26 June 2025
Understanding the role of national technical working groups (NTWGs) in the GLOBALG.A.P. system
What are NTWGs and how do they ensure GLOBALG.A.P. standards are applied effectively around the world despite diversity in national legislation, agricultural practices, and structural conditions?
Understanding the role of national technical working groups (NTWGs) in the GLOBALG.A.P. system
What are NTWGs and how do they ensure GLOBALG.A.P. standards are applied effectively around the world despite diversity in national legislation, agricultural practices, and structural conditions?
What is a national technical working group?
National technical working groups (NTWGs) consist of GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members, qualified experts, and relevant stakeholders in a specific country. The NTWGs play a key role in facilitating the implementation of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons at a local level.
By identifying country-specific adaptation and application challenges, NTWGs develop national interpretation guidelines (NIGs) that bridge the gap between global requirements and local realities.
The role of NTWGs in the GLOBALG.A.P. system
GLOBALG.A.P. standards are implemented across countries with varying farming practices, legal systems, and cultural contexts, making a single uniform approach to implementation impractical. NTWGs help in translating GLOBALG.A.P. standard requirements into locally relevant and compliant practices.
By bringing together local experts such as producer organizations, retailers, cooperatives, certification bodies, and technical advisors, NTWGs identify country-specific challenges in applying GLOBALG.A.P. standards on the ground. Their primary focus is the development of NIGs, which clarify how GLOBALG.A.P. principles and criteria should be applied in line with local laws and practices.
These guidelines ensure that the GLOBALG.A.P. solutions are fit for purpose in different global conditions, improving the efficiency of the audit process. NTWGs can also represent the technical entry point into a new market and form a key point of contact for GLOBALG.A.P. when feedback is required on its smart farm assurance solutions.
Farm visits and technical exchange in Nantes
On 22 May 2025, GLOBALG.A.P. experts participated in a national engagement event in Nantes, France, hosted by the Fédération des Maraîchers Nantais and the Association Nationale Pommes Poires.
The event began with a visit to SCEA Renaudineau, where participants toured key production areas, including washing and packaging facilities. The group then explored the fields and greenhouses used for cultivating crops such as fennel and baby leaf salad, followed by a stop at the packaging workshop to observe postharvest operations in action. These site visits helped GLOBALG.A.P. gain direct insight into local production practices and day-to-day agricultural operations.
The visit also included a meeting with key stakeholders, including cooperatives from the Brittany and Loire regions, producer organizations, and members of the NTWG France. Discussions focused on understanding on-the-ground challenges and identifying practical, collaborative solutions suitable for French producers.
This farm visit demonstrated how NTWGs connect field-level realities with certification frameworks, strengthening the quality and consistency of assurance in the country.
With NTWGs active in over 50 countries, GLOBALG.A.P. remains committed to evolving its standards in a way that reflects the practical needs of the agricultural sector across diverse geographies.
Useful links:
Learn more about NTWG activities and the NIG development process.
Interested in joining the NTWG in your country? View the list of NTWGs.
For questions about NTWGs, please contact us at ntwg@globalgap.org.
