Image of stakeholders during a hybrid committee meeting

About GLOBALG.A.P.

Technical committees

Technical committees consist of representatives from GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member organizations in the categories of producer/supplier and retail/food service. With members chosen for fixed terms of four years, their primary focus is the maintenance, interpretation, and revision of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons, rules, and regulations.

Harnessing global expertise

What are technical committees?

Comprised of representatives from GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member organizations in the categories of producer/supplier and retail/food service, technical committee participants represent all major regions of GLOBALG.A.P. operations – Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania – either directly or through their company affiliation. They play an integral role in both the development of our smart farm assurance solutions, the approval of national interpretation guidelines (NIGs), and in addressing urgent issues affecting the industry as a whole.

What are the responsibilities of a technical committee?

Technical experts 2, Technical experts, committees, focus groups, GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat, governance, interpretation
Overseeing the maintenance

and proper interpretation of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons

Consultation 1, Consultation, input, feedback, exchange, alignment, CBC, other committee, certification body committee
Consulting on standard developments

and making recommendations to the GLOBALG.A.P. Advisory Board

Strategy 2, Strategy, collaboration, discussion, peer review, decision-making, consultation
Evaluating input and proposals

received from the topic-specific focus groups

Consultation 2, Consultation, peer review, input, technical expert, ISC, Integrity Surveillance Committee, other committee
Participating in the peer review

and approval of new NIGs

Document 3, Document, general regulations, general rules, guidelines, normative
Preparing guidance documents

on specific aspects of production

Consultation 3, Consultation, peer review, risk assessment, industry, challenge, input
Discussing urgent issues,

trends, or challenges affecting the industry as a whole

How do technical committees work?

Technical committees are composed of GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members that represent experts in their respective fields. They work in close collaboration with a GLOBALG.A.P. Advisory Board liaison and a GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat representative assigned by the executive management.

This system enables direct stakeholder input on a wide range of technical topics, from standard revisions and focus group proposals to guidelines on specific aspects of production. In some cases, the Advisory Board may also appoint observers to help with information exchange.

Members of technical committees are chosen by the Advisory Board for fixed terms – typically four years – and can serve a maximum of three consecutive terms (12 years in total). Meeting dates are agreed by members, with sessions taking place both in person and virtually.

At the first meeting of a technical committee, a chairperson and vice-chairperson are elected. Any member of the technical committee can nominate themselves, and they are then responsible for organizing and moderating the meetings. The positions are held for the duration of the member’s term.

There are currently five active technical committees:

Why join a technical committee?

  • Help shape the future of GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions

  • Support the local adaptation of our standards and add-ons through the approval of NIGs, advancing fit-for-purpose solutions and cost-effective audit processes around the world

  • Contribute your expertise to the creation of technical guidelines

  • Discuss industry challenges, trends, and insights with diverse global stakeholders

Direct collaboration with the industry

How can I join a technical committee?

Open seats are always published in the technical committee overviews below. The application form must be accompanied by a letter of motivation and at least two letters of recommendation from existing GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members in the applicant’s peer group. This information is then evaluated and sent to the GLOBALG.A.P. Advisory Board for a decision.

Five steps to joining a technical committee

Image of a technical experts identifying focus areas

When open seats on a technical committee are available, a public call for participation will be published on the GLOBALG.A.P. website and sent to all relevant GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members.

Interested parties should first read the terms of reference for technical committees to understand the roles and responsibilities of the respective technical committee.

Image of a person submitting an online application

Interested parties can apply to the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat via the online application form. The form requires information about professional experience, a letter of motivation, and a minimum of two letters of recommendations from GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members from the same member category as the applicant’s organization.

Image of a person receiving confirmation of a successful application

The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat evaluates all incoming applications and prepares a summary for the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board reviews the applicants and then appoints the new technical committee members based on the information in the letters of motivation and recommendation.

Image of technical committee members following acceptance of new applicants

Technical committee members are reassigned by the Advisory Board every four years following the conclusion of the term. This process takes into account sufficient continuity and knowledge transfer, therefore not all members are replaced. All active participants are transparently published on the GLOBALG.A.P. website, including information on name, country, organization, and duration of service.

Image of producers holding young plants

GLOBALG.A.P. Community membership

Become a GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member and join a technical committee to help us shape the evolution of safer and more sustainable farming practices across the globe!

View the full list

Active technical committees

There are five active technical committees covering standards for fruit and vegetables and aquaculture, the GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody (CoC) standard, the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) add-on, and the rules and regulations that govern the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system.

Active technical committees

Latest news

A promotional banner for Summit 2024 - Shaping the future of farming together, 10-12 September 2024, Warsaw, Poland

27 February 2024

Join us at SUMMIT 2024: Early Bird tickets now on sale!

For the first time since 2018 in Peru, the SUMMIT event will return in September 2024 in Warsaw, Poland, to explore the latest developments in food safety and sustainability, as well as the future of the industry.

Capacity building
Animal welfare
Aquaculture
Plants
Environmental sustainability
Food safety
Traceability
Workers’ well-being
Stakeholders holding signs related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the GLOBALG.A.P. booth at Fruit Logistica 2024 in Berlin.

26 February 2024

An impactful Fruit Logistica 2024

Fruit Logistica 2024 provided the stage for tens of thousands of individuals from across the fresh produce supply chain to connect, network, and discover the latest developments and innovations in the industry.

Plants
Fruit and vegetables
Core solutions
Add-ons to core solutions
Environmental sustainability
Food safety
Workers’ well-being

FAQ

Upcoming events

20 Mar

2024

Flowers and Ornamentals Focus Group meeting

Location: Online
Event type: Meeting
Event format: Virtual

Flowers and ornamentals

17 Apr

2024

Flowers and Ornamentals Focus Group meeting

Location: Online
Event type: Meeting
Event format: Virtual

Flowers and ornamentals
Image of a customer support agent advising a stakeholder

Contact us

For questions about the GLOBALG.A.P. committees, please contact us at committees@globalgap.org.