EUREPGAP, an initiative of the Euro Retailer Produce Working Group, was founded in 1997 as GlobalG.A.P. In response to growing consumer concerns about product safety, environmental impact, worker safety, and animal welfare, British retailers are partnering with supermarkets in continental Europe. Considering the above, they are developing an independent certification system for Good Agricultural Practice (G.A.P.), harmonizing their separate processes and standards.
Using the EUREPGAP standard, producers can comply with European legislation and standards for food safety, sustainable production methods, worker safety, and animal welfare. Additionally, it assists producers in using water, compound feed, and propagating plants responsibly. Having a unified certification means that producers will save money since they no longer have to undergo different checks every year based on different criteria.
In the next ten years, the EUREPGAP certification system will spread throughout Europe and to other continents as well. In 2007, as more and more producers and retailers joined this globally recognized certification system, EUREPGAP was rebranded as GLOBALG.A.P. In response to consumer demand, GLOBALG.A.P. is now the largest agricultural production assurance certification scheme in the world.
