5 Mistakes Kenyan Farmers Make During Agricultural Certification Audits — And Exactly What to Do Instead

Every Kenyan farm that has completed thorough preparation for its GLOBALG.A.P certification audit can still lose the certification on audit day — through a small number of specific conduct mistakes that undermine the auditor’s confidence in the farm’s management integrity. This article is about those mistakes.

Preparation mistakes — incomplete records, non-compliant pesticide programmes, broken traceability chains, chemical store deficiencies — are covered in our companion guide: 7 Farm Audit Mistakes That Cost Kenyan Farms Their GLOBALG.A.P Certification. Read that guide first if your audit is more than 3 weeks away. Then read this guide to understand what happens on the day itself.

This article draws directly from Agrosocial Services’ experience supporting Kenyan farms and cooperatives through IFA v6 certification audits across 12 counties. The 5 mistakes described here are real patterns observed repeatedly across real Kenyan farm audits — not theoretical risks. Every one of them is avoidable with the right preparation and the right mindset on audit day.

The Audit Day Timeline — What to Expect Hour by Hour

Understanding what happens at each stage of a GLOBALG.A.P audit day is the foundation of correct conduct. Most of the mistakes in this article happen because farm managers do not understand what the auditor is doing at each stage — and react incorrectly as a result.

Mistake 1 — Coaching Workers on What to Say Before Their Private Interviews

The mistake in detail

In the days or hours before the external audit, a farm manager who knows their workers have not genuinely absorbed the training content — or who is uncertain whether workers will give the “right” answers — tells workers what to say in response to specific questions. Sometimes this involves a group rehearsal session the day before. Sometimes it involves handing workers a written list of answers. Sometimes it is simply an informal conversation telling workers to say they “know” something they actually do not know.

This approach is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how experienced certification body auditors conduct worker interviews. Experienced auditors are specifically trained to identify coached responses — and they are very good at it.

How auditors detect coaching

• Identical, word-perfect answers across multiple workers. If four workers independently give exactly the same phrasing to the question “what do you do if you see a food safety hazard on the farm?” — they were coached. Genuine knowledge produces varied, naturally-phrased answers. Coaching produces uniform answers that reflect the script they were given.
• Workers who can answer the scripted questions but not related follow-up questions. An auditor who receives a rehearsed answer will ask a follow-up question that was not in the script — “and if you couldn’t find that person, who would you go to?” A worker who genuinely knows the answer answers naturally. A worker who was coached cannot respond.
• Answers that are inconsistent with observable farm reality. A worker who says “we always wear full PPE during spraying” in their interview — but the auditor observed spray operators without correct PPE during the farm walk — has given an answer that contradicts observed reality. Whether the answer was coached or simply incorrect, it raises a red flag about the worker interview process.
• Workers who are nervous in ways inconsistent with genuine knowledge. A worker who genuinely knows what they were trained on answers audit questions the same way they would answer any other question about their work. A worker who was coached is often visibly tense, looks toward the farm manager before answering, and hesitates in ways that suggest they are trying to recall a script rather than knowledge.

What to do instead

The correct approach is year-round training — not pre-audit coaching. Workers who have genuinely been trained on food hygiene, PPE use, first aid location, Workers’ Representative processes, and grievance mechanisms throughout the certification year will answer auditor questions naturally and correctly without any pre-audit intervention. The only appropriate pre-audit worker briefing is telling them that an audit is happening, that an auditor will ask them some questions privately, and that they should answer all questions honestly based on what they genuinely know.

If you discover in the week before an audit that workers do not know the information the auditor will ask about — the correct response is a genuine refresher training session (documented with a training record), not a coaching session. Genuine training that actually transfers knowledge is very different from coaching that attempts to transfer scripted answers. Auditors can tell the difference.

Mistake 2 — Arguing With the Auditor About Findings

The mistake in detail

When a GLOBALG.A.P auditor identifies a non-conformance during the farm walk or the records review — particularly one the farm manager believes is incorrect, minor, or unfair — a natural human reaction is to push back. To explain why the auditor is wrong. To argue that other farms do the same thing and pass. To point out that this was not raised in previous audit cycles. To insist that the finding should be classified differently.

