Terms and Conditions

New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP)

NZFAP Terms and Conditions

Application:  All NZFAP applications should be made on the NZFAP Farm Application and Agreement form.

In these terms and conditions, a Member Company includes a relevant meat/fibre company and a relevant bank which in each case is a NZFAI full member company.

Services:  New Zealand Farm Assurance Incorporated (NZFAI) will appoint a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) to visit and assess your farm management systems and procedures for conformity to the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP) Standard. 
NOTE: The current CAB for the NZFAP is QCONZ (or any additional or replacement provider that NZFAI appoints to provide the relevant audit services from time to time).  A reference in these Terms and Conditions to the CAB includes any incoming CABs where relevant.

Detailed information on the NZFAP is available in two publications.

  • NZFAP Standard.

  • NZFAP Farmer Handbook.

These publications outline the Purpose, Scope and Assessment Process.

They can be obtained from your Member Company(s) representative, via email request from the NZFAI (info@nzfap.com) or requested from our website (www.nzfap.com).

Expectations:  You agree to maintain your on-farm systems and procedures in full compliance with the requirements of the NZFAP Standard against which you are assessed.

Any changes to the farm’s circumstances (ownership, name, contact details of the authorised representative and/or additional properties within 20km radius added to the farming system), must be notified to the CAB and nominated Member Company(s) immediately.

The assessment process:  

Initial: You agree to undertake an assessment within 60 days of submitting your Farm Application and Agreement Form. 

An assessment request will be issued by the CAB within three weeks of receiving your Farm Application and Agreement Form.  The assessment must be booked and completed within 60 days of your Farm Application and Agreement Form being accepted by your nominated Member Company(s).  Failure to comply after two requests for an audit by the CAB will result in your nominated Member Company(s) being advised.  If an initial assessment is not booked and undertaken within six months of your Farm Application and Agreement Form being accepted, the CAB will withdraw your Farm and advise your nominated Member Company(s).

Any Corrective Action Requests (CAR/s) arising from assessments must be cleared within the time frame agreed between you and the CAB.  Certification will not be issued until all CAR/s are closed.  If the CAR/s are not closed within three months of the assessment date, the CAB will issue a notice withdrawing your property(s) from the Programme and advise your Member Company(s). 

Recertification:  To ensure the continuing validity of your on-farm systems, audits will be carried out every 36 months or at intervals as defined by NZFAI.  The CAB will give you advance notice of these audits and negotiate an agreed date and time for these activities with you.

A reassessment request will be issued by the CAB at least 60 days prior to 36 month audit anniversary date.  Failure to comply after two requests for a re-audit within 45 days of the original request will result in the CAB issuing an advanced suspension notice to you and your nominated Member Company(s).  If you fail to then agree a reassessment by the compliance expiry date the CAB will activate a NZFAP suspension for the property.  Where an assessment is unable to be completed within six months of the certification expiry you will be withdrawn from the programme.

Any Corrective Action Requests (CAR/s) arising from assessments must be cleared within the time frame agreed between you and the CAB.  If there is a current Certification in place and the CAR(s) are not closed by the agreed date, the CAB will issue a certification suspension notice and advise your nominated Member Company(s).  Where the CAR(s) are not closed withing three months of your certification being suspended the CAB will issue a withdrawal notice removing your property/s from the NZFAP programme. 

All assessments:  You agree to allow the CAB’s personnel access, during normal working hours, to your premises, operations, facilities, procedures, records (including all complaints and corrective actions) and staff to enable them to perform assessments and reviews.

You agree to be responsible for the health and safety of CAB staff and assessors whilst they are on your premises.  You agree to ensure that they are properly briefed about your health, safety and emergency evacuation procedures and any potential health and safety hazards they may encounter during their visit. 

Regular reviews may be partial audits or full reassessments, similar in scope to that carried out prior to any initial audit.

