28 March 2022
In the spring of 2021, GLOBALG.A.P. launched its new, cross-category GGN label. It can be used for aquaculture and floriculture products and now also for fruit and vegetables. The GGN label stands for certified, responsible, and transparent agriculture. It offers consumers orientation and assurance when shopping. For aquaculture products, certain GLOBALG.A.P. standards and corresponding certifications guarantee maximum food safety, both in the production stages and downstream and upstream, as well. In addition, the standards cover such aspects as sustainability, animal and environmental protection, workers’ social interests, and traceability through the supply chain.
With a view to quality assurance, the Compound Feed Manufacturing (CFM) standard defines various criteria and control points in the purchase and supply of raw materials and feed components for feed production and also for the manufacture of compound feed. Aquaculture farms that use the GGN label may source feed from only those producers who are either certified according to the GLOBALG.A.P. CFM standard or who produce according to a standard that is recognized as equivalent through benchmarking.
Protection for people, animals, and the environment
Participants in the GGN label initiative who rear fish and seafood in aquaculture, as well hatchery operators and companies that perform post-fishing tasks such as transport, must all be certified according to the requirements of the GLOBALG.A.P. IFA standard for aquaculture. Focus areas include compliance with legal regulations and criteria in the areas of food safety, occupational health and safety, animal and environmental protection, and the topic of ecological responsibility.
Apropos occupational safety: Those responsible for the GGN label initiative have integrated an add-on called GRASP. GRASP stands for GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice. This add-on was integrated to assess social practices at aquaculture farms. GRASP enables enterprises to demonstrate that they operate in accordance with their national legislation and the core conventions of the International Labor Organization. The downstream stage of the supply chain is covered by the GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody standard, CoC for short. It guarantees the traceability of certified products from the supermarket shelf to the producing farm.
Transparency is essential
The GGN label initiative is founded on transparency. GLOBALG.A.P. uses clear 13-digit identification numbers that are linked to the respective producers’ certified production processes. The identification numbers are printed on the packaging of products that have the GGN label. Consumers can enter the number into the search system on the GGN label portal to trace the origin of the products. The portal also has information on the producers and other links in the supply chain such as processors and packers. In a nutshell: The GGN label is a transparent system that creates trust and offers consumers safety and reassurance.
Originally published by Fisch Magazin. Visit their website to read the original article in German.