Post 27. Good agricultural practice (GAP)

 

Good agricultural practice or GAP

Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) is an overarching term for all the practices undertaken and protocols that are followed to make sure the basic environmental and operational conditions are in place that necessary for the production of sustainable, safe, wholesome food. [1]

GAP is based on both regulatory, legal requirements which vary from country to country and supply chain standards set by organisation who are trying to make their supply chains more sustainable (less social and environmental impact whilst still being profitable) and reduce the risk of unsafe food in the supply chain. Third party organisations also develop their own farm, manufacturing or distribution standards. 

Standards can be separated into 'fit to supply' or baseline standards and higher level standards which go beyond this level and include higher welfare, higher environmental, or higher people welfare standards.

GlobalGAP describe their baseline farm standards for crop production as primary farm assurance or LocalGAP. [2] The requirement cover minimal aspects such as:

• the history and location of the farmed land and whether that poses a risk to the crops and food being produced, 
• record keeping, 
• traceability, 
• pest control, 
• premises, harvest, storage and personal hygiene standards, 
• worker training, health, safety and welfare, 
• water, waste and pollution management, recycling and reuse, 
• nutrient and chemical use and storage standards, and
• equipment hygiene, calibration and maintenance.  

Check out this video on the building blocks to move through the LocalGAP standards to GlobalGAP standards which are used by organisations to certify the standards on farms where the produce is produced to higher standards that can be used especially when exporting foods to other countries.

Sources:

[1]:https://ncfreshproducesafety.ces.ncsu.edu/ncfreshproducesafety-good-agricultural-practices/

[2] https://www.globalgap.org/uk_en/what-we-do/globalg.a.p.-certification/localg.a.p./