This approach consistently makes the outcome worse — never better.

Why arguing makes the audit outcome worse

Certification body auditors are professional risk assessors. When a farm manager argues defensively about a specific finding, the auditor’s risk assessment of the farm’s management integrity increases. A farm manager who argues with auditor findings is signalling — consciously or not — that they are not genuinely committed to compliance, but to compliance-on-paper. This signal triggers more rigorous scrutiny of every subsequent finding in the audit.

An auditor who finds a straightforward non-conformance that the farm manager accepts professionally and acknowledges will proceed through the remaining audit areas without elevated vigilance. The same auditor who finds the same non-conformance and is met with defensive argument will scrutinise the remaining audit areas with a heightened awareness that this farm manager may be managing presentation rather than managing compliance.

What to do instead

When the auditor identifies a finding:

1. Listen to the full explanation before responding. Do not interrupt to defend before you fully understand what the auditor has found and why it is a non-conformance under the standard.
2. Acknowledge the finding clearly. “I understand what you have found and I will address this” is the appropriate response to a non-conformance. Not agreeing that the farm is non-compliant — acknowledging that the auditor has identified something for resolution.
3. Ask clarifying questions if the finding is genuinely unclear. “To understand this correctly — are you saying the issue is X, or that the documentation of X is insufficient?” is a professional clarifying question. “This is wrong because other farms do the same thing and passed” is not.
4. If you believe a finding is factually incorrect — present the evidence calmly during the closing meeting without arguing. “I believe the document you were looking for is here — could you confirm whether this satisfies the requirement?” is different from “You are wrong and that is compliant.” The first invites the auditor to reconsider based on evidence. The second is adversarial.
5. Raise formal disagreements through the certification body’s appeal process — not by arguing on the day. Every accredited certification body has a formal findings appeal process. If you believe a finding is genuinely incorrect after the audit, submit a formal appeal with evidence within the specified timeframe. This is the appropriate professional channel for contested findings.

Mistake 3 — Steering the Farm Walk Away From Problem Areas

The mistake in detail

A farm manager who knows there is a compliance gap in a specific area of the farm — a chemical store with inadequate bunding, a field section where PPE has not been worn during spray operations, a worker facility that does not meet minimum standards — may attempt to steer the auditor’s farm walk route to avoid that area. This might involve suggesting a different route through the farm, creating a time distraction that causes the area to be skipped, or actively walking past the area quickly without stopping.

Experienced GLOBALG.A.P auditors are specifically trained to notice avoidance behaviour. They have conducted hundreds of farm audits and recognise route management. When an auditor senses they are being steered away from an area, their immediate response is to specifically insist on inspecting that area — and to approach it with heightened scrutiny.

What avoidance behaviour looks like to an experienced auditor

• A farm walk route that systematically avoids the chemical store, a specific field section, or worker facilities — areas that should be high-priority stops on any farm walk.
• A farm manager who provides an unsolicited explanation for why a specific area “is not relevant” to the audit.
• Attempts to distract the auditor with extensive conversation or documentation review immediately before they would naturally approach a problem area.
• Physical body language — blocking access to a building or room, walking quickly past an area, looking away from specific areas during the farm walk.

What to do instead

If there is a known compliance gap on audit day — acknowledge it proactively. Before beginning the farm walk, if you know there is an issue in a specific area, tell the auditor: “I want to flag that our chemical store bunding was damaged recently and we have ordered the repair materials — I will show you the current situation and the repair plan.” This approach accomplishes several things simultaneously: it demonstrates honest management transparency, it gives the auditor context before they see the issue, and it signals that the farm management is aware of and actively managing compliance — which is exactly what a professional auditor wants to see.

A proactively disclosed issue is still a non-conformance — but the auditor’s assessment of the farm’s management integrity is significantly different when the farm manager discloses it than when the auditor discovers it has been concealed. That difference in perceived management integrity can affect how the auditor classifies ambiguous findings throughout the rest of the audit.

Mistake 4 — Presenting Documents Selectively or Incompletely

The mistake in detail

During the records review phase, a farm manager who knows their records have gaps for certain months or certain field sections may attempt to present only the sections of the records that are complete — leaving the incomplete sections in a separate folder, in a different location, or simply not mentioned. The farm manager presents the full period’s pesticide records for Fields F1 and F2 but not for Field F3, where spray records were missed for three months. Or presents training records from the most recent training session but not from the earlier session where attendance was poor.

