Live from Fruit Attraction 2022: News update by GLOBALG.A.P.

Yesterday at Fruit Attraction 2022, GLOBALG.A.P. presented a news update. The speakers of the panel, Luis Miguel Fernández Sierra (Coexphal), André Radlinsky and Sini Süess (Migros), Magnus Kulwicke (Edeka/Hanse Lutra SL), Rene Capote (GLOBALG.A.P.), and Ignacio Antequera, Nolan Quiros, discussed the benefits of the organization’s standards for agriculture in Spain, as well as the responsible use of water at farm level, and the specific challenges facing the region, including the safety, health, and welfare of workers in the country.

At the show, GLOBALG.A.P. coexhibited with one of the largest certification bodies, Agrocolor, to certify to GLOBALG.A.P. standards in Spain.

Addressing the challenges of Spanish agriculture

Today, Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) for fruit and veg is applied by 44.748 growers in Spain. The new version of IFA will support Spanish producers in addressing issues concerning environmental sustainability and workers’ well-being, as well as water management, biodiversity, food waste, energy efficiency, and plant protection products.

The Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use (SPRING) can help address water challenges. Water deficit is a topic of high priority in the Spanish regions. The SPRING add-on helps growers, retailers, and traders show their commitment to sustainable water management, with various control points and compliance criteria addressing water sources and extraction rates, sustainable watershed management, consumption monitoring, among others. Rene Capote, Senior Technical Expert at GLOBALG.A.P., commented that SPRING is an economically viable solution designed for the reality in the fields. 

Workers’ well-being is also a very important topic. The GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) add-on currently covers the safety, health, and welfare of more than 217.000 workers in Spain. Version 2 of the add-on expands social responsibility principles and criteria in areas such as human and labor rights, worker representation, and the protection of children and young workers.

According to Nolan Quiros, GLOBALG.A.P. Senior Technical Expert for GRASP, GRASP can be a key factor in positioning Spanish agriculture in the world of social compliance.

André Radlinsky, Specialist for Social Standards at Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund Switzerland, commented that Migros has been relying on the GRASP add-on for 10 years in multiple countries, including Spain.

What’s next? 

On 29 September 2022, the English version of final documents for IFA v6 and GRASP v2 were published, and from 1 January 2024, they will become obligatory. From April 2023, certification bodies will be able to issue certificates for the new versions and store them in open access. Until the end of 2023, both the previously valid and new versions of IFA and GRASP will be available. 

About GLOBALG.A.P.

GLOBALG.A.P. is a brand of smart farm assurance solutions created by FoodPLUS GmbH in Cologne (Germany), with cooperation from producers, retailers, and stakeholders from the food industry. These solutions include standards for safe, socially and environmentally responsible farming practices. The Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) is the most widely used standard by GLOBALG.A.P., applicable to fruit and veg, aquaculture, floriculture, livestock, and more.

If you wish to apply Integrated Farm Assurance by GLOBALG.A.P to your business or obtain more details, please send your inquiry