Agricultural students gain certification for high school orchard

Located in the north of Japan, Goshogawara Agriculture and Forestry High School is an agricultural high school with roughly 500 students between the ages of 16 and 18. In 2015, the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat was invited to hold a lecture at the school, after which 15 students announced that they aimed to achieve GLOBALG.A.P. certification for the high school’s apple orchard. 

The students created a team and took up the challenge of obtaining certification. They regularly inspected the orchard, had frequent discussions, made progress with preparing for risk management and digitalization, and incorporated a framework of traceability at over ten sales points for the school’s apples. The students answered the judges’ questions and the school became the first in Japan to receive GLOBALG.A.P. certification for its apple orchard. 

The reaction was extensive and the news picked up by major Japanese media outlets. In addition, this great achievement led the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to start a nationwide effort to promote the education of Good Agricultural Practices in high schools. 

The high school has now incorporated GLOBALG.A.P. expertise into its curriculum, so that after graduation students can use the acquired knowledge and experience across the country in their duties as producers or in agriculture-related organizations and companies. “GLOBALG.A.P. is like a hero for the young generation, as it gives them courage, hope and pride,” said Mr. Akira Yamaguchi, the school’s principal. 

Every year, an average of 170 students now graduate from Goshogawara Agriculture and Forestry High School with GLOBALG.A.P. know-how. Thanks to this support, the high school has already fulfilled the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal for 2030 to “ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable developments, such as human rights and gender equality.” 

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