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Good Agricultural Practices
ADFSC Info Sheet
GAP Unit Team
What is a Good Agricultural Practice?
Broadly defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation, Good Agricultural
Practice (GAP) is “An agricultural practice which is environmentally responsible, economically sound,
and socially acceptable”. A GAP approach applies recommendations and available knowledge when
addressing sustainable on-farm production and post-production processes, resulting in safe and healthy
food products.
What is GLOBALGAP?
GLOBALGAP’s roots began in 1997 as EUREPGAP, an initiative by retailers belonging to the EuroRetailer Produce Working Group. British retailers working together with supermarkets in continental
Europe become aware of consumers’ growing concerns regarding product safety, environmental impact
and the health, safety and welfare of workers and animals. GLOBALGAP today is the world's leading
farm assurance program, translating consumer requirements into Good Agricultural Practice in a rapidly
growing list of countries – currently more than 100 . (Reference: http://www.globalgap.org/uk_en/who-weare/about-us/history/)
GLOBALGAP is the internationally recognized standard for farm production. The GLOBALGAP
Certification covers:
 Food safety and traceability
 The environment (including biodiversity)
 Workers’ health, safety and welfare
 Animal welfare
 The certification also includes, Integrated Crop Management (ICM), Integrated Pest Control
(IPC), Quality Management System (QMS), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
(HACCP) (Reference: http://www.globalgap.org/uk_en/what-we-do/globalg.a.p.certification/globalg.a.p./)
Why implement GLOBALGAP in the emirate of Abu Dhabi?
Implementation of
GLOBALGAP is a top
priority for the Abu
Dhabi Farmers’
Services Centre, to
ensure that farming
achieves maximum
sustainability and
profitability, while also
focusing on social
responsibility and
environmental
protection.
The objective of the
program is to make
local produce more competitive and to communicate consumer confidence about the quality of locally
grown crops.
Abu Dhabi is already leading other GCC countries in the GLOBALGAP Certification process with 110
farms certified.
Key Features of GAP Implementation
1.
Farm Selection Criteria
The correct selection of farms for GAP certification is an important action which triggers the smooth
implementation of future GAP activities. For successful implementation of GAP the following criteria is
recommended when selecting farms’.
1.1. Scope of Farm crops
All crops grown on target farms are of grown in the open field and/or in a greenhouse and are intended for
marketing purposes.
1.2. Commitment
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The farmer(s) shall have the ability and willingness to cooperate and implement
GLOBALGAP
The farm shall have no current conflicts or disputes
The farmer shall have a willingness to keep and maintain farm records
as
1.3. Water availability
To farm should have access to adequate supplies of quality water throughout the year, or for the duration
of the proposed growing season.
1.4. Literacy and Language
The target farm should have at least one staff member who is literate in the working language of the farm.
The working languages should be English, Arabic or Urdu.
1.5. On-farm living facilities of workers
If workers have on farm living facilities, these facilities should be habitable and have a sound roof,
windows, doors and the basic services of running water, toilets and drains.
1.6. Hygiene facilities
Basic hygiene facilities should be provided on the target farms. Toilets and hand basins must be available
on the farm and shall available within 500 meters.
1.7. Storing agricultural materials and other items
Storing facilities should be available in the target farms as necessary.
2. Production Unit
The production units must fulfil basic requirements on each farm site, ensuring the safe production of
crops and the protection of the environment. The sites history, fitness for agricultural production and the
identification of potential risks as well as recommended soils and water tests are the pre-requisite to start
the GLOBALGAP certification scheme. The producer should also include any new areas that they intend
for future crop production.
