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AN INTRODUCTION TO localg.a.p. Compiled for smallholder farmers & trainers in South Africa
First version | July 2016
THIS MANUAL BELONGS TO: __________________________________
This manual was funded by the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, commissioned by the Southern Africa Food Lab, and compiled by Like Mountains . 1
This publication does not represent any of these stakeholders’ approved position.
This manual was compiled from material available on the GLOBALG.A.P. website: http://www.globalgap.org/1
uk_en/what-we-do/globalg.a.p.-certification/localg.a.p./. The Southern Africa Food Lab project, Social, Environment, and Ethical Standards, also informed the design of this manual: http://www.southernafricafoodlab.org/social-environmental-and-ethical-standards-2/.
Table of contents 1. A short history of localg.a.p. and its entry into South Africa 3 2. What you should know as a trainer/supporter to smallholder farmers who want to achieve localg.a.p. compliance 6 a) A farmer can only become localg.a.p. compliant if she/he is part of a localg.a.p. programme with a programme owner 6
b) localg.a.p. compliance will not earn the farmer a certificate - it is only an entry-point to eventually reach GLOBALG.A.P. certification 7
c) So then why do it? 7
d) Steps to reach localg.a.p. for producers 8
e) Programme owners in South Africa 9
f) How to become a programme owner 9
g) South African certification body 10
3. Frequently Asked Questions 11 a) What are the main differences between localg.a.p. and GLOBALG.A.P.? 11
b) Can I go back to localg.a.p. if I already had GLOBALG.A.P. certification? 11
c) How many levels are there in the localg.a.p. programme? 11
d) Who sets the rules for a localg.a.p. programme? 11
e) Can I independently prepare for any of the localg.a.p. levels? 12
f) Is it possible to reach compliance as part of a collective for example a farming cooperative? 12
g) Can I stay at one of the localg.a.p. levels forever? 12
h) Who can be a programme owner? 12
i) Can I include localg.a.p. requirements in a PGS? 12
Additional notes 13
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1. A short history of localg.a.p. and its entry into South Africa Consumers of formal markets worldwide increasingly demanded quality foods, produced safely and sustainably. To address their concerns, European supermarkets started demanding certification from their producers. Consequently, EurepGAP, a common standard for farm management practice, was created in the late 1990s by several European supermarket chains and their major suppliers. In 2007 the name was changed to GLOBALG.A.P., which today is the world's leading farm assurance program, translating consumer requirements into Good Agricultural Practice (G.A.P.).
However, when working with smallholder farmers, who may not be able to achieve GLOBALG.A.P. certification, the supermarkets had no alternatives and these formal markets effectively closed for those without certification. Consequently the GLOBALG.A.P. organisation created localg.a.p. (originally called Primary Farm Assurance) to engage with farmers who were new to standards, such as smallholder farmers. GLOBALG.A.P. began the localg.a.p. program in the USA, where the customised solution is called localg.a.p. North America.
When the programme came to South Africa in 2013, it included two levels of conformance: foundation and intermediate, before a farmer was finally audited for GLOBALG.A.P. certification. However, even the foundation level did not fit the context of many smallholder farmers in South Africa. In response to this challenge, SPAR South Africa asked GLOBALG.A.P. to adapt the foundation-level to an entry-level of localg.a.p. by removing some of the less crucial food safety requirements.
This adaptation was specifically designed to include more smallholder farmers while maintaining the integrity of the main localg.a.p. food safety requirements and the focus on progression towards eventual certification. GLOBALG.A.P. does not recognise it as a separate localg.a.p. level, but instead as an adaptation of the localg.a.p. foundation level.
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localg.a.p. and its two levels also do not form a standard in itself, but rather a path to GLOBALG.A.P. certification. It aims to help farmers progress from conformance with one level to the next until they are able to achieve full certification.
Including the adapted entry-level of localg.a.p. SPAR created for South Africa, the steps to reach GLOBALG.A.P. are thus as follows:
a) Entry-level is a simplified adaptation of the foundation level and covers the most basic food safety requirements for fruit and vegetable producers. It is currently accepted by SPAR and Pick ’n Pay in South Africa. The four control points include: • Site history • Record keeping • Workers health, safety, and welfare • Waste and pollution management, recycling and reuse
b) The Foundation Level covers all the basic food safety requirements and is ideal for producers who sell primarily on a local level and are starting the process toward certification. This is only available for fruit and vegetable producers. The seven control points include: • Site history and site management • Record keeping and internal self-assessment • Workers health, safety, and welfare • Subcontractors • Waste and pollution management, recycling and reuse • Complaints • Withdrawal/recall procedure
c) The Intermediate Level incorporates stronger food safety criteria, accepted by select national retailers. This is available for fruit and vegetable, livestock, and aquaculture producers. The eight control points include: • Site history and site management • Record keeping and internal self-assessment • Workers health, safety, and welfare • Subcontractors • Waste and pollution management, recycling and reuse • Complaints
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• Withdrawal/recall procedure • Food defense
d) GLOBALG.A.P incorporates all the GLOBALG.A.P requirements and upon a successful assessment outcome, a farmer is issued a certificate. It has 16 control points.
e) GLOBALG.A.P + Add-on allows GLOBALG.A.P. producers to add additional requirements to their assessments, including for example GRASP requirements that cover workers’ health, safety, and welfare, and/or animal welfare requirements. GLOBALG.A.P.+ Add-On also offers members a program to develop add-on modules specifically tailored to their needs such as stricter environmental requirements.