How auditors detect selective document presentation

GLOBALG.A.P auditors are trained to request the complete records set — not the records the farm manager volunteers. They will specifically ask for records covering specific date ranges, specific fields, and specific record categories. When records are not immediately produced on request — or when a farm manager seems uncertain about where specific records are — the auditor’s suspicion increases that records have been selectively presented.

Auditors also cross-reference records against each other. A pesticide application record showing a spray application on Field F3 on a specific date, combined with an absence of a corresponding harvest record for Field F3 or an absence of a PHI entry for that application — creates an internal inconsistency that triggers a more detailed review of all F3 records.

What to do instead

Make your complete records file immediately available at the start of the audit. Organise it clearly — one section per record category, all dates covered, all fields represented. If records for certain periods are incomplete — the correct approach is to have completed those records contemporaneously throughout the certification year, which our farm records guide explains in full.

If records are genuinely incomplete — acknowledge the gap proactively. “Our harvest records for Field F3 from February are incomplete — the harvest supervisor was away during that period and we have identified this as a gap to address.” This is a Minor Must non-conformance. Selective presentation that conceals the gap and is later detected is a Major Must non-conformance or worse — because it signals intentional concealment rather than a management gap.

Mistake 5 — Leaving the Auditor Unaccompanied at Any Point

The mistake in detail

A GLOBALG.A.P audit is an all-day event — sometimes running 7–8 hours for larger farms or group certification audits. For a busy Kenyan farm manager, the temptation to step away from the audit to attend to other farm operational matters is real. Phone calls, staff management issues, buyer communications — the farm does not stop because the audit is happening. Some farm managers delegate portions of the audit to junior staff who lack complete knowledge of the compliance systems. Others simply disappear for extended periods during the records review.

Why unaccompanied auditors create problems

When an auditor is left alone with farm records or is accompanied by junior staff who cannot answer questions about the farm’s compliance systems, two problems arise. First, the auditor observes or reads things that they cannot get contextual explanations for — and incomplete context typically leads to a more conservative interpretation of findings. Second, an unaccompanied auditor on the farm walk observes conditions without the farm manager being present to provide context or to demonstrate systems that are not immediately apparent from visual inspection alone.

There is also a more fundamental integrity issue. An audit is a professional engagement between the certification body and the farm. A farm manager who is not present for significant portions of the audit is signalling that the audit is not a priority. This signal contributes to the auditor’s overall assessment of the farm’s management commitment to compliance.

What to do instead

Treat the audit day as your most important operational priority of the year — because it is. Block the entire day in your calendar. Delegate all other farm management responsibilities to a capable deputy for the audit day. Silence your phone during audit stages (except for genuine emergencies — which you brief the auditor on briefly if they occur). Designate one knowledgeable farm staff member to be available to assist with specific practical tasks (carrying records, opening facilities, locating workers for interviews) so that your full attention is on accompanying and engaging with the auditor professionally throughout the day.

What Auditors Observe That Farm Managers Don’t Realise They Are Noticing

Beyond the formal audit checklist, experienced GLOBALG.A.P auditors are gathering information throughout the day that informs their professional risk assessment of the farm. Most farm managers are not aware of all the things an auditor observes — because they are not listed in the GLOBALG.A.P standard but they significantly influence the auditor’s professional judgment.

Farm manager demeanour and consistency

An experienced auditor notes whether the farm manager’s manner is consistent throughout the day — relaxed and professional when discussing areas they are confident in, and equally relaxed when discussing areas where the auditor raises questions. A farm manager who is calm during record review but visibly tense during the farm walk near the chemical store is providing information about where the compliance gaps are likely to be.

The condition of the farm on arrival — before the formal audit begins

What the auditor observes from the farm entrance to the meeting room before the formal audit opening tells them about the farm’s ongoing management standard. Spray equipment left near the entrance with open containers. Workers without appropriate workwear in food handling areas. A farm that is clearly under unusual preparation activity (freshly painted signage, staff who appear to have just arrived) versus one that shows consistent everyday management. None of these observations are formal audit checklist items — but they all inform the auditor’s professional risk assessment.

