-oriented companies (B2C) that trade with or handle the certified products* following packaging/labelling (packaged and bulk/loose products), e.g. all traders/dealers
• B2C companies that sell labeled loose products (e.g. at a retailer's fresh fish counter or a restaurant that sells certified fish that is marked as such on the menu)

Companies have to make a choice when it comes to standards for certification of fisheries and aquaculture.

The established certifications for wild-caught fish are the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Friend of the Sea (FOTS), and the ASC and GLOBALG.A.P. for aquaculture. Whilst group certifications are permitted by GLOBALG.A.P. and the summaries of the audits are only published with the express consent of the parties involved, the ASC discloses the full audit results.

The certificates are issued for individual products and are valid for one year.

The GLOBALG. A.P. standard checklists, downloadable from their website, allow you to assess how far you fulfil the requirements. The concept of CoC certification (Chain of Custody Certification) is based on the principles of

• Incoming inspection
• Labelling
• Traceability system
• Quantity balance
• Separation and segregation
• Labelling

Aquaculture organisations must also be certified to a GFSI-recognised standard. An overview of the GFSI's recognised standards can be found here.

The costs for GLOBALG.A.P. certification consist of the following:

• Internal costs for the implementation of the standard
• Registration fee (via the certification authority)
• Audit costs for certification by TÜV NORD CERT

The cost of the inspections  and audits depends on the  time they take, the cost of travel and the time needed for preparation and follow-up, and may vary from company to company. Feel free to talk to us about the expenses you will incur or request a free quote.

The GGN ( GLOBALG.A.P. number) label is the consumer label of GLOBALG.A.P. and attests certified, responsible agriculture. It can be found on both packaged and loose products. The label confirms that the certified products have been produced in compliance with certified, responsible agricultural practices which take food safety, environmental protection, animal welfare, social responsibility and supply chain transparency into account. The GGN label can be used for:

• Fruit and vegetables
• Farmed seafood and algae
• Flowers and plants

More detailed information can be found here on the pages of the standard owner.