Timing of the audit depends on what option(s) the operation is certified to, as well as what types of commodities and activities they are involved in. Complex operations may find, depending on the activities and crops involved, as well as their certification option, that a number of audits over several years are required before certification reflects the full scope of their business.
Additional guidance for certification bodies is outlined in Section 3.3.5.4.3 Audit Scheduling and in Appendix III.2 of the Management System Manual. The Management Manual contains relevant information on audit scoping, timing and scheduling for complex operations and outlines basic principles for program participants who have operations with multiple commodities, multiple activities, more than one certification option, or numerous production sites. To access the Management Manual click here.
More specific FAQs about audit timing of complex operations can be found on the following page.