3. Traceability
3.1
Farm Map, Farm Plan, Farm Labelling &
Identification of Production Units
Every production member shall have farm map clearly
available at the main entrance of their farm. The farm
map must indicate the following information:
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Farm number
Farm owner name
Global Gap Number (GGN) if any,
All production location/blocks,
Infrastructure on the farm including workers accommodation/resting area,
Toilets,
Fertilizer and pesticide storage,
Power supply and harvest store
For GAP implementation, ADFSC requires all its registered production members to divide their
production location into smaller production units called blocks. The GAP approved sign also incorporates
the following information:
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Production/Block number
Products
Crop variety
Date of sowing/planting
First expected harvest date
Date of PPP applied
Pre harvest interval (PHI)
Reentry interval (REI).
The production location map must match with Farm
Map.
3.2
Farm Records, Harvesting Records & GGN Numbers
Records of a blocks inputs and outputs including fertilizers and pesticides must be cataloged. Records
shall include; crops, seeds, fertilizers and pesticides as well as training and harvest records. Each of the
inputs is catalogued on templates specifically designed by the ADFSC GAP unit. All harvested produce is
to be kept physically isolated for the purpose of traceability, each with a prominent label clearly marking
their unique qualities such as variety and harvest date. All produce is also issued with a 13 digit GGN
number in order to trace the produce from farm onwards.
4. Site Management
All block within the farm are required to be physically identifiable. The ADFSC GAP Unit stores
essential information about each farm including; types of crops grown, crop plan, type of farm and the
subdivisions within the farm e.g. date palm, open vegetable greenhouse etc.
5. Crop Rotation
In order to reduce the risk of depleting the soil of specific nutrients and also reduce the incidence of pests
and diseases, farm owners must agree to a crop rotation program. A rotation program helps add essential
elements to the soil and builds and maintains the soils structure.
6. Worker Health, Safety & Welfare
All production members shall operate their facilities within the
parameters of the produce member policy, UAE labor law and
the requirements of the GLOBALGAP Standard and its
customers’ acceptance criteria. All farm workers must be trained
on health & safety, first aid and the operation of dangerous
equipment. All training must be documented with attendance lists
and a summary of the content demonstrated of the training.
Visitors and contactors must be instructed on the rules of the
farm site and collection center for the farms they are travelling to.
Visitors or contractors who make regular visits are required to
sign a declaration that they will abide by these instructions.
Bilingual signage’s must be
posted at potential risky
locations such as the
pesticide store, pesticide
mixing stands, empty
pesticide containers,
pesticide disposal area,
PPEs store, seeds store and
other hazardous areas in
Arabic well as in Urdu.
Signs shall also be posted at
the entrances to stores and
other enclosed hazardous
areas alerting group
members, farm workers and
visitors of accident
prevention measures. In
particular, sand buckets for
firefighting and master
points for evacuation must
be clearly indicated and
pesticide hazards shall be
accurately communicated
and clearly identified. Farms
shall have important contact
numbers such as ambulance,
doctors, closest hospital, fire
brigade, farm owner and
farm manager numbers in
prominent locations.
Personal protective clothing
(e.g. rubber boots,
waterproof clothing,
protective overalls, rubber
gloves, face masks, etc.) is
provided to all personnel handling
hazardous substances. This
equipment shall be maintained in a
clean and serviceable
condition, stored in the PPE stores
and is subject to regular inspection. The instructions on the label of each the pesticides indicate what
personal protective equipment is appropriate when handling specific hazardous substances. The pesticide
store and all pesticide filling/mixing areas shall have an eye wash facility, a source of clean water (no
more than 10 meters away), a complete first aid kit and a clearly defined accident and emergency
procedure.
7. Environmental Issues
Safety of the environment is one of the pillars of GAP implementation. ADFSC has developed an
environmental conservation policy and an action plan for the enhancement of habitats and environmental
bio-diversity which shall followed by each member. Whenever applying pesticides on the farm,
considerations must be given to the habitat around the area to be sprayed. Efforts shall made to conserve
and enhance the biodiversity of the local farm environment. Unproductive sites shall be managed to
provide conservation areas for fauna and flora where possible. In all cases, actions shall be planned to
minimize their negative impact on the environment. All registered farms must be committed to wildlife
conservation and have conservation management plans based on the UAE Environmental Policy for
Conservation of Wildlife.