Documentation:  Unless withdrawn or relinquished, any NZFAI or CAB documents issued are only valid for a specified period and subject to ongoing satisfactory performance.  NZFAI or CAB Certificates or letters are not automatically transferable when the farm changes ownership, structure, or location and thus requests for transfer must be submitted to the CAB on the Farm Information Change Form and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Suspension and withdrawals:  The CAB may suspend or withdraw the farm’s audit status if the systems or procedures fail to remain compliant with the NZFAP Standard, or these Terms and Conditions, or NZFAP assessment timeframes, or CAR(s), or if we believe the CAB, NZFAI or the programme may be brought into disrepute.  If your nominated Member Company has accepted a relationship request under which it agrees to pay the costs associated with the farm’s audit, and your relationship with the Member Company ceases during the audit cycle and it results in you no longer having an active NZFAI relationship with a Member Company, you will be withdrawn from the NZFAP programme (and your farm’s NZFAP certification will lapse).

Reapplication:  Should you be withdrawn from the programme and wish to re-join the programme in the future you will need to reapply and complete a new Farm Application and Agreement Form for consideration by the nominated Member Company(s) and the CAB.

Behaviour:  NZFAI is committed to treating all people with dignity and respect and building a positive and inclusive culture, where all people are valued and respected, and we welcome diversity of thought, culture, experience and being.  NZFAI firmly believes in the right of all people to work in an environment that is safe and free from unacceptable behaviour.  You agree to treat all people you interact with during your involvement in the NZFAI programme with respect and courtesy and to behave in an appropriate manner at all times.  NZFAI may withdraw a farm from its programme if NZFAI considers, acting reasonably, that behaviour towards NZFAI, any of its members or the CAB, by you or your employees, contractors or agents, is unacceptable.

Complaints and appeals:  You may issue a formal complaint about any act or omission by the CAB against any assessment finding or recognition decision.  Such complaints must be made in writing to the CAB or NZFAI who will instigate an investigation by the NZFAI Management Committee.  Their findings will be notified to you in writing detailing your right to appeal.

Payment:

  1. Audits must be funded by either the nominated Member Company(s) with whom the farmer has a commercial relationship, subject to the Member Company(s) agreement, or self-paid; and the Farm Owner must indicate their preference via the payment option box on the NZFAP Application Form.

  2. If there is no Members Company(s) agreement or the Farm Owner wishes to fund the audit they will need to arrange this directly with NZFAI.  Payment must be received in full by NZFAI prior to the CAB undertaking an audit assessment.

Intellectual property:  You acknowledge and agree that NZFAI is the sole and exclusive owner of the NZFAP programme, standard and certification (NZFAI Intellectual Property), and all related intellectual property rights, including all improvements, enhancements and changes (or similar) made to the NZFAI Intellectual Property over time.

You will not use, make a claim to, or take any other action in relation to, any intellectual property rights related to the NZFAI Intellectual Property other than as set out in these Terms and Conditions or with NZFAI’s express written approval.

While your farm is in full compliance with the NZFAP Standard (as determined by NZFAI or the CAB), NZFAI grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable and non-sublicensable right to use the ‘NZFAP-certified’ status in respect of your farm.  Upon your farm’s NZFAP certification status being suspended, withdrawn or revoked, this right automatically lapses, and you must immediately cease use of the ‘NZFAP-certified’ status.

Confidentiality:  All NZFAP information and data collected by the CAB, or collected or held by NZFAI, will be treated confidentially and will be managed in accordance with the following Confidentiality / Privacy Policy.

Confidentiality/privacy:  

  1. Your data:  The audit data you provide to the CAB, and other data of yours that is provided to or held by NZFAI (together ‘your data’), is confidential information owned by you.  Your data and the other information set out in (8) below may include personal information, as that term is defined in the Privacy Act 2020 (the Privacy Act).

  2. Storage/disclosure:  All your data provided to the CAB or NZFAI is confidential to you and will be stored by the CAB or NZFAI (or its nominee) using reasonably security and safeguards.  NZFAI and the CAB may only:

    a.  Disclose your data to another person with your approval in writing including pursuant to 3 and 4 below; and

    b.  Use or disclose your data where necessary for NZFAI or the CAB to perform its role as contemplated by these Terms and Conditions (including without limitation for the purpose of NZFAI providing a benchmark report to you), or as required by law.

