Safe and suitable nutrition is vital for animal health and welfare and forms an integral part of
the food chain.

Compound feed therefore plays a key role in ensuring feed and food safety along the entire
livestock and aquaculture supply chain. From the production and sourcing of raw materials to their
processing for quality-assured compound feed, the issue has become a major consumer concern.

Version 3.1 of the Compound Feed Manufacturing (CFM) standard, finalized in
December 2022, features expanded environmental and social governance criteria that places a more
rigorous focus on sustainability, responsible sourcing of critical compounds such as soy and fish
meal and fish oil and workers’ wellbeing. 

What does the CFM standard cover?

The CFM standard defines the Control Points and Compliance Criteria (CPCC) for quality assurance
in the production, supply, and purchase of raw materials destined as feed ingredients for compound
feed. It covers all the production steps, from the purchase, handling, and storage of ingredients
to the processing and distribution of finished compound feed.

The standard covers commercial compound feed for food-producing animals that are covered by the
GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standards for livestock and aquaculture only.

Compound feed manufacturers who supply livestock and aquaculture producers certified to the
GLOBALG.A.P. IFA standard must have CFM certification. Livestock and aquaculture producers that are
certified to IFA are required to source their feed from compound feed manufacturers that have CFM
certification or a benchmarked equivalent.

Producers of livestock and aquaculture that qualify for being home-compounders do not require
additional CFM certification.

These home-compounded feeds which do not leave the farm where they are produced are not under
the scope of the CFM. Producers who prepare home-mixes must follow criteria already outlined in the
respective livestock or aquaculture standards.

What’s new in version 3.1?

The CFM Focus Group reviewed the standard and agreed that an update was required to comply with
the latest legislative requirements as well as aquaculture, livestock, and feed industry needs. It
is relevant for the IFA standard for livestock and aquaculture, where producers must demonstrate
that they source compound feed from certified manufacturers.

A summary of the changes can be found in the CFM v3.1 checklist.

V3.1 will become obligatory from 1 January 2024.

• Revised structure, containing mandatory and voluntary sections.
• Sections A, B, and D are the core content of the CFM standard and are
  mandatory for all manufacturers seeking GLOBALG.A.P. certification:
  • A) Feed Safety, Traceability, and Responsible Sourcing
  • B) Workers’ Competence, Health, Safety, and Welfare
  • D) Guidelines
• Section C (Additional Environmental and Social Governance) can be customized
  as a whole or by sub-section. If a compound feed manufacturer opts to customize section C, or parts
  of it, then this shall be indicated on the certificate as a specific product attribute. The General
  Regulations were adapted to explain these changes.
• Raising the bar in compound feed manufacturing by increasing the total number
  of CPCC from 209 in CFM v2.2 to 264 in CFM v3.1. This rise is also due to detailing criteria
  for the
  responsible sourcing of feed materials, in particular soy, palm oil, and
  fish 
  meal/fish oil, as well as defining the percentages of these materials that shall
  be included in the final product to achieve compliance.
• Updated content on
  additional environmental and social governance points. This includes new
  sustainability criteria on environmental permits, fair operating practices, manufacturing processes
  (energy, emissions, water, waste, and effluents), labor practices and local community
  engagement.