8. Waste management
Sources of possible waste on the farm shall be identified and each farm shall be responsible for reducing
the adverse environmental impact of its activities and for the encouragement of biodiversity on the farm
conducive with the maintenance of good plant health and sustainable production.
9. Fertilizer usage
Fertilizer inventory, fertilizer application records and fertilizer store checks shall be recorded and properly
maintained. Producer are required to obtain receipts and keep
them in their farm files, which form part of the fertilizer usage
and storage records. The receipts must have details of the type of
fertilizer, quantity and date purchased.
Fertilizer Storage
Farm owners and farm managers shall ensure that fertilizer
storage meets the following requirements:
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Fertilizer stores shall have an updated inorganic fertilizer
inventory. This indicates the date entering the store, date
moved from the store and any balances remaining
Inorganic fertilizers are stored separate from pesticides and
organic fertilizer
The store is always clean, dry and covered from the weather
elements
Fertilizer is stored in a manner that reduces risk of
contamination. Liquid fertilizer stores are packed
Organic and inorganic fertilizers are stored away from seeds
and produce
The fertilizer store is a controlled area and entry restricted to authorized personnel only. The universal
symbol of hazard is placed at the entrance
The risk of disease transmission from organic fertilizers is assessed. This assessment also considers
weed seed content, method of composting, etc. and is done before organic manure application.
Fertilizers shall store in a manner that reduces risk to the environment
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Purchased fertilizers shall accompanied by documented evidence of their pesticide content. This
information shall be available for all the inorganic fertilizers used on GLOBALGAP registered crops
within the last 12 months
Soil analysis of the farms shall be conducted according to a sampling procedure provided by the
laboratory responsible. Updated soil maps are kept for reference. Where necessary, soil analysis shall
carried out at UAE recognized laboratories
10.Irrigation
Water is a scarce resource, which needs to be managed efficiently. ADFSC requires that all water for
irrigation purposes is used within the restrictions of legal
abstraction permits and licenses from Abu Dhabi Environment
Ministry. Abu Dhabi Water law shall apply all the time to all
produce members.
A water management plan has been developed by the ADFSC
Irrigation Unit for date palms, open field crops and protected
crops. Suitable practices might include use of modified drip
irrigation, application during cooler periods rather than in the
heat of the day; the use of mulches and the addition of organic
matter to the soil. The ADFSC Irrigation Unit developed irrigation brochures to provide further guidelines
on the irrigation requirement for each crop.
The risk assessment results provide details of the actions required for irrigation water. Water test shall
cover the following;
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Water test for microbial contamination from all farm producing herbs and farms using treated
water
Random water test for salinity randomly based on crops. At least three random tests from: date
palm, open vegetable (other than herb) and protected crops
Water test for pesticide pollutant if required and identified in the risk assessment
Risk assessment log/register shall be updated annually to determine potential microbial pesticide
and physical contamination of all sources of irrigation water. It’s obligatory for all produce
members to not use sewage water
A competent, local UAE recognized laboratory shall analyze irrigation water. Water shall always
be abstracted from sustainable water sources i.e. sources that can provide adequate water
11.IPM, Pesticide usage and storage
ADFSC encourages the usage of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) in order to minimize the use of
pesticides. All pesticide applications must be justified and documented. When pesticides are applied anti
resistance recommendations are followed as per product label instructions. The ADFSC Plant Protection
Unit published brochures are a guideline for IPM assistance. The GAP Unit shall facilitate in the training
of Extension Engineers on IPM based on the GLOBALGAP standard.
