GLOBALG.A.P. · Agriculture and export
GLOBALG.A.P. — the standard buyers and retail chains ask for
If you sell fresh fruit, vegetables or fish to European retail chains and buyers, GLOBALG.A.P. is the most common requirement they set before the first contract.
What is GLOBALG.A.P.?
GLOBALG.A.P. covers primary production — crops, aquaculture and livestock — and requires you to prove how the product was produced, not only what it looks like at the end. The basis is traceability to the plot or production unit and orderly records of everything done on it.
In practice most of the work goes into plant protection product records and observing pre-harvest intervals, water and soil analyses, hygiene during harvest and handling, storage of chemicals and worker safety and training. For producer groups there is also the group certification option, which significantly lowers the cost for smaller farms.
When is GLOBALG.A.P. required?
When you sell fresh fruit, vegetables or fish to European buyers and retail chains — they usually ask for it before the first contract, not later. The same requirement comes from exporters who pack your product under their own name.
For smaller farms the key is group certification: a cooperative or producer group sets up an internal control system and goes for one certificate, instead of each member paying for their own.
Road to certification
Most of the work is in the records — they cannot be created retroactively, so you start at least one season earlier:
Who issues the certificate
The certificate is issued by a certification body approved by the standard owner. The certificate and your GGN number can be checked in the database, so the customer sees the status directly, without you sending scans. In group certification the body audits the internal control system and a sample of members — so that system has to actually work, not just exist on paper. We do not issue the certificate: we prepare the farm, the records and the people.
Scope of our support
Plant protection and pre-harvest intervals, fertilisation, irrigation, harvest and storage — in forms adapted to your farm.
Linking the pallet, lot, plot and harvest date, so you can trace back at any moment.
Setting up an internal control system for cooperatives and producer groups, including training of internal inspectors.
Self-assessment against the checklist and support on the day of the external audit.
Related standards
HACCP becomes an obligation as soon as processing or packing starts, and ISO 22000, IFS Food and FSSC 22000 are asked for by customers at the next step of the chain.
Industries where this standard is most often required:
Training for farms, cooperatives and internal inspectors — plant protection records, traceability to the plot, harvest hygiene and audit preparation. Delivered at your premises, online or as a combination of both.
GLOBALG.A.P. — frequently asked questions
What is a GGN number?
The producer's unique number in the GLOBALG.A.P. system. Your status and certification scope are visible in the database under it, so a customer can check for themselves whether the certificate is valid.
Can a small farm get certified?
Yes — through group certification. A cooperative or producer group runs an internal control system and goes for one certificate, which significantly lowers the cost per member.
Does GLOBALG.A.P. replace HACCP?
No. GLOBALG.A.P. covers primary production, while HACCP is a legal obligation for food business operators and applies as soon as processing, packing or manufacturing begins.
How much does GLOBALG.A.P. cost?
It depends on the number of crops and plots, and on whether you go individually or as a group. Send details of your farm for an indicative quote.
📋 Check the exact price for your organisation →The EU, the US and other markets
GLOBALG.A.P. is the same standard wherever you certify it — what differs is the designation, the accreditation behind the certificate and what your customers ask for.
In the European Union the standard is adopted with an EN prefix, and what your buyer in the Netherlands, Germany or France looks at is not the prefix but the accreditation behind the certificate: a body accredited by a signatory of the international recognition arrangement (Global Accreditation Cooperation, formerly IAF) is recognised in other markets too. What EU partners and EU regulation expect is on the page about the EU market.
For companies with customers in the United States — supplier audits, security questionnaires and how ISO sits alongside SOC 2 — see the page about the US market.
Wherever your customer is, we run the project remotely in English — over Teams, WhatsApp or Viber, with documentation and records in English — and on site when that is easier.
Some of our references
More than 400 organisations in Montenegro and the region have gone through implementation with us — from banks and public bodies to manufacturing, IT, laboratories and hospitality.
These are only some of our clients. More about us →
Request a free consultation
We will assess the scope of work and propose a realistic plan and budget for your product. Call us or send an inquiry — we reply within 24 hours.