Good Agricultural Practices - EUREPGAP

1. Good Agricultural Practices - EUREPGAP Inge Neessen 16 May 2005

2. The Program • Background and overview • Good Agricultural Practice-Verification • Who is working with GAP? • Current situation • Future development • Verification-process options • Requirements

3. EUREPGAP 7. Irrigation/fertigation 8. Crop protection 9. Harvesting 10. Produce handling 11. Waste and pollution man. 12. Worker health and safety 13. Environmental issues 14. Complaint form 1.Traceability 2.Record keeping 3.Varieties and rootstocks 4.Site history and management GAP 5.Soil and substrate management 6.Fertiliser use

4. Reasons for EUREPGAP? • Consumers Conscience increases: • Food safety • Environment • Welfare of the employess • Increasing demand for process control • Product liability • Due diligence • Unregulated growth of quality-systems

5. Reasons for EUREPGAP Forces for Change: • Food scares (BSE, dioxin, residues) • Concerns on GMO • Consumer Evironmental Awareness • Pressure / Lobby groups • Media • Environmental / Food Safety Legislation

7. What do retailers want from producers? • Transparency!! • Insight in production process • Traceability • Product liability

8. Grower Packer Exporter Importer Wholesaler Supermarket EUREP- GAP BRC IFS HACCP HACCP Relation between systems

9. EUREP • Euro-Retailer Working Group on Fresh Produce • Started in 1997 • Represents leading food retailers, (now 32) • Launch of EUREPGAP in 1999 in Paris • 2001: Foodplus = global body(owner of document and secretariat)

10. What is EUREPGAP? Good Agricultural Practice: • Framework with minimum standards for horticultural products • EUREPGAP is an accredited set of normative documents for international certification. • The documents are developed by representatives from all stages of the food chain world-wide.

11. NOT Packing/Processing /Transport Scope and history of Farm Production“Pre-Farm Gate” • Development since 1997 Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Implementation since 2001 • Development since 2001 Flowers and Ornamentals • Implementation beginning 2003 • Development since 2000 Livestock (cattle, lamb, pig, Implementation beginning 2003 poultry, dairy) • Development since 2001 Feed and Combinable Crops • Implementation beginning 2003

12. EUREP retail members

13. Supplier Members

15. Supplier members

16. Achievements Fruit and Vegetables • More than 12.000 growers, more than 350.000 ha certified (more than 60 countries) • 32 Retail members individually committed • Over 120 supplier members • 80 Certification Bodies approved • 5 schemes approved by benchmarking • EurepGAP database

17. EUREPGAP-guidelines • 3 levels: major must, minor must, recommendation • Based on national legislation • Food safety, sustainability, worker welfare and environment

18. Who is working with GAP? • Primary Producers • Retailers • Grower-associations • Traders-organisations • Trade (import/export)

19. Who is who? • EUREPGAP Members • EUREPGAP Council • 30 members, wide representation: NGO’s, Consumer organisations, suppliers, retailers, FAO, Certifiers, accreditors • EUREPGAP Board • 3 retailers, 3 suppliers, independent chairperson • Technical Standards Committees • 8 members – 3 retail, 3 suppliers, 1 “science”, 1 certifier * Fruit and Vegetables * IFA

20. Who does what to who? • EUREPGAP (Food Plus): Licenses use of EUREPGAP Standard and EUREPGAP name • Certification Body: Certifies growers against EUREPGAP Standard • Growers

21. Who does what to who? EUREPGAP Licenses use of EUREPGAP Standard and EUREPGAP name Certification Body • Accreditation body (e.g. RvA) • Approves competency of certification Body (to EN45001 or ISO Guide 65) Certifies growers against EUREPGAP Standard Growers

22. EUREPGAP licence / certificate options • Option 1: Individual grower/farmer • Option 2: Groups • Option 3: National

23. Option 1 – Individual grower applying for EUREPGAP • Certified by approved Certification Body • Certificate issue • Certificate suspension and withdrawel • Annual inspection • 1 announced per annum (minumum) • 10% unannounced random audits or inspection

24. Option 1 – Individual grower applying for EUREPGAP • Individual inspector and auditor qualification • EUREPGAP Farm inspection report format • Reporting in English

25. Option 2 – Produce Marketing Organisation (PMO) or Grower Organisation applying for EUREPGAP • Approved Certification Body: complies with EN 45011/ISO Guide 65 • PMO has a written control and procedures manual • Registered farms under the same system • All farms are audited either internally or by external auditor

