GlobalG.A.P. Certification Scheme Overview

GlobalG.A.P. is a farm certification scheme that promotes good agricultural practices and the production of primary products in a safe manner while taking into account worker welfare and health.

What is GlobalG.A.P.?

Global Good Agricultural Practice (GlobalG.A.P.) is an internationally recognised certification standard that promotes Good Agricultural Practices under a strict set of procedures focusing on agricultural produce, livestock, and aquaculture. GlobalG.A.P. set out international standards to safeguard food safety, animal welfare, and environmental protection. GlobalG.A.P.’s objectives are safe, sustainable agriculture worldwide that guarantees retailers and consumers standardised criteria on food safety and hygiene methods like HACCP while considering wellbeing, protection, and safety of employees.

Global Gap fruit and vegetable standards are based on good cultural practices in farming such as soil management, pest control of the produce pre and postharvest, and packing and storage practices. The compliance with the standards about the sourcing of livestock feedlots, on-farm handling of livestock and transportation is outlined by Global GAP under livestock certification. Under aquaculture, Global GAP complies with the Global Seafood Sustainable Initiative and sets standards concerning legal compliance, food safety, safety and health of workers, risk assessment on social practices, animal welfare, and environmental and ecological care.

Why do producers need to implement GlobalGAP?

Many retailers are demanding their suppliers and producers to adopt principles of Good Agricultural Practice that are regulated to promote good food hygiene and safety and prioritise consumer health. For this reason, Global GAP has become one of the most popular standards required by retailers and consumers for primary farming. Global GAP offers recognised and respected certification standards on agricultural food crops, livestock, and Aquaculture.

To become Global GAP certified, producers can either apply to a certification body individually or as a group by implementing a quality management system following the Global GAP requirements. It is recommended that producers seek assistance from accredited farm assurer consultants trained and approved by Global GAP, such as ASC Food Safety Consultants, to prepare the farm’s audit by accredited Certification Bodies (CB).

Benefits of GlobalGAP Certification

Producers can benefit immensely from implementing Global GAP. They benefit by employing cost-effective processes that improve product quality which requires that producers use certified raw materials. Furthermore, producers are encouraged to use modern farming practices that minimise environmental harm, reduce health risks, and promote safe food production. Moreover, producers get market access and trace their product along the value chain, trade, or collaborate with other Global GAP compliant producers using their Global Gap Number (GGN).

On the other hand, buyers enjoy obtaining certified food safety products with the absence of chemical, biological and physical hazards that value consumers’ health. Accessibility to a network of certified producers that are easily traceable, which promotes integrity, transparency, and cost-effective measures that need no intermediary, is one of the benefits that a buyer enjoys under Global GAP.

To ensure safe food and good health, Global GAP promotes the control of pests to minimum levels by employing Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Integrated Crop Management, Quality Management System (QMS), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). For food producers, it is crucial to be Global GAP when targeting an international market or planning to export food produce. Moreover, Global Gap provides easy access to the local and international market, improved internal audits, and good quality products.

In addition to the existing Global GAP certified standards, In July 2015, Version 5, an Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) certificate, was published, which subsequently came into effect in 2016. This version 5 has gone under a series of updates until recently in 2020 where an application for V5.4 was logged to make it Good Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) compliant for fruit and vegetable, and Aquaculture. Producers need to note that only V5.3 and V5.4 are GFSI compliant. Therefore, all export producers serving the GFSI market must attain either of these certificates to comply. The difference between V5.3 and V5.4 are procedures and regulations regarding Aquaculture and fruits and vegetable criteria.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Global GAP benefits food producers remarkably by creating access to the international market for export opportunities, obtaining retailer confidence by meeting food safety demands eliminating health risks, and sourcing raw material from a certified pool of suppliers. By winning consumer confidence, farmers’ profitability is tremendously increased while auditing assessment increases efficiency towards sustainable, environmentally friendly, and globally recognised food safety standards.

Key facts

• GLOBALG.A.P. (Global Good Agricultural Practice) is an internationally recognised certification standard promoting Good Agricultural Practices across agricultural produce, livestock and aquaculture.
• It safeguards food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection and worker wellbeing, giving retailers and consumers standardised food safety and hygiene criteria alongside methods like HACCP.
• Retailers increasingly require suppliers and producers to be certified, making GLOBALG.A.P. one of the most popular standards for primary farming and essential for producers targeting export or international markets.
• Producers can certify individually or as a group by implementing a quality management system, ideally with help from accredited farm assurer consultants or Certification Bodies approved by GLOBALG.A.P.
• Benefits include improved product quality, market access, full traceability along the value chain, and the ability to trade using a Global GAP Number (GGN).
• Only versions V5.3 and V5.4 are GFSI compliant, so export producers serving the GFSI market must attain one of these certificates.

Frequently asked questions

What is GLOBALG.A.P. certification?

GLOBALG.A.P. (Global Good Agricultural Practice) is an internationally recognised certification standard that promotes Good Agricultural Practices under a strict set of procedures. It applies to agricultural produce, livestock and aquaculture, and aims to safeguard food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection and employee wellbeing. It gives retailers and consumers standardised criteria on food safety and hygiene methods like HACCP.

Why do producers need GLOBALG.A.P. certification?

Many retailers now require their suppliers and producers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices that promote food hygiene, safety and consumer health, which has made GLOBALG.A.P. one of the most popular standards for primary farming. It is especially important for producers targeting international markets or planning to export food produce. Certification helps meet retailer demands and open access to both local and international markets.

What does GLOBALG.A.P. certification cover?

It covers three main sectors. For fruit and vegetables, standards address soil management, pre- and post-harvest pest control, and packing and storage. For livestock, it covers feedlot sourcing, on-farm handling and transportation. For aquaculture, it complies with the Global Seafood Sustainable Initiative and covers legal compliance, food safety, worker health and safety, social practice risk assessment, animal welfare and environmental care.

Which GLOBALG.A.P. versions are GFSI compliant?

Only versions V5.3 and V5.4 are GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) compliant. Export producers serving the GFSI market must attain one of these certificates to comply. The main differences between V5.3 and V5.4 relate to procedures and regulations for aquaculture and for fruit and vegetable criteria.

How do producers get GLOBALG.A.P. certified?

Producers can apply either individually or as a group by implementing a quality management system. The article recommends seeking help from accredited farm assurer consultants who are trained and approved by GLOBALG.A.P., or from accredited Certification Bodies (CB). Certified producers can then trade and collaborate using a Global GAP Number (GGN).

What are the benefits of GLOBALG.A.P. certification?

For producers, benefits include cost-effective processes that improve product quality, modern farming practices that reduce environmental harm and health risks, market access and full product traceability along the value chain. For buyers, it provides certified food safety products free of chemical, biological and physical hazards and access to a traceable network of certified producers. It supports control mechanisms such as Integrated Pest Management, Integrated Crop Management, a Quality Management System and HACCP.