How does GLOBALG.A.P. promote food safety?

Our standards enable the implementation of procedures that minimize food safety risks at farm level and allow producers to reliably demonstrate their responsible production processes through GAP certification. As a result, suppliers and retailers in the value chain can source products with confidence, protecting their reputation and building trust with consumers. GLOBALG.A.P. standards have consistently achieved recognition from the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

Food safety topics in GLOBALG.A.P. solutions

• Chemical, biological, and physical hazard identification and mitigation
   

• Residue monitoring for the appropriate use of plant protection products
   

• Traceability through product handling, segregation, and identification procedures
   

• Mitigation of food contamination through effective waste management
   

• Controls on the use, storage, and quality of irrigation water
   

• Harvest and postharvest rules on product handling, packing, and storage
   

• Sourcing, storage, and processing of materials for animal feed
   

• Documented food fraud plan to identify supply chain risks

How does GLOBALG.A.P. promote environmental sustainability?

Our standards and add-ons include robust yet realistic requirements that promote a global transition to more sustainable farming practices in agriculture, floriculture, and aquaculture. We acknowledge that sustainability is a journey, and our flexible portfolio is aimed at mainstreaming sustainability action through smart, accessible, and forward-thinking solutions.

This allows producers to demonstrate their responsible production processes in the here and now, while also considering future needs through the harnessing of metrics and farm data, as well as farm-level continuous improvement plans.

Environmental sustainability topics in GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons

• Restoration, protection, and enhancement of on-farm biodiversity and habitats

• Efficient water use, protection of water sources, and wastewater management

• Management and recycling systems to minimize waste and prevent pollution

• Metric-based plan to improve energy efficiency and minimize use of nonrenewables

• Integrated pest management to protect crops through primarily natural means

• Responsible resource use and sustainably sourced raw materials in compound feed

• Environmental impact assessments monitoring effluents from aquaculture farms

• Restriction of Foc TR4 pathogen spread in, from, and between banana and plantain farms

How does GLOBALG.A.P. promote workers’ well-being?

Our flagship Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard has always included principles and criteria (P&Cs) on workers’ health and safety, but the early 2000s saw increasing public pressure on social topics. The need for a solution dedicated specifically to this issue was clear, and in 2004 a collaboration began with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). This laid the groundwork for the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP).

Approximately 20 years later, GRASP provides a wide range of farm types with the tools they need to manage social risks in production processes. It is in line with International Labor Organization conventions, as well as the UN Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights.

Workers’ well-being topics in GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons

• Right of association including the ability to form or join worker organizations

• Worker representation with assembly free from management influence

• Complaint processes with protection for confidentiality and against retaliation

• Human rights policies on aspects such as forced labor and debt bondage

• Access to labor regulations, including rules for subcontracted and short-term labor

• Documentation and terms of employment, including wages and working hours

• Forced labor indicators such as accessible and legally sound conditions of employment

• Working age and child labor prevention including compulsory school access

How does GLOBALG.A.P. promote animal welfare?

Our flagship Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for aquaculture is applicable to a wide range of species of finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, and seaweed (macro algae), as well as all major production methods – from net enclosures to closed recirculation systems.

The rigorous standard requirements consider all four pillars of the FAO Technical Guidelines on Aquaculture Certification and are also aligned with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Aquatic Animal Health Code.

IFA is the only standard at farm-level recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and the only standard recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) for all aquatic species.

Animal welfare topics in GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons

• Comprehensive aquaculture health plan approved by a certified veterinarian

• Welfare risk assessments on water, predation, visual/acoustic disturbance, and marking

• Control program for water quality and intake/discharge to avoid contamination

• Health treatment analysis, including medicines, vaccination, quarantine, and pathogen screening

• Records of stock movements for all stages of the aquatic species’ lifecycle

• Procedures and monitoring for removal, safe disposal, stunning, and slaughter

• Documented hygiene plan, species-specific handling training, and harvest protocols

• Site management including risk assessments on equipment, cleaning, and pest control

How does GLOBALG.A.P. promote traceability?

While all of our core farm-level solutions contain traceability criteria, the dedicated GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody standard ensures that the integrity of products originating from GLOBALG.A.P. certified production processes is protected up to the final sale.

Applicable to any company handling or trading products from GLOBALG.A.P. certified production processes, the requirements prevent the substitution, dilution, and misidentification of products along the supply chain. This protects buyers from reputational risk and connects certified responsible farming practices at farm level with a transparent product claim at the end of a custodial sequence.

Traceability topics in GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons

• Identification of products via a unique ID number in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems

• Recall and withdrawal procedures with annual verification of traceability systems

• Segregation of products from certified and noncertified production processes

• Product handling rules including historical purchase and sales records

• Input and output verification through mass balance requirements

• Non-conformance and complaint procedure for recording issues and actions

• Monitoring of subcontractors that handle products from certified production processes

• Worker training on chain of custody requirements and processes

How does GLOBALG.A.P. address capacity building?

Our standard-setting competencies are complemented by a range of capacity-building activities that amplify and advance safer and more sustainable farming practices in a local context.

With online GLOBALG.A.P. Academy training courses, targeted on-site events hosted in tandem with regional partners, and partnerships with developmental aid organizations around the world, we can reach a wide range of producers, buyers, and trainers who are open to enhancing food and nutritional security, stimulating economic growth in their area, and reducing poverty in a sustainable manner.

GLOBALG.A.P. capacity-building activities

• Primary solutions
  Our primary solutions provide an opportunity for producers in emerging markets to take the first step towards GLOBALG.A.P. certification at a pace that suits them.

• GLOBALG.A.P. Academy
  The GLOBALG.A.P. Academy offers comprehensive training courses for producers and certification bodies on the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system and the implementation of our farm assurance solutions.

• GLOBALG.A.P. Registered Trainer program
  Through their affiliation with GLOBALG.A.P., our worldwide network of Registered Trainers offers authorized training on our leading farm assurance solutions.

• Projects and partnerships
  We connect with organizations around the world to unite our visions, transform food systems, and empower local communities.

• GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR stops
  The GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR works in collaboration with local stakeholders to host events targeted at responsible farming topics relevant to a specific country or region.