26. Option 2 – Produce Marketing Organisation (PMO) or Grower Organisation applying for EUREPGAP • Internal audit includes all control points of EUREPGAP each year • Certification Body verification • Annual System check • Shadow audit of internal inspectors (Square Root of number) • Audit of Growers – IAF guidance • 10% unannounced audits

27. Option 3 – National or company scheme • Benchmarking with EUREPGAP • Scheme not owned by the CB • Scheme owned by the CB, benchmarking by third CB • CB accredited to EN 45011 or ISO Guide 65 • Written control and procedures manual • All registered farms under the same system

28. Option 3 – National or company scheme • CB verification • Annual Scheme audits of each farm • Sample size according to IAF guidance of number of registered farms by the CB • Including 10% unannounced inspections • PMO or GO management system checked as in option 2

30. Recording/documents • Pesticide and fertilizer use • List of pesticides and MRL’s of country where product wil be exported to • Complaints • Annually self audit of EUREPGAP list • Map of facilities and greenhouse • Signed hygiene instructions • Emergency procedures

31. Pictograms

32. Documentation of suppliers • Propagation material (plant health certificate) • GMO-free declaration of seeds • Seed quality • Knowledge of advisers on crop protection and fertilizers • Water quality analysis • Clean produce containers • Substrates (recycling and product information)

33. 1. Traceability 2. Record keeping and internal self-inspection 3. Varieties and rootstocks 4. Site history and site management 5. Soil and substrate management 6. Fertiliser use 7. Irrigation/fertigation 8. Crop protection 9. Harvesting 10. Produce handling 11. Waste and pollution management, recycling and re-use 12. Worker health, safety and welfare 13. Environmental issues 14. Complaint form EUREPGAP chapters

34. 1. Traceability • Products must be traceable back to the farm (receipts, labels with name and codes etc)

35. Tracking & Tracing Downstream Tracing Growers Trader Foodprocessor Distribution Centre Retailer Upstream Tracing

36. Case - discussion • What is the current status traceability at producers at this moment? • How would you handle this in Bulgaria?

37. 2. Record keeping and internal audit • Minimum 2 years • Annual self inspection • Registation of crop protection, fertiliser, cleaning, maintenance etc

38. Case - discussion • How is the current situation of registration at farmer/grower level? So what is registered already now? • How would you handle this in Bulgaria?

39. 3. Varietes and Rootstock • Choice of variety and Rootstock • Effective crop husbandry in relation to ‘mother crops’ • Specific requirements of customers • Seed quality • Seed certification

40. 3. Varieties and Rootstock • Pest and disease Resistance/Tolerance • Susceptibility to pests and diseases • Seed treatments and dressing • Justification of treatments

41. 3. Varieties and Rootstock • Nursery stock • Approved health certificate • Health quality control system in-house propagation • Crop protection registration when in-house propagation • Genetically Modified Organisms • Follow regulations • Inform customers

42. Case - discussion • Are there enough reliable suppliers? • Is there enough choice in varieties and high quality? • How is Quality Control arranged on nursery stock and seeds (plant health)?

43. 4. Site History and Site management • Site History • Record system per production unit • Visual identification system • Risk assessment new location • Management plan by risk assessement • Rotations • Proven rotation systems

44. Case - discussion • Do farmers/growers consider the soil history and perform risk assessment on it? • Are the labs accredited and employed with qualified employees?

45. 5. Soil and substrate management • Soil mapping • Cultivation • Improve and maintain soil structure • Soil erosion

46. 5. Soil and substrate management • Soil fumigation • Exploit alternatives • Substrates • Inert: recycling • Non-inert: demonstrate suitability

47. Case - discussion • Are there good laboratory’s that can perform analysis on soil (elements)? • How is the soil structure? • Are substrates used (rockwool/cocos/peat etc)?

48. 6. Fertiliser usage • Advice on quantity and type of fertiliser • Demonstrate competence and knowledge of technical responsible person • Records of application • Location, date, type of fertiliser, amount, method of use, operator name • Up to date stock inventory (every 3 months)

49. 6. Fertiliser usage • Application machinery • Suitable for land in question • Fertiliser storage • Not with crop protection chemicals • Not with nursery stock or fresh produce • No risk of contamination of water sources • Stored in a covered clean an dry area • Organic manure • No raw untreated human sewage sludge • Analysis recommended

50. Case - discussion • And are consultancy companies available on good advise on use of fertilisers? • Is the application machinery in good state of repair? • Are storage facilities appropriate?