Lightening the load for growers:
Standards changes

- Global G.A.P benchmarking new standards

- Focusing on reducing audit burden

Lightening the load for GLOBALG.A.P. growers

We're reducing duplication and minimising costs for Red Tractor Fresh Produce growers

Red Tractor's benchmarking with GLOBALG.A.P. IFA Fruit & Vegetables (and Hops) offers our Fresh Produce members an excellent opportunity to gain certification with a widely recognised, international farm certification standard delivered through a single joint assessment.

This offers a great way to save time by streamlining the auditing process. Instead of undergoing two separate audits for Red Tractor and GLOBALG.A.P., dual certification allows you to meet both standards through a single audit.

This not only reduces the amount of time spent preparing for and undergoing inspections, but also minimises disruption to the daily farming operations. By combining the two, members cut down on paperwork and administrative tasks, making the process more efficient. Plus, it ensures that you're meeting both domestic and international market requirements in one go, opening more opportunities without the added effort and cost.

Many customers worldwide, including those with a multinational focus, use the GLOBALG.A.P. standard as part of their purchasing criteria, making it a valuable tool for international and domestic trade.

GLOBALG.A.P. has recently launched version 6 of its IFA Fruit & Vegetables standard.

It is a significant update – meaning that the Red Tractor Fresh Produce standards need to change to align with the new version.

Why we're changing the Red Tractor Fresh Produce standards to align with GLOBALG.A.P :

GLOBALG.A.P. has modified its benchmarking structure.

Previously, while all GLOBALG.A.P. standards content is covered within Red Tractor Fresh Produce standards - we selected the 'resembling scheme' benchmarking option to provide members with a choice.

This enabled an opt-in model - meaning that members who do not get value from the benchmark are insulated from additional administrative requirements.

To preserve this flexibility and retain the opt-in element we’ve made a simple change to the format of the Red Tractor Fresh Produce standards by adding a GLOBALG.A.P. section to the standards..

This allows members who wish to obtain GLOBALG.A.P. certification to easily opt-in by working with their chosen Certification Body, while clearly distinguishing them. This approach keeps the process straightforward and ensures members retain full control over their certification choices.

It also helps to keep the number of assessments down on your farm, which is important to Red Tractor.

Changes to Red Tractor Fresh Produce standards

The changes to the Red Tractor core standards applicable to all growers from 1 January 2025 are as follows:

Safe:

Updated requirements to ensure risks associated with food fraud and malicious contamination of crops are considered

Click to view and download PDF version of standards changes

Farmed With Care:

Additional requirement for grievance mechanisms to allow workers to raise any concerns
Update to requirements specifying the need for a health and safety risk assessment and that accident and emergency procedures are communicated to help protect workers
New standard requiring that workers are provided with clean drinking water and suitable areas to eat and rest, as well as suitable PPE changing areas where required
Additional recommendation for growers to have a plan in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
New requirement for those responsible for IPM plans to have received appropriate training or advice.
Additional requirement for records to be kept of applications to crop of other substances not classed as PPPs, such as bio stimulants etc. and introduction of biological controls

There are also six additional standards to be introduced into a new section which will be only relevant to those members who require the GlobalG.A.P benchmark, which include:

A procedure is in place to manage document control
Risk-based microbial environmental monitoring in place for produce handling areas (high risk crops only)
GlobalG.A.P logo use is in line with their policy where used
Farm energy use is monitored and data used to inform energy management
Customer specifications are available
Biosolids have not been applied to land in the past 5 years

Working with the supply chain to improve your audits

Working with McDonald's

McDonald's has its own set of farm standards for leafy salad crops, which UK growers previously met through an add-on to GLOBALG.A.P. However, a recent policy change in 2023 meant that this could no longer be used alongside other benchmarked schemes, increasing the audit burden for growers.

To address this, Red Tractor has collaborated with McDonald's to benchmark our standards and facilitate an add-on that can be completed alongside a Red Tractor assessment, ensuring equivalence with McDonald's standards.

This solution is now being piloted with UK growers, reducing audit duplication, saving time, and cutting costs.

Working with Tesco

Before 2018, Red Tractor growers supplying Tesco were required to complete a separate assessment for Tesco Nurture, an additional certification process focused on environmental and sustainability standards. However, since April 2018, Tesco has recognised these requirements have been integrated into the Red Tractor assessment process.

This consolidation has provided a significant benefit for Red Tractor growers, as they no longer need to undergo or pay for separate inspections to meet Tesco's requirements.

By streamlining the process, Red Tractor membership offers growers a more efficient and cost-effective way to meet the requirements of a major retailer, helping to reduce the administrative burden and save time while maintaining high standards for food safety, quality, and environmental responsibility.

These collaborations represent progress in our efforts to strike a balance between providing the assurance customers' requirements need and reducing the audit workload for Fresh Produce growers.