The rapidly increasing world population, changing nutritional habits and nutritional needs, negative changes in ecological balance, new agricultural techniques and increasingly diversified methods of processing agricultural products and making them ready for consumption have brought some problems in the supply of foods that are harmless to human health. However, especially in recent years, with the increasing consumer awareness, products that can be guaranteed to be safe in the food market have started to be preferred more. Food safety means the absence of unnatural components in foodstuffs, their presence at harmless or acceptable levels, and ensuring food hygiene, as well as the relationship of businesses with the environment, public health and welfare at the stage of food production. Retailers have come together to offer their customers the concept of GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) in order to guarantee that the product they offer is safe and produced by adhering to the principle of sustainability. EUREPGAP (now GLOBALGAP), which was initiated as a non-profit initiative of the European Retailers Product Working Group (EUREP - Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group) in 1997, provides the safety of agricultural products from field to table according to the requirements developed by the EUREPGAP Technical and Standards Committee. It aims to provide food and improve the quality of food.
First of all, the GLOBALGAP certificate, which has become a prerequisite for the export of fresh fruits and vegetables to European Union countries, is a product monitoring assurance provided by European Union (EU) retailers to their consumers. The consumer wants a commitment that any food purchased from the shelf does not pose a safety risk in terms of food hygiene and is produced through environmentally friendly practices. The producer and/or exporter who wants to export to the EU has to prove to the consumer, through the retailer, that his product fulfills these commitments. As a result of this, the concept of the GLOBALGAP Certificate, which is given by third-party independent organizations and shows that the relevant commitments are met, has emerged. The GLOBALGAP Certificate acts as a passport for the manufacturer and/or exporter to deliver their product to the EU market.
Due to this understanding, which is rapidly becoming established in our country, some large retailers have started to demand GLOBALGAP certified products from manufacturers/suppliers as a proof of the reliability of the products they offer to their customers.
GLOBALGAP standards are the standards that define the minimum safety requirements demanded by the consumer. Consumers, the food they buy;
· It is not harmful in terms of microbiological, physical and chemical,
· Since there is no harm to the environment and natural balance during their production,
· Since it is produced in accordance with legal requirements and
· They want to make sure that all necessary precautions are taken to ensure the health and safety of the people involved in production.
GLOBALGAP, which is also considered as a quality system in the agricultural sector, focuses on production in the field, adopts integrated agriculture principles, and has HACCP and ISO 9001 in terms of food safety and quality; It is a system that is in parallel with ISO 14001 standards in terms of environmental management and OHSAS 18001 standards in terms of occupational health and safety. In addition, it envisages the monitoring of Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Crop Management methods.