FARM SERVICES

WWW.SGS.COM

IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY, INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND COMPLY WITH RESPONSIBLE SOURCING REQUIREMENTS

Consumer and retailer driven demand for safe, healthy products grown in a socially and environmentally responsible manner creates constant challenges for today’s farmers.

Across the supply chain, the food industry wants to know, and be assured, that consumer, retailer and legislative demands are being met. Pressure is growing on farmers to use production techniques that reduce the industry’s impact on the environment. Looking after the welfare of workers, farm animals and sea life is also a must.

Changing farming practices, updating methodologies and production techniques are key to meeting these demands.

Many companies see investing to enhance and improve sustainability in farming as their responsibility. Farm assessments, audits and certifications enable farmers and investors to demonstrate commitment to good and sustainable agriculture/aquaculture practice. Now considered essential by many in the supply chain, benchmarking farming operations against recognised schemes and standards opens access to markets and attracting consumers.

SGS SOLUTIONS

On-site farm assessments, conducted by our experienced third party agriculture experts, can identify compliance with industry standards, legislative requirements. To support business, our assessments can also advise on the practical improvements and training opportunities that will enable farmers and their workers to update their skills, practices and processes.

Assessments are just a first step. Farm audits benchmark facilities, processes, practices and quality against food

industry standards and regulations, allowing operators to compare performance against peers and identify opportunities for improvement.

Certification gives customers and consumers confidence in a product. Achieving certification against agriculture and food industry schemes demonstrates that farms have not only successfully implemented the relevant good agriculture practices, but also that an operation’s progress is consistent and continuous.

Beyond the farm gate, warehouse, transport and trading compliance can be assessed in progress, to ensure that produce arrives safely at its destination, either to processors, manufacturers, retailers or direct to consumers.

We enhance operational efficiency, increase marketability in a competitive marketplace and prove ongoing compliance and improvement. Operations are in many farming sectors, including:

• Vegetable and fruit • Plant propagation material • Livestock – such as poultry, pork,

cattle, horse, sheep, aquaculture (especially fish farming), dairy farming amongst others

• Soft commodity production – such as coffee, tea, sugar, vegetable oils, spices, nuts, cocoa, eggs, flower and ornaments, medicinal plants, hops, honey, cereals such as wheat, rice, corn, soya beans, rapeseed, pulses, tobacco, cotton fibres, animal hair, fish meal and alfalfa, amongst others

TRACEABILITY

All assessment and audit services can be combined with identity preservation (IP) programmes to verify and certify produce against product specific certifications such as non-GMO production (or varieties), production origins and traceability.

CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

As a leading supplier of certification and verification services, SGS can offer farmers and the food industry audits against the widest range of certification standards.

SGS continuously improves its portfolio of certification accreditations to comply with the requirements of our clients.

WHY SGS?

As the leader in global certification, verification, testing and inspections, our services can be customised to client specific requirements, and standardised across multiple locations as needed. Independent and expert in the agriculture industry, our extensive network of qualified auditors ensures unrivalled access to local expertise, wherever you are based.

With a presence in nearly every single region around the globe, our experts speak the local language, understand the culture of the local market and operate globally in a consistent, reliable and cost-effective manner.

CONTACT US:

SGS GROUP

Email: agriculture@sgs.com

Web: www.sgs.com/agriculture

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SGS IS THE WORLD’S LEADING INSPECTION, VERIFICATION, TESTING AND CERTIFICATION COMPANY