  3. Member Companies:  You may nominate Member Companies or other persons in writing to which NZFAI and the CAB may share your data.  NZFAI and the CAB may share all your data captured as part of (or at the time of) any audit with any of your nominated Member Company(s).  NZFAI and the CAB may continue to share your data with your nominated Member Company(s) or other permitted persons until you expressly advise NZFAI in writing that your relationship with the relevant Member Company has ended.  All your data shared with a Member Company may be retained by the Member Company after the end of your relationship with that Member Company, including to enable the Member Company to trace such data back to past audits.

  4. Aggregated or anonymised data:  Your data may also be aggregated or anonymised by NZFAI and shared with nominated Member Companies or other permitted persons and/or used by NZFAI in connection with its business and activities.

  5. Other data/access:  You must not disclose any data belonging to NZFAI, the CAB or any Member Company to any other person.

  6. CAB:  All CAB directors, employees, agents and assessors are bound by confidentiality obligations regarding information held or acquired from the assessment process and must declare any conflict of interest that may arise through their involvement with any assessment process.

  7. Your information:  Your actual audit status, trading name and assurance code will be identified to other meat/fibre companies and will be publicly available information.  NZFAI as the scheme owner may use your contact details to communicate directly with you on matters pertaining or relevant to NZFAP or other NZFAI programmes but will not make these details available to any other person except with your permission or as required by law.  Your nominated Member Company(s) may discuss your data with you and otherwise use your data at an aggregated level.

  8. Personal information:  Any personal information referred to above will be held, used, and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Variations:  NZFAI may vary these Terms and Conditions from time to time.  Any such variation will be effective from the date specified by NZFAI in any written notice provided to you or published on NZFAI’s website.

Date:  7 February 2025 v14 

New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme Plus (NZFAP Plus)

NZFAP Plus Terms and Conditions

Application:  All NZFAP Plus applications must be made and returned on the NZFAP Plus Farm Application and Agreement form.

In these terms and conditions, a Member Company includes a relevant meat/fibre company and a relevant bank which in each case is a NZFAI full member company.

Services:  New Zealand Farm Assurance Incorporated (NZFAI) will appoint a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) to visit and assess your farm management systems and procedures for conformity to the New Zealand Farm Assurance Plus Programme (NZFAP Plus) Standard.
NOTE: The current CAB for the NZFAP Plus is QCONZ (or any additional or replacement provider that NZFAI appoints to provide the relevant audit services from time to time).  A reference in these Terms and Conditions to the CAB includes any incoming CABs where relevant.

To join the NZFAP Plus suppliers must already be NZFAP certified and hold a current NZFAP Assurance code number.

Detailed information on the NZFAP Plus is available in two publications.

  • NZFAP Plus Standard.

  • NZFAP Plus Farmer Handbook.

These publications outline the Purpose, Scope, and Assessment Process.

They can be obtained from your nominated Member Company representative, or via email request from the NZFAI (info@nzfap.com) or requested from our website (www.nzfap.com).

Expectations:  While on the journey to NZFAP Plus compliance you agree to maintain your on-farm systems and procedures in full compliance with the requirements of the NZFAP Standard and strive to be NZFAP Plus compliant well within the allowed 3-year period.

Any changes to the farm’s circumstances (ownership, name, contact details of the authorised representative and/or additional properties within 20km radius added to the farming system), must be notified to the NZFAI and nominated Member Company(s) immediately.

The assessment process: 
Self-assessment:  You agree to undertake an annual self-assessment within 60 days of your Farm Application and Agreement Form being approved by your nominated Member Company(s).  On completing the self-assessment you will become a NZFAP Plus Member.  Failure to complete the annual self-assessment within six months of the due date will result in the CAB issuing a notice to withdraw your Farm from NZFAP Plus and will advise your nominated Member Company(s). 

Initial audit: You agree to undertake an assessment within 60 days of requesting a NZFAP Plus audit assessment for the NZFAP and NZFAP Plus programmes. 

An audit assessment request will be issued by the CAB within ten days of receiving a request for audit.  The assessment must be booked and completed within 60 days of your audit request being accepted by your nominated Member Company(s).  Failure to comply after two requests for an audit by the CAB will result in your nominated Member Company being advised.  If an initial audit assessment is not booked and undertaken within six months, your audit request will be withdrawn.

