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GAP Programs for Farmers

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), good agricultural practices (GAPs) are codes aimed at standardizing "agricultural practices at farm level." Established international GAP codes seek to ensure the safety of the food supply, improve farming sustainability and working conditions and create new opportunities for farmers in developing countries.

  1. North America

    • Farmers from 45 U.S. states and in Canada and Mexico participate in the USDA's GAP auditing program.

      In the United States, GAP codes are focused on the safety of the food supply and good handling practices (GHPs). Farms that follow established GAPs can participate in certification programs. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the annual GAP/GHP Audit Verification Program, covering fruit, vegetables and other specialty crops such as mushrooms and herbs. Farmers from 45 U.S. states and in Canada and Mexico participate in the USDA's GAP auditing program. The USDA audit focuses on farm practices, handling practices, and food defense protocols. The USDA also provides specialized audits for the Leafy Green Marketing Agreements in California and Arizona, the California Tomato Growers Cooperative and the American Mushroom Institute.

    Latin America and Caribbean

    • One topic covered by GAP workshops in Latin America is the safe handling of agrichemicals used to grow tropical fruits.

      GAP programs in Latin America and the Caribbean are designed to provide farmers in the region assistance in complying with GAP standards. The FAO works with the agriculture industry, governments and nonprofit organizations to sponsor GAP programs for farmers in the region. Training workshops and conferences focus on crop protection and safe handling of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, urban and peri-urban agriculture, livestock health, plant and animal diseases, biotechnology, nutrition, rural agriculture, and biofuels. Participating countries include Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Panama and Haiti among others.

    Africa

    • African GAP programs cover fresh fruits and vegetables, cotton, cereal and livestock.

      According to the FAO, GAP programs in Africa seek to ensure food safety and quality, implement sustainable resource management techniques, provide fair working conditions and foster trade with international markets. The FAO and other organizations sponsor training workshops that combine lectures with brainstorming activities and field assignments to help farmers understand and implement GAP programs. Participating countries include Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Tanzania. Topics covered include fresh fruits and vegetables, cotton, cereal and livestock, the feed industry, the meat industry, the poultry industry and the dairy industry.

    Asia

    • GAP programs in Asia focus on the quality and safety of fresh and processed produce.

      GAP programs in Asia focus on the quality and safety of fresh and processed produce, exporting fresh produce, pest management, and overcoming the challenges of implementing GAP standards. GAP programs have been introduced in Malaysia, Thailand, Benin, Senegal and China, the most recent of which was a three-year project known as the "Global Inventory, Reference Materials and Food Safety Training Programme to Improve the Safety and Quality of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables." The program focused on good practices that would prevent hazards along the food chain and taught farmers "practical skills to improve production, harvesting, handling, storage, transport and marketing of fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the FAO.

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