While the number of smallholder farmers currently in localg.a.p. programmes is small as a representation of the entire South African smallholder population, these early programmes may provide examples from which future, larger-scale projects can learn.
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2. What you should know as a trainer/supporter to smallholder farmers who want to achieve localg.a.p. compliance
a) A farmer can only become localg.a.p. compliant if she/he is part of a localg.a.p. programme with a programme owner
A farmer or farmer trainer cannot directly access localg.a.p. training and assessments. Instead the GLOBALG.A.P. organisation requires that a “localg.a.p. programme owner” requests training and assessments for certain farms. This is meant to ensure farmers not only receive the necessary training for localg.a.p. conformance, but also the market linkages and complementary assistance critical to a farm’s success. The localg.a.p. programme owner determines the level of localg.a.p. it will accept and the amount of time a farmer will have to advance from one level to the next.
While SPAR was instrumental to the development of the entry-level localg.a.p. in South Africa, it is available for any potential localg.a.p. programme owner (including other retailers, exporters, farmer associations, etc.) to use. As GLOBALG.A.P. has been accepted by all major retailers in South Africa as their preferred food safety standard, the introduction of localg.a.p. as a path to certification may result in potentially more interaction between retailers and smallholder farmers. To this end, SPAR, Massmart/Walmart, Shoprite Holdings (Freshmark), and Pick ‘n Pay are currently acting as programme owners for a number of smallholder produce and vegetable farms’ localg.a.p. training and assessment. SA Livestock G.A.P. is also acting as programme owner for a smallholder livestock initiative.
Programme owners decide which level they are willing to accept from farmers: Massmart will accept foundation and intermediate levels; Pick n Pay will accept entry,
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foundation, and intermediate levels; and Freshmark will accept foundation and intermediate levels.
b) localg.a.p. compliance will not earn the farmer a certificate - it is only an entry-point to eventually reach GLOBALG.A.P. certification
If a smallholder farmer participates in a programme with an owner, they will receive the necessary training to enable them to comply with the required localg.a.p. level. Once an assessment by an assessor shows that the farmer complies with the necessary requirements, they will be registered on the localg.a.p. database as compliant. This would then enable the farmer to also sell to other supermarkets that accept the same localg.a.p. level. As the farmer progresses from entry through foundation to intermediate level, a certificate is never issued. The farmer will only receive a certificate once she/he reaches and successfully passes a GLOBALG.A.P. assessment.
c) So then why do it?
The GLOBALG.A.P. website promotes the adoption of localg.a.p. by smallholder farmers as follows:
1. Establish the foundation to achieve GLOBALG.A.P. certification through a stepwise improvement plan.
2. Reduce your exposure to food safety risks. 3. Improve your traceability and reassure your buyers using your localg.a.p. number
(LGN): your unique 13-digit localg.a.p. number that identifies you in the GLOBALG.A.P. database.
4. Access local and regional markets through a local program based on the globally recognised GLOBALG.A.P. certification system.
5. Improve the efficiency of your farm management. 6. Comply with legislation on food safety and proper hygiene. 7. All relevant documents are accessible online, free of charge.
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Based on the Southern Africa Food Lab’s research on standards and market access, working towards entry-level localg.a.p. is most viable for smallholder farmers and may assist smallholder farmers as follows:
1. Start and maintain record-keeping for various aspects of your farm, which will in turn inform better farm management.
2. Improve the food safety standards on your farm or just proof that your farm is already upholding the necessary food safety standards.
3. Use your entry-level localg.a.p. compliance to access both SPAR and Pick n Pay stores in your local area.
4. Use these records for more than just reaching localg.a.p. compliance - it could for example support a business plan and loan application, or feed into other standard maintenance mechanisms such as PGS.
d) Steps to reach localg.a.p. for producers
The GLOBALG.A.P. website lists the following steps:
1. Download the localg.a.p. documents and learn about the requirements for conformance.
2. Contact a localg.a.p. approved certification body and/or Farm Assurer in your country, compare their offers and then ask for a registration application.
3. Get your localg.a.p. number (LGN) that identifies you in the GLOBALG.A.P. database.
4. Carry out a self-assessment using the localg.a.p. checklist and correct all the points you don’t comply with. You can also contact a Farm Assurer to assist you.
5. Check if one of your customers is a program owner by viewing the current list of localg.a.p. programs.
6. Arrange an appointment with your certification body and/or farm assurer for your first on-site inspection.
7. Once you successfully comply with the localg.a.p. requirements, you will receive a localg.a.p. letter of conformance.
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e) Programme owners in South Africa
f) How to become a programme owner
If a group of smallholder farmers identify a potential client who would allow them to sell their produce to him/her if they were localg.a.p. compliant, but this potential client is not a localg.a.p. programme owner, the following information could be shared with them:
1. A localg.a.p. programme must be initiated by a localg.a.p. programme owner: GLOBALG.A.P. membership and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding are pre-requisites in order to become a localg.a.p. programme owner.
