Following the announcement of GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) v6.1 Smart and the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) v2.1, this article takes a closer look at the technical changes stakeholders can expect when the updated versions are published on 1 September 2026.
IFA v6.1 Smart is a minor version update covering both the plants and aquaculture scopes. Across the standard, the majority of principles and criteria (P&Cs) remain unchanged or include only minor adjustments.
The update brings together clarifications identified through technical reviews and changes previously communicated through certification body (CB) technical newsletters, while also strengthening the outcome-based approach in selected areas.
Updates to the General Regulations
IFA v6.1 introduces several changes to the General Regulations that affect how certification is organized and implemented.
- Separate sets of General Regulations will apply to GFSI-recognized and non-GFSI-recognized standards, replacing the previous approach of including GFS-specific additions within the same document.
- The definition of a producer group has also been updated to specify a group of more than three members.
- For CBs, the three-year audit cycle introduced in v6has been removed.
- Changes have also been made to sampling for recertification audits. Where no non-conformances were identified during the previous monitoring audit, the minimum sample for the recertification audit will be 80% of the square root of producer group members/sites.
Fruit and vegetables
For the fruit and vegetables product category, most P&Cs remain unchanged or include only minor adjustments.
- Revisions have been made in selected areas to strengthen risk-based and outcome-based implementation.
- Wording relating to water management has been revised to clarify requirements for water risk assessments and water analysis. A decision tree for determining microbial water analysis requirements has also been reintroduced in IFA v6.1 Smart.
- The level of one P&C relating to soil fumigation has changed from Minor Must to Major Must. Two P&Cs have been removed as standalone requirements, with their content incorporated into existing P&Cs.
Flowers and ornamentals
- Wording changes relate to the sourcing of propagation material, the use of substrates, and traceability.
- New principles have been introduced covering energy management and the formation of organic carbon.
- A small number of P&Cs relating to workers’ health and safety procedures and facilities have also been raised to Major Must level.
Hops
For the hop product category, revisions are generally grammar and wording clarity. Minor adjustments also include:
- Inclusion of previous technical news updates that relate to holding tanks, and GGN on packaging when parallel ownership is applicable.
- Clarifications that relate to mass balance, recall, and consideration for heavy metals in the plant protection risk assessment.
- Similar to FV, clarification of requirements for water risk assessments and water analysis.
- Updates to handwash water requirements to align with current industry practices.
Combinable crops
- Combinable crops has more extensive changes in IFA v6.1 Smart, with a significant number of new P&Cs introduced alongside requirements that remain unchanged from IFA v6.0.
- The additions include Recommendations as well as Major and Minor Musts, and cover topics such as continuous improvement, specifications for incoming materials, biodiversity, greenhouse gas reduction, and the use of metrics.
- These changes broaden the areas addressed within the product category and provide a more comprehensive framework for demonstrating responsible production practices.
Aquaculture
For aquaculture, IFA v6.1 Smart includes an extension of existing criteria resulting from re-recognition processes.
GRASP v2.1
To maintain alignment with IFA, the GRASP add-on will be updated from version 2 to version 2.1.
- GRASP v2.1 primarily incorporates technical clarifications and previously communicated updates, supporting consistent implementation of the add-on alongside IFA v6.1 Smart.
Preparing for the updated versions
The normative documents for IFA v6.1 Smart and GRASP v2.1 will be available in the GLOBALG.A.P. document center from 1 September 2026.
As the changes primarily incorporate implementation feedback, technical clarifications, and previously communicated updates, IFA v6.1 Smart was not subject to a public consultation.
Producers, CBs, and other stakeholders are encouraged to review the updated normative documents to understand the changes relevant to their scope and product categories. By bringing technical clarifications and implementation experience into the updated versions, IFA v6.1 Smart and GRASP v2.1 aim to support clearer and more consistent implementation across the GLOBALG.A.P. system.
Related links
- Learn more about IFA and other GLOBALG.A.P. solutions
- Discover the GRASP add-on and how it combines with IFA at farm level
- Visit the GLOBALG.A.P. document center to access all standard documents
