On Tuesday, November 3, the GlobalGAP tour took place in Geldermalsen, the Netherlands. Being a fruit grower, GlobalGAP president Guy Callebout knows all about the stress of the exam. Healthy stress, that is, because with 155,000 certificates in 20 years, the world is getting greener and greener. An exception to this is Africa, where much headway could still be made, he says.
All those certificates, Guy says, ensure that competition in terms of food safety is excluded. The certificate may not be USP, but it is a guarantee for supervision on good food. Guy sees GlobalGAP as a multinational that isn't out to make a profit, but wants a 5% margin. Of all costs, barely 10% goes to GlobalGAP.
Netherlands best in class
With 4500 certified growers, the Netherlands is best in the class, with Spain and Italy doing well too. Of all those certified, 1129 have a GRASP certificate, which means 129 are still waiting for recognition. In that respect, the Netherlands is highly individualistic: Of all certified companies, 545 have a group certificate. In Belgium and Spain, this is 50%. With greenhouse cultivation, the tomatoes are best represented. In open field, this goes for potatoes. Guy also notices that the top fruit ratio in the Netherlands is still pretty even. In Belgium, by contrast, the apple has been exchanged in favour of the pear.
Paul Bol, chairman of the technical committee crop production, updates the audience about the most important changes in version 5 of GlobalGAP, which will be in force for a year, starting July 2016. Version 5 will already be implemented next February, however. The new IFA 5 standard has 218 checkpoints, 99 of which govern food safety, 69 are the 'green amount' of checks, 28 monitor the working conditions, and 22 check the origin of the product. In addition, new standards have been developed for processed products. Those standards are more about sustainability than food safety though.
Joyce Ligtvoet and Chris Hoeckx of Bakker Barendrecht
Ariejen Wallinga of Kleemans Advies and Mark de Bie of Timerfruit
Arno Jansen of Kompany BV
Nicolette Quaedvlieg talking about bacteria
Risks
The idea of the update, Paul says, was that primary production is insufficiently aware of the risks in production. "That's why, in the latest version, we didn't look at an expansion of the number of checkpoints, but more at awareness." The 2011 EHEC crisis was the reason for revising the certificate, with more attention to microbiological risks. That's why the checkpoints focus on a major source of contamination in fresh produce companies: water. Nicolette Quaedvlieg of the GroentenFruit Huis shows the influence of those micro bacteria during an interactive presentation on the number of bacteria surrounding us, the influence of those and the damage to health.
Robert Zuyderwijk emphasizes in his presentation that GRASP is not a certificate in itself, but an addition. About 25% of all GlobalGAP certificates now have evidence of evaluation. GRASP stands for Risk Assessment on Social Practice and is, according to Robert, the moral compass for the Dutch production horticulture. Besides, it's a risk analysis, not an audit.
The 1000th review goes to Menzo Tijssen. We will later report on how the certification works exactly, when grower Albert Wielink explains the working method and gives his view on the certification. Albert Heijn will also comment on what the certification means for retailers.
A gift for all speakers
More information:
Global Gap
Paul Bol, secretary NTWG
T: +31(0)6 53308762
E: bol@groentenfruithuis.nl