5.2. Thai GAP
The GAP programme was initiated in 1998, it is a voluntary standard. The main driver of
GAP is the Royal Thai Government; promoting public awareness and creation of regulations and
policies encouraging the production of safe food. This GAP programme is to ensure that food
crops produced in Thailand are safe, wholesome and meet basic standards and requirements.
Thai GAP is also available as a guideline for good agriculture practice including for pomelo
production but some quality management requirements are not covered by this as such, as
quality requirements according to the order from the buyers, harvest technique and time.
Thailand aims to pursue recognition by the GLOBALGAP organization. Up to now Thai GAP
is not recognized as equivalent to GLOBALGAP yet. So far Thai GAP certification is not
acknowledged on the international level – especially towards Europe. There is no immediate
benefit towards exports to the EU and no value addition out of the scheme but an opportunity for
self- assessment and gaining experience towards international recognized schemes.
3,699 farmers or 5.63% from the total pomelo growers are inspected according to Thai GAP
(One Stop Service Center, 2008).
THAI POMELO - VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO EU MARKETS 22
5.3. GLOBALGAP
GLOBALGAP (formerly known as EUROEPGAP) is a private sector body that sets
voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products.
This scheme started in 1997 as an initiative by retailers belonging to the Euro-Retailer
Produce Working Group (EUROEP). British retailers in conjunction with supermarkets in
continental Europe were the driving force. They reacted to growing concerns of the consumers
regarding product safety, environmental and labour standards and decided to harmonize their
own often very different standards.
EUROEP started working on harmonized standards and procedures for the development of
Good Agricultural Practices (G.A.P.) in conventional agriculture, including highlighting the
importance of Integrated Crop Management and a responsible approach to worker welfare.
Over the next ten years a growing number of producers and retailers around the globe
joined in with the idea, as this matched the emerging pattern of globalised trading:
EUROEPGAP began to gain in global significance. To align EUROEPGAPS’s name with the
now realized proposition as the pre-eminent international G.A.P.-standard and to prevent
confusion with its growing range of public sector and civil society stakeholders, it was decided to
re-brand to become GLOBALGAP in 2007.
GLOBALGAP is a pre-farm-gate standard, which means that the certificate covers the
process of the certified product from farm inputs and all the farming activities until the product
leaves the farm. After farm gate level other food security and quality assurance system are to be
in place as HACCP and ISO based GMP systems
GLOBALGAP is a business-to-business label and is therefore not directly visible to
consumers. It is basically a system to reduce risk and liability issues in the chain – based mainly
on the interest of the retailers to avoid risk emerging at the level of agricultural production, which
otherwise would not be covered by food safety guarantee systems as HACCP or GMP which
addresses the level of processing only.
GLOBALGAP does not “per se” increase value or provide premium prices. Still it is
becoming a requirement set by retailers in international trade and thus becoming a pre-condition
for market access especially in case of fresh fruits and vegetables.
5.4. HACCP and GMP
HACCP is not (yet) mandatory in the case of whole fruit product chains (but for fresh cut or
processed fruit). GMP is increasingly mandatory for export operations and still not implemented
at all levels for the Pomelo value chain – especially at producer group level as provisory
seasonal packing stations are used.
For export to the UK the certification according to BRC (British Retail Consortium) is
normally required.
THAI POMELO - VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO EU MARKETS 23
5.5. Fairtrade Standards, Labeling and Certification
Fairtrade certification (usually addressed as “Fairtrade” or “Fair Trade Certified”) is a
product certification system designed to allow people to identify products that meet agreed
environmental, labour and developmental standards.
Products carry the Fairtrade Certification mark as a guarantee to consumers that
participating producers in the developing world get a better deal to enable them for social and
economic development.
Beyond being paid a fair price (at least Fairtrade Minimum Price), the Fairtrade Premium
helps producers to build necessary social economic and environmental infrastructure.
By definition and through its history Fairtrade targets “South – North trade” issues –
therefore there are no FLO Fairtrade certified producers in Europe.
Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO) and FLO-CERT
The Fairtrade Labelli