Producer Certification Process

STEP 1: Read Standards and Procedures

Have a clear understanding of the Food Alliance Certification program for farms and ranches by reading the Producer Standards and Procedures (PDF).

STEP 2: Application

You can complete an application on-line using Food Alliance's Self Assessment Tool, or download application materials to print and mail (PDF).

To ensure your application is complete and reduce delays, please:

• Answer all of the questions.
• Sign the application documents where required.
  
• Provide any necessary supporting documentation.
• Include payment for the application fee.

STEP 3: Site Inspection

Once we have reviewed your application, Food Alliance will forward the documents to an independent, third-party inspector who will contact you to schedule a site inspection.  During the inspection, the inspector will tour your operation, interview managers and key staff,  and review relevant records to evaluate performance using the Whole Farm/Ranch and crop specific evaluation criteria. 

STEP 4: Inspection Report

After the site visit, the inspector will submit an inspection report to Food Alliance.

STEP 5: Certification Decision

Once the site report is received, Food Alliance will make the final certification decision and inform you of that decision by mail. You will receive both a letter specifying the decision and a copy of the site report.

• Grievance Policy If you feel that the site inspector’s findings are unfair or inaccurate, you may submit a request for re-evaluation to Food Alliance. A request must be made in writing within 30 days of receiving the official site report, detailing the perceived inaccuracies of the site inspection. Applicants should also state whether or not they would like to be inspected by a different site inspector. Re-inspections of this nature will be provided to you at no cost. No further appeals will be accepted.  However, you may reapply after you have made changes to your operation as suggested in the site report.
  

STEP 6: Maintaining Certification

• Term of the Certification
  The term of certification for farmers and ranchers is three years. The term of certification for processors and distributors is one year. The official start date will be specified in the certification letter along with the products that may be labeled as Food Alliance certified.
• Ongoing Compliance and Verification
  This certification is designed to provide a basis for marketplace claims of environmental and social responsibility.  In order to ensure the certification criteria are being met at all times:

1. Food Alliance reserves the right, at its own cost,  to conduct unscheduled audits of participating farms, ranches, processors and distributors. Operations are either selected at random or  based on specific concerns  identified in the initial inspection.
2. Farmers and ranchers  must also complete annual updates  to maintain their certification, reporting  any changes to their operation and progress towards their continual improvement goals.
   

• Suspension and Revocation
  If doubts are raised that an operation is not adhering to the certification standards, Food Alliance staff will investigate. If that investigation confirms the certification standards are not being met, that operation's certification will be suspended. Food Alliance will provide the operation's managers the reason(s) for  suspension, specific steps for restoring certification, and a timeline for making the necessary changes. If the violation is remedied within the timeframe,  certification will be restored. Otherwise, the certification will be revoked.