Setup of Environmental Sustainability Working Group

Environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the farming industry. GLOBALG.A.P.’s holistic flagship standard, Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA), includes core requirements for various topics relating to environmental sustainability. However, some stakeholders want to go that extra mile to demonstrate their commitment to this crucial topic. The decision was therefore made to develop and launch a farm assurance solution that will support this by 2025.  

To drive the development of the environmental sustainability solution forward, an Environmental Sustainability Working Group (ESWG) will be setup. The main task of the ESWG will be to develop an environmental sustainability solution in the form of an add-on or stand-alone standard, to be launched in 2025. The ESWG will explore how the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat can further embrace environmental sustainability while observing the principle of avoiding duplication at farm level in terms of certification, harmonization with existing sustainability programs, and the cost-effective adoption of good agricultural practices.  

The ESWG shall consist of stakeholders whose expertise is relevant to the field of environmental sustainability.  

If you are interested in participating in this exciting development, please send information to
committees@globalgap.org by 12 May demonstrating: 

• Your role within the industry 

• Knowledge of the impact of sustainable farming on the
  industry, including enablers like sustainability finance, sustainability reporting, and capacity
  building  

• Knowledge (sciencebased/technical) of sustainable farming
  and the effect of farming on the environment 

• Practical experience in
  implementation   

Any potential or current conflicts of interest must be disclosed for consideration and shall be presented to the GLOBALG.A.P. Advisory Board for resolution, if necessary.  

The first meeting will kick off in late
May.  

Further details can be found here and in the terms of reference.