Any Corrective Action Requests (CARs) arising from assessments relating to Silver requirements must be closed within the time frame agreed between you and the CAB.  Certification will not be issued until all CAR(s) are closed.  If the CAR(s) are not closed within six months of the audit assessment date, the CAB will advise your nominated Member Company(s). 

Reassessment audit:  Once a Supplier is certified and to ensure the continuing validity of your on-farm systems, NZFAP Plus audits will be carried out every 36 months or at intervals as defined by NZFAI.  The CAB will give you advance notice of these audits and negotiate an agreed date and time for these activities with you.

A reassessment request will be issued by the CAB at least 60 days prior to 36 month anniversary date.  Failure to comply after two requests for a re-audit within 45 days of the original request will result in the CAB issuing an advanced suspension notice to you and your nominated Member Company(s).  If you fail to then agree a reassessment by the compliance expiry date the CAB will activate a NZFAP Plus suspension for the property. 

Any Corrective Action Requests (CAR(s)) arising from assessments must be cleared within the time frame agreed between you and the CAB.  If there is a current Certification in place and the CAR(s) are not closed by the agreed date, the CAB will issue a certification suspension notice and advise your Member Company(s).  Where the CAR(s) are not closed withing three months of your certification being suspended the CAB will issue a withdrawal notice removing your property/s from the NZFAP Plus programme. 

Regular reviews may be partial audits or full reassessments, similar in scope to that carried out prior to any initial audit.  Any nonconformity arising from assessments must be cleared within the time frame agreed between you and the CAB.

You agree to allow the CAB’s personnel access, during normal working hours, to your premises, operations, facilities, procedures, records (including all complaints and corrective actions) and staff to enable them to perform assessments and reviews.

You agree to be responsible for the health and safety of CAB staff and assessors whilst they are on your premises.  You agree to ensure that they are properly briefed about your health, safety and emergency evacuation procedures and any potential health and safety hazards they may encounter during their visit.

Documentation:   Unless withdrawn or relinquished, any NZFAI or CAB documents issued are only valid for a specified period and subject to ongoing satisfactory performance.  NZFAI or CAB Certificates or letters are not automatically transferable when the farm changes ownership, structure, or location and thus requests for transfer must be in writing to NZFAI and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Suspension and withdrawals:  The CAB may suspend or withdraw the farm’s audit status if your on-farm systems or procedures fail to remain compliant with the:

  1. NZFAP Standard and the associated Terms and Conditions;

  2. NZFAP Plus Standard and these Terms and Conditions;

  3. NZFAP and NZFAP Plus assessment timeframes and expectations to complete CAR(s); and/or

  4. We believe the CAB, NZFAI or the programme may be brought into disrepute.

If your nominated Member Company has accepted a relationship request under which it agrees to pay the costs associated with the farm’s audit, and your relationship with the Member Company ceases during the audit cycle and it results in you no longer having an active NZFAI relationship with a Member Company, you will be withdrawn from the NZFAP programme (and your farm’s NZFAP certification will lapse).

Reapplication:  Should you be withdrawn from the programme and wish to re-join the programme in the future you will need to reapply and complete a new Farm Application and Agreement Form for consideration by the nominated Member Company(s) and the CAB.

Behaviour:   NZFAI is committed to treating all people with dignity and respect and building a positive and inclusive culture, where all people are valued and respected, and we welcome diversity of thought, culture, experience and being.  NZFAI firmly believes in the right of all people to work in an environment that is safe and free from unacceptable behaviour.  You agree to treat all people you interact with during your involvement in the NZFAI programme with respect and courtesy and to behave in an appropriate manner at all times.  NZFAI may withdraw a farm from its programme if NZFAI considers, acting reasonably, that behaviour towards NZFAI, any of its members or the CAB, by you or your employees, contractors or agents, is unacceptable.

Complaints and appeals:  You may issue a formal complaint about any act or omission by the CAB or NZFAI against any assessment finding or recognition decision.  Such complaints must be made in writing to the CAB or NZFAI who will instigate an investigation by the NZFAI Management Committee.  Their findings will be notified to you in writing detailing your right to appeal.

