The Joining Process

Joining the SPCA Blue Tick® accreditation 

We are always pleased to talk to farmers interested in joining the SPCA Blue Tick® accreditation to accredit or improve their farming practices to high animal welfare approved operations.

All farmers wishing to join the SPCA Blue Tick® accreditation must adhere to our stringent high animal welfare standards to ensure the best treatment possible for the animals. 

SPCA Blue Tick® approval can only be granted after a successful initial assessment completed by an independent consultant extensively trained to our SPCA Blue Tick® standards.

The consultant will provide you with guidance on meeting our SPCA Blue Tick® standards and answer any questions you might have. If there are any CARs (Corrective Action Requirements) captured during the initial assessment, you'll need to correct these by adjusting some of your farming practices to meet our SPCA Blue Tick® standards. Once the CARs are corrected and closed, you will be issued a SPCA Blue Tick® 'Certificate of Approval' for your farm, confirming you successfully meet our SPCA Blue Tick® standards.

A few more points to take note of before applying:

  • Your farm will be independently audited annually to our stringent high animal welfare standards. The standards are compiled by several animal welfare experts and are based on scientific evidence and other current best practice policies
  • Throughout the year our independent auditors will also conduct unannounced (random) audits to ensure you are farming to our SPCA Blue Tick® standards all year round
       
  • Whilst we can’t be on your farm 24/7, this is the standard auditing process we apply all year round to monitor and ensure the SPCA Blue Tick® approved farms adhere to our stringent high animal welfare standards. The auditing and CAR system enables us to avoid any discrepancy with our approved farmed products, reassuring consumers our farms are monitored and are held accountable
  • If CARs are identified during an annual or unannounced audit, the CAR process is put to action and should it be a critical CAR, SPCA Blue Tick® is notified within 24 hours resulting in an immediate closure
  • We also audit the packing area in line with the segregation / traceability processes that are in place. Whilst we annually and randomly audit the packing area of our producers / distributors backed up by segregation process documentation, we have also started reconciling internal data of monthly numbers of SPCA Blue Tick® farmed products compared to sales
  • We work together with our farmers to improve overall animal welfare and convert conventional, to high welfare approved systems in a commercially sustainable way. The SPCA Blue Tick® drives improved welfare with solutions that make the change affordable for farmers in the long term, and their produce within means for most consumers

The joining process is as follows:

1. First of all, please read through our SPCA Blue Tick® standards to assess whether you're able to meet our high animal welfare farming practices    

2. If you believe your farm will qualify or if you are willing to correct potential CARs to become SPCA Blue Tick® approved, simply fill in the below form and the SPCA Blue Tick® Business Unit Manager will contact you

First Name
 
Last Name
 
Email Address
 
New Zealand Phone Number
 
Postcode
 
Species

 
Location

 
Message

 
Yes, I would like to receive information about SPCA Blue Tick (News, Special Promotions, Products, or Other)

 

3. We'll then send you a category specific initial assessment applicant form to complete

4. The initial assessment will be booked and carried out by an independent consultant contracted to the SPCA who has been extensively trained to our SPCA Blue Tick® standards. The initial assessment will be at your cost, an hourly recharge of our consultant fees (including any disbursements such as meal and travel costs)

5. The consultant will provide guidance on meeting our SPCA Blue Tick® standards and answer any questions you have. If there are any CARs (Corrective Action Requirements) captured during the initial assessment, you'll need to correct these by adjusting some of your farming practices to meet our SPCA Blue Tick® standards. Once the CARs are corrected and close, you will be issued a SPCA Blue Tick® 'Certificate of Approval' for your farm, confirming you successfully meet our SPCA Blue Tick® standards

6. Once the SPCA Blue Tick® 'Certificate of Approval' is issued, your farm will be added to the Licensing Agreement we have with your Distributor to officialise you as a SPCA Blue Tick® approved farmer. This in return means that you will have to abide to the terms and conditions of the legal Licensing Distributor Agreement in force

7. If you happen to be a layer hen farmer acting as a distributor at the same time, you will pay royalties to the SPCA Blue Tick®, an approach that would be welcomed by consumers to lower costs in the supply chain. The other product categories (chicken and pork), the distributors/consumer brands that buy SPCA Blue Tick® approved produce from you will pay the royalties directly to the SPCA Blue Tick® accreditation

8. Should you decide to leave the SPCA Blue Tick® accreditation, you and your distributor won't be able to make claims such as 'farming to SPCA Blue Tick® standards'. Since you are no longer in the accreditation, such claims won't be able to be backed by our proof. This is on the basis that the SPCA Blue Tick® standards can only be met after confirmation by the Royal New Zealand SPCA employee or an third party auditor contracted by Royal New Zealand SPCA who has been trained to our SPCA Blue Tick® standards

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