Collaboration in Peru continues to bear fruit after four years

It has been four years since we hosted the 2018 GLOBALG.A.P. SUMMIT in Peru. This SUMMIT marked the beginning of a success story of international collaboration surrounding GRASP, the social/labor management tool. The story continues to unfold today.

Labor risks in Peru

In 2014, the International Labour Organization (ILO) established the Bridge Project to support efforts to combat forced labor. Peru was one of the seven nations of special concern covered by the project. Hosting the GLOBALG.A.P. SUMMIT in Peru provided an excellent opportunity to collaborate with the ILO on labor issues and has led to an enduring and mutually beneficial relationship.

In October of 2018, just one month prior to the SUMMIT, we invited Dr. Teresa Torres, coordinator of the Bridge Project in Peru, to participate in our GRASP breakout session titled “Stop Forced Labor”. This session proved to be the beginning of a longstanding collaboration between GLOBALG.A.P. and the ILO, over the course of which we have been able to share valuable information and learn from each other’s perspectives.

“During these four years [since the SUMMIT], we have shared analyses, developments, and webinars together,” explained Nolan Quiros, Senior Technical Expert for GRASP. “Certainly, this event has had a great return on investment.”

GRASP v2

Our collaboration with the ILO proved especially helpful during technical discussions held in 2020 in preparation for GRASP v2. During these conversations, the Bridge Project provided technical expertise regarding the incorporation of forced labor indicators into the updated version.

In 2021, experts from the ILO evaluated GRASP v2 to assess the updates, and organized workshops on the add-on for producers and auditors in Latin America. Mr. Quiros said, “The ILO analyzed our tool as a mechanism for detecting forced labor and decided to organize two seminars for auditors, producers, Registered Trainers, and the public (in Spanish, free of charge, and led by their own experts) to explain the efficiency and convenience of GRASP.”

We expect this valuable collaboration with the ILO to continue to be mutually beneficial, as we are constantly striving together to end forced labor in agriculture.

GRASP: protecting the people behind our food

GRASP is a voluntary, farm-level social/labor management tool for global supply chains that producers use in combination with our flagship Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard. The tool includes assessments covering four main topics: workers’ voice, human and labor rights information, human and labor rights indicators, and child and young workers protection.

GRASP v2 is now available and will become obligatory on 1 January 2024. Click here to learn more about how adopting GRASP can help you establish a good social management system on your farm and reach a broader market with your products.

Photo: Courtesy by ILO