Pesticides application records
Comprehensive records of all pesticide applications shall be kept. The first entries made on the signboard
at the production site about PPP application shall provide inputs for the PPP application record. Farm
manager/pesticide applicators shall place red-flag to observe Pre-harvest Interval (PHI)
Pesticides stores
All produce member must have to comply with the following
requirements:
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Pesticides only to be used on fruits and vegetables
Only use pesticides meant for use on their registered crops
All liquid pesticides are to be stored on shelves below
powder pesticides within the same group to prevent
contamination in the case of a spillage or leak
Each store or compartment (where applicable) is to be split
into three (3) sections and clearly labeled as fungicides,
herbicides and insecticides
The pesticide store is to be bound to prevent spills leaking
into the outside
Pesticide storage facilities are to be built in a manner which
is structurally sound and robust
Metal or concrete shall be used to construct the store
making them fire resistant
Pesticides storage facilities are to be built in a manner that allows constant ventilation of fresh air
to avoid a buildup of harmful vapors and to protect against temperature extremes
Shelves must be made of non-absorbent material in case of spillage
The store shall be clearly marked with the appropriate signage to indicate hazardous and
potentially dangerous materials
Pesticides must be stored in an area with sufficient lighting, both natural and artificial to ensure
that all product labels can be read easily on the shelves
The stores shall have capacity up to 110% the volume of the largest liquid pesticide container to
ensure that there cannot be any risk of spillage to the exterior of the store in case of an accident
The store must be able to be locked. Only authorized personnel shall have access. Only personnel
with training on the safe handling and use of pesticides shall have access to the store
A general PPP store inventory shall be filled and maintained to show movement of pesticide
stock. Stock control measures of produce must be maintained and updated for each pesticide as
each one is added to the store or used. The stock inventory shall indicate which field/block was
sprayed and which crop the pesticide was used on
The pesticide store needs to have measuring and weighing equipment for mixing and measuring
pesticides in cases where this is done inside the pesticide store. The measuring device is to be
triple rinsed before measuring a different pesticides. The user must ensure that the correct
handling and filling procedures for the pesticide as stated on the pesticide label are followed
A container of sand, a floor brush, a dustpan and plastic bags which are placed in a sign-posted
area in the pesticide store are available to be used in case of spillage of pesticides during mixing
and filling
All crop protection products shall be stored in their original packaging
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All empty, rinsed and perforated PPP containers are required to be kept in red plastic bags inside
the store
If ADFSC provides a pesticide cabinet, it shall be maintained properly, with the shelves cleaned
on a quarterly basis. The cabinet must be connected to an electric power supply all the times. The
spillage tank must also be removed and cleaned in case of pesticide spillage
12.Farm Machinery/Equipment and calibration
The GAP Unit has developed a farm machinery/equipment and
calibration procedure which shall provide the basis for farm
machinery/equipment’s maintenance. The equipment/machinery
shall include but not limited to fertilizer/Fertigation equipment,
PPP application equipment, farm tractors, farm harvest transport
vehicles, weights and measuring tools.
13.Harvesting
Farm owners/managers must
follow ADFSC harvesting
hygiene procedure. Toilets
must be located within 500
meters or 7 minutes walking
distance of any harvesting
activity. Hand washing
facilities and points must also
be checked regularly to ensure
that they are in good usable
condition. The harvest hygiene poster
featuring pictorial harvest instructions
for workers must be placed close to the
harvest site and temporary harvest
store.
The temporary storing place for
harvested produce should be indoors, in an enclosed area with a lock,
clean, and free from rodents, insects and other animals. The temporary
storing place should have the appropriate temperature and humidity that
will not affect the quality of the produce.
The harvest containers must be cleaned and washed, before and after
harvesting. All the harvesting tools must be sanitized or washed before
and after use.
ADFSC- GAP on International Forum
• ADFSC has 02 Licensed Farm Assurer only in the UAE
http://www.globalgap.org/uk_en/Profiles/Hamid-00001/
• ADFSC member producers GLOBALGAP certificates can be assessed on following link
https://database.globalgap.org/globalgap/search/SearchMain.faces
•
ADFSC is representing GLOBALGAP committee on crops, on Rational use of water, National
Technical Working Group in UAE, and GLOBALGAP farm assurer
http://www.globalgap.org/export/sites/default/.content/.galleries/documents/150110_GG_Annual_Report
_2013-14_en.zip