Audit season can sneak up fast.

One week you are focused on orchard work, contractors, weather, spray records, harvest timing, staff, and day-to-day problems.

Then suddenly the audit date is close and everyone starts asking:

“Where is that record?”
“Did we get the contractor evidence?”
“Are the worker records current?”
“Has anyone checked the chemical storage area?”

For New Zealand orchards, especially kiwifruit and avocado growers, GLOBALG.A.P. audit preparation works best when it starts before the pressure hits.

GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance for fruit and vegetables covers key topics such as food safety, environment, worker health, safety and welfare, production processes, and traceability.

That means your audit preparation should not only focus on one folder.

It should check the whole orchard system.

Here is a simple 30-day readiness plan to help growers prepare calmly.

Why a 30-Day Plan Helps

A GLOBALG.A.P. or GAP audit is evidence-based.

The auditor is not only looking for “good intentions.”

They need to see proof.

That proof may include records, site conditions, contractor evidence, worker information, environmental checks, and corrective actions.

NZGAP Global is recognised as a fully benchmarked GLOBALG.A.P. scheme, and certified growers receive both an NZGAP number and a GLOBALG.A.P. number, known as a GGN.

So, for growers working under GLOBALG.A.P., NZGAP Global, Zespri GAP, GRASP, or buyer-driven requirements, audit preparation should be organised.

Not rushed.

Not scattered.

Organised.

Week 1: Gather the Core Records

Start with the records that tell the story of the orchard.

This may include:

• Orchard registration or certification details
• Spray records
• Fertiliser records
• Harvest records
• Traceability records
• Water-related records
• Corrective action records
• Complaint records
• Training records
• Incident and near miss records

Do not try to fix everything in Week 1.

Just find what exists.

Check what is missing.

Make a simple list of gaps.

For kiwifruit growers and contractors, Zespri explains that registered contractors are inspected against relevant GAP sections and all GRASP requirements before receiving a Compliance Assessment Verification, or CAV.

That means contractor evidence should be part of the record check too.

By the end of Week 1, you want one clear answer:

“Do we know where our key records are?”

Week 2: Check Contractors and Worker Records

Contractors are often one of the biggest audit stress points.

This is because contractor work can affect:

• Food safety
• Worker welfare
• Spray or fertiliser compliance
• Environmental risk
• Health and safety
• Traceability

For Zespri-supplying orchards, contractors need a valid CAV for work such as labour supply, harvest, vine maintenance, spray application, and fertiliser application.

During Week 2, check:

• Which contractors worked on the orchard
• What work they completed
• Whether approval or CAV evidence is current
• Whether induction records exist
• Whether spray or fertiliser records were received
• Whether incidents or issues were followed up
• Whether contractor labour links to GRASP evidence

GRASP is the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice. GLOBALG.A.P. describes it as a checklist producers can use to assess, improve, and show responsible social practices, including labour and human rights, worker representation, and protection of children and young workers.

So worker welfare evidence matters too.

This may include:

• Employment information
• Worker communication
• Complaint processes
• Wage or time record evidence
• Training records
• Induction records
• Welfare contact information

You are not giving the auditor a story from memory.

You are showing clear evidence.

Week 3: Walk the Orchard and Check the Site

Now move from records to reality.

Walk the orchard and look at what the auditor may see.

Check:

• Chemical storage areas
• Fertiliser storage areas
• Fuel and oil storage
• Spill response equipment
• Waste areas
• Toilets and welfare facilities
• Handwashing or hygiene areas
• Signage
• First aid access
• Emergency information
• Public or visitor access points
• Sensitive environmental areas

GLOBALG.A.P. IFA is not only about food safety. It also includes environment, workers’ health, safety and welfare, production processes, and traceability.

That means the site should match the system.

If the record says spill equipment is available, is it actually there?

If the risk assessment says chemical storage is controlled, does the storage area show that?

If the induction says workers know emergency procedures, are the details visible and current?

This is where many audits become stressful.

Not because the business has done nothing.

But because the site and the records do not match.

Week 4: Fix Gaps and Prepare the Audit Folder

Week 4 is not the time to start from scratch.

It is the time to tidy, close gaps, and prepare evidence.

Focus on:

• Missing records
• Outdated documents
• Open corrective actions
• Contractor evidence gaps
• Worker welfare evidence
• Site issues found during the walk-through
• Any unclear responsibilities

Do not hide gaps.

Fix what can be fixed.

For issues that need more time, document what action is planned, who is responsible, and when it will be completed.

Auditors do not expect a perfect orchard.

But they do expect evidence that issues are known, managed, and followed up.

This is also a good time to prepare a simple audit folder or digital file.

Suggested sections:

• Certification and registration
• Orchard maps and block details
• Spray and fertiliser records
• Harvest and traceability records
• Contractor evidence
• Worker welfare and GRASP evidence
• Environmental records
• Health and safety records
• Incidents, complaints, and corrective actions

Keep it simple.

The goal is to find proof quickly.

What Growers Get Wrong Most

The common mistakes are usually very practical:

• Waiting until the week before the audit
• Keeping records in too many places
• Forgetting contractor evidence
• Not checking worker welfare records
• Leaving corrective actions open
• Having site conditions that do not match the paperwork
• Assuming the packhouse, contractor, or manager has everything covered

Audit readiness works better when responsibility is clear.

Someone should own the checklist.

Someone should check progress.

Someone should confirm the gaps are closed.

A Simple 30-Day Audit Readiness Checklist

Before the audit, ask:

• Are core orchard records complete?
• Are spray and fertiliser records clear?
• Are contractor approvals current?
• Are inductions and training records easy to find?
• Are GRASP or worker welfare records organised?
• Are environmental checks completed?
• Are open corrective actions closed or tracked?
• Does the orchard site match the paperwork?
• Can we explain the system calmly?

If the answer is “not quite,” that is useful.

It tells you where to focus.

A Note for Growers Outside New Zealand

This article is written for New Zealand orchard businesses, especially kiwifruit and avocado growers, but GLOBALG.A.P. is an international framework.

The crop may change.
The buyer may change.
The certification body may change.
The local law may change.

But the audit preparation principles are similar:

Gather records.
Check worker welfare evidence.
Review contractor controls.
Walk the site.
Fix gaps early.
Prepare clear proof.

If you operate outside New Zealand, use this structure and align it with your local legislation, buyer rules, and certification requirements.

Final Thought

GLOBALG.A.P. audit preparation does not need to be panic-driven.

A simple 30-day plan can make the process calmer.

Week 1: gather records.
Week 2: check contractors and workers.
Week 3: walk the orchard.
Week 4: fix gaps and prepare evidence.

That is the heart of audit readiness.

If you would like practical, editable templates to help organise GLOBALG.A.P. records, GRASP evidence, contractor checks, site inspections, environmental records, and audit preparation, our Way Safe Biz DIY Compliance Bundle is currently being developed.

You can register your expression of interest below.

Clear records.
Clear checks.
Audit-ready confidence.

– Esther, Way Safe Biz