2. Once the programme is initiated, the localg.a.p. programme owner must review the current localg.a.p. control points documents and decide if any changes to the localg.a.p. control points will be required.
3. The localg.a.p. programme owner must decide on the levels to be introduced in the programme. localg.a.p. is currently available in two levels: The Foundation Level and the Intermediate Level.
4. Develop and define the programme rules using the customisation checklist. Generic rules are available and have to be adapted to the localg.a.p. programme owner's
NAME COMPANY SCOPE CONTACT
SPAR localg.a.p. SPAR South Africa Fruit and Vegetables James Lonsdale, National Fresh Produce Manager 083 627 3383 011 821 4061 [email protected]
Freshmark localg.a.p. Shoprite Holdings (Freshmark)
Fruit and Vegetables Mr Donovan Jooste, Quality Assurance Manager [email protected]
Pick ‘n Pay localg.a.p. Pick ’n Pay South Africa Fruit and Vegetables Thozama Vokwana, Technical Manager Fresh Produce 011 574 4500 [email protected]
Massmart/WalMart localg.a.p.
Massmart/WalMart Fruit and Vegetables Silnia Badenhorst, Regulatory and Product Safety Manager 011 797 0182 [email protected]
localg.a.p. Program SA Livestock G.A.P.
SA Livestock G.A.P. Livestock 012 807 5877 [email protected]
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requirements for food safety and hygiene (like SPAR did with the entry-level localg.a.p.).
5. The localg.a.p. programme owner must specify who will conduct the localg.a.p. inspections. These can be conducted by a GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification body or a licensed Farm Assurer (FA) or both.
6. The localg.a.p. programme owners then pass on the programme documents to the local producers and growers for implementation.
7. Contact the GLOBALG.A.P. development team for assistance: Elme Coetzer-Boersma at 082 662 8105 or [email protected].
g) South African certification body
SGS South Africa (Pty) Ltd Headoffice: First floor, Panther Park, 11 Berkley Rd, Maitland 11 Cape Town, 7405
Website: www.sgs.com Tel: +27 21 506 3280
Scheme Manager: Elsabe Matthee E-Mail: [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]
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3. Frequently Asked Questions a) What are the main differences between localg.a.p. and GLOBALG.A.P.?
• localg.a.p. is an assessment (not certification) • A producer will receive a localg.a.p. Number (LGN) to distinguish localg.a.p.
producers from certified producers who receive a GLOBALG.A.P. Number (GGN). • The localg.a.p. levels are subsets of the full GLOBALG.A.P. • 2nd or 3rd parties can conduct localg.a.p. assessments.
b) Can I go back to localg.a.p. if I already had GLOBALG.A.P. certification? No, it is not possible to go back once you are certified.
c) How many levels are there in the localg.a.p. programme?
GLOBALG.A.P. has set up 2 levels: Foundation and Intermediate level. It is possible that a program owner may set up more levels and even have an add-on for control points outside of the scope of the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance Standard (e.g. quality, commodity specific items, etc.) which may remain as an add-on once the producer moves on to the certified level.
d) Who sets the rules for a localg.a.p. programme? GLOBALG.A.P. has developed a template with the basic requirements and the programme owner will specify the rules within these. Rules to be specified include the actual content of the levels, which levels are available, who may conduct the inspections, how long a producer can stay at one level, etc.
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e) Can I independently prepare for any of the localg.a.p. levels?
• No. Every localg.a.p. level has a programme owner that signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the GLOBALG.A.P. secretariat.
• Implementation of a localg.a.p. level is thus market and customer related and producers’ assessment reports and results are only visible to their customers requesting the localg.a.p. programme. A producer can join a localg.a.p. programme only if one of his/her customers is a programme owner and requests it.
f) Is it possible to reach compliance as part of a collective for example a farming cooperative?
If the programme owner agrees to it, a collective such as a cooperative could be assessed for localg.a.p. compliance.
g) Can I stay at one of the localg.a.p. levels forever?
No, it not possible to stay at one of these levels indefinitely. Irrespective of how many levels a programme owner has introduced, a producer must move on to certification in 5 years. Exceptions to this 5-year rule must be approved by the GLOBALG.A.P. Board on a case-by-case basis.
h) Who can be a programme owner?
• Programme owners must be GLOBALG.A.P. members. • They can be retailers, manufacturers, cooperatives, traders – anybody who creates a
local market.
i) Can I include localg.a.p. requirements in a PGS?
As the members of a PGS determine and agree on their own compliance criteria, in theory it would be possible to include localg.a.p. entry-level, Foundation Level, and/or
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Intermediate Level control points. The management of the localg.a.p. records could thus form part of PGS efforts, yet should not replace the organic or agro-ecology standards the PGS was created for. If a PGS decides to include localg.a.p. control points, it would be essential that these requirements are communicated to members. Ideally, the PGS could then be assessed for localg.a.p. compliance as a collective, as described in 3.f.
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