Was ist EUREPGAP?

EUREPGAP started in 1997 as an initiative of retailers belonging to the Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group (EUREP). The aim was to agree on standards and procedures for development of good agricultural practice (GAP).

Formerly speaking EUREPGAP is a set of normative documents suitable to be accredited to international certification laws. Representatives from around the globe and all stages of the food chain have been involved in the development of these documents and it has produced a very robust, very challenging protocol which focuses the producer on the key issues that need to be addressed during the pre-farm gate stage.

EUREPGAP was driven by the desire to reassure consumers, principally on issues of food safety following food safety scares with BSE (mad cow’s disease) and the rapid introduction of GM foods. Consumers generally throughout the whole of Europe and other parts of the world are asking how food is produced; they don’t really understand all the techniques employed in modern agriculture and need assurance that it is safe.

Food safety is a global issue, it doesn’t respect international boundaries. A lot of the members are global players in the retail industry and cannot afford to operate double standards for produce sourced from different parts of the world, hence the need for a common internationally recognised standard.

The EUREPGAP goals are essentially to reduce the risks of food safety lapses in agricultural production and to objectively verify best practice with some reference points so that it is done systematically and consistently throughout the world. We achieve this through the protocol and compliance criteria.

The key goal is to provide a forum for continuous improvement. The technical and standards committee, consisting of grower and retail members, has a formal agenda to review emerging issues and risk assessments.

When consumers go into a store they don’t often think about these issues, but they wouldn’t expect to purchase something from a company that was directly degrading the environment or disrespecting their workers. A lot of things are given as far as consumers are concerned, and we mustn’t let them down in that respect.