With over a decade of experience in the exportation of fresh fruit with Patagonian Fruits Trade in Argentina, Marcelo Galardini knows the business very well. Now he wants to use that experience to serve on the board of the certifying organization, GlobalGAP, to ensure that GlobalGAP remains the global standard of quality for agricultural products the world over.
“I'll do my best for the organization, including adding perspectives from the Southern Hemisphere,” said Galardini. “It's very important to maintain and continue developing the current GlobalGAP principles and standards, but at the same time focus more on local production in different regions in order to adapt the methodologies and requirements to the realities and cultures of every country, region and crop.” The elections for the board will take place online until April 12. In the coming weeks, Galardini will know if he'll have the opportunity to offer his perspective as a South American grower and exporter. For Galardini, it would be an important opportunity because the conditions for growers and exporters in South America are not always identical to those in other regions.
“I want to universalize the GlobalGAP certification, and I want it to have an influence not only on production and distribution of produce, but I also want it to be a relevant standard for consumers,” said Galardini. “To unify the concepts and standards and at the same time allow some flexibility for growers all over the world.” He thinks that, at the moment, small growers sometimes incur heavy costs in order to conform to standards to which they aren't accustomed. Galardini thinks that some of those standards can be changed to accommodate those growers, as long as the general principles behind the standards are adhered to. It's part of his vision to include a wider range of perspectives.
“I want to participate in order to involve more growers from the Southern Hemisphere,” said Galardini. “To give GlobalGAP a sense of the way we work in our region.”
