A Quick Start Guide to Become G.A.P. Certified

– Kate Hill G.A.P. Farm Animal Welfare Specialist

Three Easy Steps to Getting Started with G.A.P.

At Global Animal Partnership, farmers and ranchers regularly reach out to ask us, “What do I have to do to become G.A.P. Certified?” We are always excited when someone new is interested in the program, so we want to provide a quick guide to help new operations get started.

1. Download a copy of the standard from G.A.P.’s website

The first step is to download the standard for the species you will raise from our web site. We currently have standards for eight different types of farm animals, and each species has a page where you can find Standards, producer resources, and applications.

• Beef
• Broiler Chickens
• Turkey
• Sheep
• Pigs
• Goats
• Bison
• Laying Hens

IMPORTANT: Sheep, goats, pigs, and laying hens have additional sets of standards that may be required:

• Collection Point Standards are required for sheep, goat, or pig operations that use collections points;
• Pullet Standards are required for laying hen operations applying for Steps 2 through 5; and
• Goat Kid Standards are required for goat operations sourcing kids from dairy goat operations.

While you are getting a copy of the Standards, you can also download a copy of the application you’ll need to complete in order to apply for certification and other resources we have available for our producers.

2. Determine the Step Level

Once you have the Standards, you will need to determine what Step level you can achieve. You should read all the standards to help you decide this information. On our website, we have our Audit Prep Tool that will help you identify potential issues that could affect Step level and/or certification.

3. Contact the Certifiers

When you have reviewed the Standards and decided on a Step level, you will need to find a certifier. G.A.P. does not audit or make certificate decisions. Instead, we use independent third-party certification companies to conduct audits and issue certificates. Certifiers are accredited by G.A.P. to administer the G.A.P. 5-Step® Program. You will find the companies that can complete your G.A.P. audit on our certification page.

NOTE: EarthClaims provides services in North America. AusMeats provides services in New Zealand and Australia. Please contact G.A.P. directly if you are seeking certification services outside these areas.

How to contact G.A.P.
We hope this guide is helpful as you start your journey to G.A.P. certification. If you have questions about how to become G.A.P. certified, you can contact us at info@globalanimalpartnership.org or 1-877-427-5783.

Let us know what you think. Comment below or tweet to us at @certifiedGAP on Twitter.