How farm staff interact with the auditor naturally

When the auditor encounters farm workers outside the formal interview process — asking a worker in the field where the first aid kit is, or observing workers’ PPE use during normal operations — those natural observations carry significant weight. A worker who confidently directs the auditor to the first aid kit confirms training effectiveness in a way that a formal interview cannot. A worker who looks confused by the question contradicts the training records that claim the worker attended a first aid location training session.

The Closing Meeting — How to Handle It Professionally

The closing meeting is the most important conversation of the entire audit day. This is where the auditor presents their preliminary findings, classifies non-conformances, and explains the corrective action process and timelines. How you conduct yourself during the closing meeting significantly affects both the auditor’s final assessment and your relationship with the certification body going forward.

What to do during the closing meeting

After the Audit — Responding to the NCR Correctly

The certification body will send a formal Non-Conformance Report (NCR) within 5–10 working days of the audit. How you respond to the NCR determines whether you receive your certificate efficiently or extend the process unnecessarily.

NCR response best practices

• Respond to every finding — not just the ones you find easiest. A corrective action submission that addresses 7 of 9 findings is not accepted. Every finding requires a response with specific evidence of corrective action.
• Provide photographic evidence for physical corrective actions. If you repaired the chemical store bunding — submit dated photographs showing the completed repair. If you replaced damaged PPE — submit a photograph of the new PPE and a receipt showing the purchase date.
• Provide training records for knowledge and competency corrective actions. If a finding relates to workers not knowing their rights — the corrective action is a documented training session with signed attendance records confirming the training took place after the audit date.
• Address root cause — not just the symptom. A corrective action submission that says “we have now completed the missing pesticide records” does not address the root cause of why records were not maintained contemporaneously. A submission that says “we have completed the missing records and implemented a weekly record check procedure (procedure document attached) to prevent recurrence” addresses both the symptom and the root cause — and is significantly more likely to satisfy the certification body’s review.
• Submit before the deadline — not on the deadline. Certification body NCR review teams process submissions in order received. A corrective action submitted 5 days before the deadline is reviewed sooner and any additional questions are more easily resolved within the remaining corrective action period.

Unannounced Audits Under IFA v6 — What Changed and Why It Matters

Under GLOBALG.A.P IFA v6, approximately 10% of recertification audits within a certification body’s portfolio are conducted unannounced — within the standard annual audit count. This means the auditor arrives at the farm on a randomly selected date within the certification cycle without any prior notification. For Kenyan certified farms, this change has a fundamental implication: the farm must be audit-ready on any given day — not just on the scheduled audit date.

The 5 audit day conduct mistakes described in this article are particularly relevant to unannounced audits — because on an unannounced audit day, there is no time to prepare workers, organise records, or present the farm in a curated manner. Whatever state the farm is in when the auditor arrives is what the auditor assesses.

What unannounced audit readiness means in practice

• Farm records must be maintained contemporaneously every week — not completed in bulk before a scheduled audit. See our farm records guide for the year-round record system.
• The chemical store must be compliant every day — not cleaned and organised the day before the audit.
• Workers must genuinely know their rights and the farm’s practices every day — not be briefed on answers the morning of a known audit.
• PPE must be worn by spray operators on every spray day — not just when an auditor might observe them.
• The farm manager or a knowledgeable deputy must be contactable when the auditor arrives — even when the audit is unannounced.

The practical implication: Farms that achieve GLOBALG.A.P certification through genuine year-round compliance management are not significantly disrupted by unannounced audits — because the auditor observes the same farm they always present on a scheduled audit day. Farms that manage their compliance presentation rather than their actual compliance are at significant risk from the 10% unannounced audit selection — because on an unannounced day, the actual state of the farm is visible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a certification body auditor show up unannounced to a Kenyan farm?

Yes. Under GLOBALG.A.P IFA v6, approximately 10% of recertification audits are conducted unannounced within the standard annual certification count. If your farm is selected, the auditor arrives without prior notice. This is why the farm must be audit-ready on any given day — not just on the scheduled audit date. Unannounced audits assess whether the farm maintains year-round compliance or only performs compliance during scheduled inspections.

