27/07/2020
AniMark, the independent company that manages the Livestock Global Assurance System (LGAP), is holding weekly meetings with the department to work through approvals and other processes.
Legislation must be passed for LGAP to become a third party assurance scheme to support ESCAS, and COVID-19 has delayed sittings of parliament. Discussions are underway to see if transitional arrangements can be put in place in the meantime.
Behind the scenes, AniMark has been finalising all the systems needed for LGAP to roll out once approval is granted.
LGAP is a certification program which aims to foster world’s best practice in the welfare and management of livestock, based around internationally recognised standards.
An independent Standards Committee has been formed, with members from around the world with expertise in setting standards, animal welfare and livestock supply chains.
Updates have been made to the standards developed in 2016, during foundational research to establish LGAP funded by the LEP. A public consultation process is about to finish on the revised standards, which now include all the latest requirements of ESCAS.
Following a request from ALEC, work is also about to begin to develop a new standard specifically focused on control and traceability. The project is being funded by the LEP RD&E Program, with a consultant recently selected through a competitive tender process.
The first phase is consultation with exporters, the government and supply chain partners here and in destination markets, to gain a detailed understanding of control and traceability systems already in place, and identify any areas for improvement.
The second phase is the technical development of the standard, including review by the standards committee. This will ensure it is not only practical and effective, but in line with international best practice for setting standards, which includes a 60 day period for public comment.
Tenders have also been conducted for Certification Bodies, who will provide the staff to conduct audits throughout the supply chain. Four highly regarded global companies have been selected, who will each be able to support multiple markets, and training is about to get underway.
Training materials have also been developed for other participants along the supply chain. COVID-19 means it’s likely these will need to shift to online delivery in many cases, and pilot sessions have been held to help refine the way that will work.
The IT system which will be used to administer LGAP is also in place and going through its final testing phase, with support from the LEP RD&E Program. It will monitor audit performance and manage nonconformities, and provide powerful new reporting and management tools for AniMark, as well as exporters and other users.
The next step in preparation is to run a trial audit and discussions are underway with potential partners, likely in Vietnam. This will provide a real-life test of the training and the IT system, give the auditors a chance to check their processes, and help to iron out any last minute issues so LGAP is ready to go live.