Integrity & Assurance
SQC Assurance Scheme
The purpose of the Scottish Quality Crops Assurance Scheme is to give consumers and the trade confidence in the standards of production of assured crops in Scotland.
SQC provides the assurance scheme for combinable crops grown in Scotland.
The scheme is a set of quality standards which demonstrate good practice in crop management including responsible use of fertiliser, crop protection product, growing and safe storage.
The scheme assists farmers to meet their obligations under the Food Safety Act 1990 required for any product going into the food supply chain.
The aim is to create a baseline set of quality assurance standards that is recognised by multiple buyers and markets so members can access a wide range of markets with a singular certification. This reduces the need for each customer in the supply chain to undertake its own audit, minimising farm audits for growers.
The standards are independently certified on farm by certification body, Food Integrity Assurance (FIA) through an annual visit, and further visits as required.
>> Find out more about how SQC sets the Standards: SQC Standards Setting