What should a Kenyan farm manager do when a GLOBALG.A.P auditor arrives?

Greet the auditor professionally and confirm their identity and certification body credentials. Provide a brief, factual introduction to the farm. Immediately make the complete farm records file available without selective presentation. Accompany the auditor throughout the entire audit including the farm walk. Answer all questions directly and honestly. Do not leave the auditor unaccompanied. Do not attend or observe worker private interviews — make workers available privately as requested.

What do GLOBALG.A.P auditors look for during worker interviews in Kenya?

Auditors ask workers about: food hygiene rules on the farm; correct PPE use; what to do if they observe a food safety hazard; where the first aid kit is; who their Workers’ Representative is and how they were elected; when they were last trained; where to report workplace complaints; and their employment rights. They specifically look for genuine knowledge versus rehearsed answers — asking follow-up questions and cross-checking answers between workers. Workers who were coached give identical, word-perfect answers; workers with genuine knowledge give naturally varied responses.

How should a Kenyan farm manager brief workers before a GLOBALG.A.P audit?

Tell workers that an audit is happening, that an auditor will ask them some questions privately, and that they should answer all questions honestly based on what they genuinely know. Do NOT coach workers on specific answers — this is treated as deliberate misrepresentation if detected, which experienced auditors do reliably. The correct approach is year-round training that ensures workers genuinely know the information before audit day arrives. If workers lack genuine knowledge a week before the audit, conduct a genuine refresher training session — not a coaching session for specific anticipated questions.

What happens to a certified farm that fails an unannounced inspection?

Non-conformances found in an unannounced inspection trigger the same corrective action process as a scheduled audit. If the farm’s compliance status during the unannounced inspection differs significantly from its scheduled audit performance — suggesting the farm only performs compliance when an audit is known — the certification body investigates whether the certificate was obtained under conditions not genuinely maintained year-round. This can result in certificate suspension or withdrawal. Genuine year-round compliance management makes unannounced audits straightforward — because the farm’s everyday state is the same as its audit-day state.

Should a Kenyan farm manager be present during the auditor’s farm walk?

Yes — throughout the entire farm walk. The farm manager answers factual questions about operations, identifies field blocks and production areas, and facilitates the auditor’s observations. Do not steer the auditor away from any area — auditors interpret avoidance as concealment and specifically investigate areas being avoided. If there is a known compliance gap, disclose it proactively before the farm walk begins: “I want to flag that our chemical store has an issue we are in the process of correcting — here is the situation and our corrective plan.” Proactive disclosure demonstrates management integrity; concealment undermines it.

What should a Kenyan farm do if an auditor identifies a non-conformance during the audit?

Listen to the full explanation. Acknowledge the finding professionally — “I understand what you have found and I will address this.” Ask clarifying questions if the finding is not clear. Do not argue defensively. If additional evidence exists that may resolve the finding, present it calmly. Raise genuine disagreements through the certification body’s formal appeal process after the audit — not by arguing on the day. After the audit, respond to the NCR with specific evidenced corrective actions before the deadline, addressing both the symptom and the root cause of each finding.

Is it acceptable to offer food or drinks to a GLOBALG.A.P auditor during a Kenya farm audit?

Light refreshments — water, tea, a simple meal during a full-day audit — are acceptable and appropriate in the Kenyan professional context. Gifts, money, or anything that could be perceived as influencing the audit outcome is prohibited under all certification body codes of conduct. An auditor who receives such an offer is required to report it, resulting in immediate audit invalidation. Professional hospitality is appropriate. Anything that could create a perception of conflict of interest is not.

Agrosocial Services Limited is Kenya’s specialist agricultural certification and export market consultancy, serving farms, cooperatives, and agri-exporters across 12 counties since 2018. The 5 audit day conduct mistakes in this article are based on direct observations from supporting Kenyan farms and cooperatives through GLOBALG.A.P IFA v6 certification audits from 2018 to 2026. For pre-audit preparation support, audit day coaching, or corrective action assistance, contact us at info@agrosocialservices.co.ke or WhatsApp +254 725 042 234. Last reviewed: May 2026.