In our previous posts, we introduced the principles of GHP and GMP, which regulate hygiene and process organisation in processing facilities. However, the complete food control chain in the European Union begins much earlier – directly in the field, orchard, and livestock farm. This is managed by the GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) system.
GAP is a set of procedures and guidelines applied at the primary agricultural production stage. This system covers all activities from soil preparation, animal husbandry, and crop cultivation to harvesting and transporting raw materials to processing facilities¹. The primary goal of GAP in Europe is to ensure that raw materials, such as beef, pork, or apples, are produced under controlled conditions, minimising contamination risks right at the source.
Main areas covered by the GAP system
The principles of Good Agricultural Practice in European farms focus on several key areas²:
- Soil and water management: Rational management of water resources and protection of soil structure from degradation and erosion. Only water that meets strict purity standards is approved for crop irrigation.
- Sustainable plant protection: Strict control over the use of fertilisers and plant protection products. These treatments are limited to the bare minimum and carried out in accordance with EU regulations, which prevents the presence of unwanted substances in the finished products.
- Animal welfare and identification: Providing livestock with appropriate living conditions, space, and safe, contaminant-free feed. Every animal is subject to mandatory registration, which forms the basis for tracking its history.
- Harvest and transport hygiene: Adherence to sanitary procedures during the extraction of raw materials (e.g., apple harvesting), which prevents mechanical and microbiological contamination before delivery to the processor.
Why is the GAP standard important?
For buyers of European food in Japan, Vietnam, or Singapore, the implementation of GAP by agricultural producers is a guarantee of the reliability of the entire process. This system ensures:
- Safety at the foundation: The elimination of potential physical, chemical, and biological hazards at the earliest stage of food creation.
- Consistency of the raw material base: The standardisation of agricultural processes ensures that the harvested fruit and meat possess stable and uniform technical parameters.
- The foundation of traceability: GAP provides the very first documentation in the “Farm to Fork” system³. This makes it possible to precisely trace a product’s history back to a specific agricultural farm.
The application of GAP principles in the European Union guarantees that modern agriculture is based on the responsible management of natural resources, creating a stable foundation for the subsequent stages of premium food production!
2 https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/c7a6f8cd-3e02-403b-a0e0-f220bee6d804
3 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/from-farm-to-fork/
