Good Practices in the Agricultural Supply Chain

In agriculture, good practice guidelines have been developed for the entire supply chain, and they include:

Good practice guidelines are interactive and integrated, meaning that the requirements of good social practices, good health practices and good environmental practices are included and integrated with good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices. In crop production and processing, GAP and GMP principles are therefore generally applied, as this provides for other good practices as well.

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)

Good agricultural practices are a collection of principles and basic environmental and operational conditions that are necessary for the production of safe, wholesome fruit and vegetables. The term includes practices used in growing, harvesting, sorting, packing and storage operations. GAP principles also aim to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Good manufacturing practices are guidelines that manufacturers use to ensure the quality, consistency and safety of products and processes. GMP is often used simultaneously with GAP and includes practices used in sorting, packing, storage and transportation operations.

Good Health Practices (GHP)

Good health practices are guidelines that help reduce the risk of being implicated in the spread of food-borne illnesses through poor personnel hygiene. The scope of these practices is relevant to staff and worker health and hygiene. Q Good Social Practices (GSP) Good social practices address a wide range of environmental issues and are not only applicable to agriculture. These issues include:

Economically Disadvantaged Producers – Good social practices prescribe a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalised by the conventional trading system.

Transparency and Accountability – Good social practices encourage transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners.

Capacity Building – Good social practices are a means to develop producers’ independence. Fairtrade relationships provide continuity, during which producers and their marketing organisations can improve their management skills and their access to new markets.

Payment of a Fair Price – A fair price in the regional or local context is one that has been agreed upon through dialogue and participation. It covers not only the costs of production but enables production which is socially just and environmentally sound. It provides fair pay to the producers and considers the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men.

Gender Equity – Good social practices mean that women’s work is properly valued and rewarded. Women are paid for their contribution to the production process and are empowered in their organisations.

Working Conditions – Good social practices mean a safe and healthy working environment for producers and workers. The participation of children, if any, does not adversely affect their well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play, and conforms to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the laws and norms in the local context.

Environment – Good social practices actively encourages better environmental practices and the application of responsible methods of production.

Good Environmental Practices (GEP)

Good environmental practices address the following aspects:

• The environmental hazard posed by the product, its production, its use and ultimate disposal.
• Substitution by less polluting activities or substances.
• The scale of use.
• The potential environmental benefit or penalty of substitute materials or activities.
• Advances and changes in scientific knowledge and understanding.
• Time limits for implementation.
• Social and economic implications.
• The precautionary principle, i.e. taking preventive measures when there is reason to assume that substances or energy introduced, directly or indirectly, into the natural environment may create hazards to human health, harm living resources and ecosystems, damage amenities or interfere with other legitimate uses of nature even when there is no conclusive evidence of a causal relationship between inputs and their effects.