GLOBAL G.A.P, the global agricultural standards organisation, will host a number of conferences around the world in an effort to plans to simplify its Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard.

The events will be part of the ‘World Consultation Tour’ and will take place across 2020 in several countries with the aim of achieving ‘simplification for growers and an increased focus on sustainability’ through ‘digitalising certification processes and including more elements of customised, science-based risk assessments.’ The tour will also give farmers the opportunity to provide feedback on the IFA standard.

There will also be a number of modules available for farmers to give them choices and to make it easier for them to respond to their individual market and customer requirements.

Kristian Moeller, CEO of GLOBAL G.A.P, said: “Beginning with our first standard draft more than 20 years ago, we have always followed our philosophy of reducing and ultimately avoiding any unnecessary duplication within our farm assurance programs, but only now is the technology available to make major steps towards improving the user experience for farmers.”

Guy Callebaut, chairman of the GLOBAL G.A.P board, said: “The newly enlarged board with truly global representation has called for placing the focus on simplification without compromising integrity. Only when farmers embrace the standard throughout their daily operations can they achieve the targeted level of trust which consumers demand.”