Payment:  

  1. Audits must be funded by either the nominated Member Company(s) with whom the farmer has a commercial relationship, subject to the Member Company(s) agreement, or self-paid; and the Farm Owner must indicate their preference via the payment option box on the NZFAP Plus Application Form.

  2. If there is no Member Company agreement or the Farm Owner wishes to fund the audit they will need to arrange this directly with NZFAI.  Payment must be received in full by NZFAI prior to the CAB undertaking an audit assessment. 

Intellectual property:  You acknowledge and agree that NZFAI is the sole and exclusive owner of the NZFAP Plus programme, standard and certification (NZFAI Intellectual Property), and all related intellectual property rights, including all improvements, enhancements and changes (or similar) made to the NZFAI Intellectual Property over time.

You will not use, make a claim to, or take any other action in relation to, any intellectual property rights related to the NZFAI Intellectual Property other than as set out in these Terms and Conditions or with NZFAI’s express written approval.

While your farm is in full compliance with the NZFAP Plus Standard (as determined by NZFAI or the CAB), NZFAI grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable and non-sublicensable right to use the ‘NZFAP Plus-certified’ status in respect of your farm.  Upon your farm’s NZFAP Plus certification status being suspended, withdrawn or revoked, this right automatically lapses, and you must immediately cease use of the ‘NZFAP Plus-certified’ status.

Confidentiality:  As for the NZFAP, all NZFAP Plus information and data collected by the auditing body, or collected or held by NZFAI, will be treated confidentially and will be managed in accordance with the following Confidentiality / Privacy policy.

Confidentiality/Privacy Policy:

  1. Your data:  The audit data you provide to the CAB, and other data of yours that is provided to or held by NZFAI (together ‘your data’), is confidential information owned by you.  Your data and the other information set out in (8) below may include personal information, as that term is defined in the Privacy Act 2020 (the Privacy Act).

  2. Storage/disclosure:  All your data provided to the CAB or to NZFAI is confidential to you and will be stored by the CAB or NZFAI (or its nominee) using reasonable security and safeguards.  NZFAI and the CAB may only:

    a.  disclose your data to another person with your approval in  writing including pursuant to 3 and 4 below: and

    b.  use or disclose your data where necessary for NZFAI or the CAB to perform its role as contemplated by these Terms and Conditions (including without limitation for the purpose of NZFAI providing a benchmark report to you), or as required by law.

  3. Member companies:  You may nominate Member Companies or other persons in writing to which NZFAI and the CAB may share your data.  NZFAI and the CAB may share all your data captured as part of (or at the time of) any audit with any of your nominated Member Company(s).  NZFAI and the CAB may continue to share your data with your nominated Member Company(s) or other permitted persons until you expressly advise NZFAI in writing that your relationship with the relevant Member Company has ended.  All your data shared with a Member Company may be retained by the Member Company after the end of your relationship with that Member Company, including to enable the Member Company to trace such data back to past audits.

  4. Aggregated or anonymised data:  Your data may also be aggregated or anonymised by NZFAI and shared with nominated Member Companies or other permitted persons and/or used by NZFAI in connection with its business and activities.

  5. Other data/access:  You must not disclose any data belonging to NZFAI, the CAB or any Member Company to any other person. 

  6. CAB:  All CAB directors, employees, agents and assessors are bound by confidentiality obligations regarding information held or acquired from the assessment process and must declare any conflict of interest that may arise through their involvement with any assessment process.

  7. Your information:  Your actual audit status, trading name and assurance code will be identified to other Member Companies and will be publicly available information.  NZFAI as the scheme owner may use your contact details to communicate directly with you on matters pertaining or relevant to NZFAP or other NZFAI programmes but will not make these details available to any other person except with your permission or as required by law.  Your nominated Member Company(s) may discuss your data with you and otherwise use your data at an aggregated level.

  8. Personal information:  Any personal information referred to above will be held, used, and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Variations:  NZFAI may vary these Terms and Conditions from time to time.  Any such variation will be effective from the date specified by NZFAI in any written notice provided to you or published on NZFAI’s website.

Date:  7 February 2025 v3.0