GAP stands for 'Good Agricultural Practices'. GAP is a set of principles, regulations and technical recommendations applicable to production, processing and transporting, addressing human health care, environmental protection and improvement of working conditions. We are not still familiar with the concept of GAP. The agricultural scientists in Bangladesh have just taken initiative for creating awareness about GAP.
The concept of GAP evolved recently as a result of the big concern about food safety and quality and the environmental sustainability of agriculture. In 1997, a group of European retailers operating under the name, Eurep (European Retail Produce Working Group) designed a private standard, EurepGAP. Initially EurepGAP was supported by 32 countries, mainly in Europe. In 2007, it announced the change of its title and logo to GLOBALGAP to reflect its expanding international role in establishing good agricultural practices mutually agreed between multiple retailers and their suppliers. The aims of GAP are
* to ensure supply of safe & quality food products to consumers and improving the human health
* to enhance the export potentialities of agricultural products
* to improve the livelihood of the producers and farm earnings
* to establish sustainable effective agricultural practice adaptive to climate change and
* to protect environment & improvement of working conditions.
The use of GAP in the production of fresh fruit and vegetables is essential to prevent pathogen contamination. There are many activities that take place as food products move from the farm to the table. These include activities related to production, harvesting, post-harvest operations, packaging, transportation and storage. Implementing programmes such as the use of GAP and GHP (Good Handling Practices) are important steps in reducing possible hazards associated with the produce throughout the production-distribution chain. The food chain approach to food safety and quality recognises the responsibility for the supply of safe food. Food safety is an obligation of all food sector operators (producers, processors, exporters, importers, etc.) to place on the market wholesome products. A number of countries and regional organisations introduced GAP like JGAP in Japan, ChinaGAP in China, ThiGAP in Thailand, SALM in Malaysia, ASEANGAP in ASEAN region etc.
In Bangladesh, food safety problems are frequently being reported and they are having a serious impact on public health, trade in food and agricultural products and on consumer confidence. Besides, Bangladeshi agricultural products, particularly horticultural products, have a good demand in European Union and Middle East countries, but can't get access to those markets due to non-compliance of developed production technologies and absence of globally accepted good agricultural practices. Introducing GAP, Bangladeshi agro commodities could easily get access to the high-price markets of the European Union and Middle East countries. The GAP awareness at the level of agriculture scientists, government officials, policy makers, private operators (food producers and processors) and consumers are lacking.
It is essential to introduce GAP protocol for supplying safe food to local consumers as well as the export markets. To reduce risks of contamination associated with production practices of fresh produce and promote market opportunities, GAP-AFACI (Asian Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative), in collaboration with BARC (Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council), is developing training materials and creating awareness about GAP throughout the food chain. Meanwhile, a training programme was conducted on 'Good Agricultural Practices in Fruits and Vegetables Production' where representatives from BADC, BARI, DAE, BARC, BAU, BSMRAU, SAU, Agricultural Ministry were present. From September 10-12, 2013, another training programme in e-Learning Course on the GLOBALGAP Standard for Greater Market Access was jointly organised by the Asian Productivity Organisation (Japan) and the National Productivity Organisation (NPO) under the Ministry of Industries. Representatives from BADC, DAE, Hortex Foundation and different food processing industries participated in the programme.
A draft regulatory system, including guidelines for all crops, is now awaiting final approval of the government. When it will be approved, GAP will be introduced in the country under the name of BanglaGAP.
Dr. Md. Shafayet Hossain is Deputy Manager (SP&P), BADC, Dhaka.
shafayetbadc@gmail.com
