26 March 2021
Vegaplan and GLOBALG.A.P. are pleased to announce the benchmark as ‘resembling scheme’ of the Vegaplan Standard with GLOBALG.A.P. Crops for Processing (CfP) standard.
Discussions on possible collaboration started a few years ago, when GLOBALG.A.P. launched its Crops for Processing standard. Belgium is the biggest exporter of frozen vegetables and potatoes in Europe, and Vegaplan covers a significant portion of the agricultural production of Belgium’s crops destined for processing. More than 80% of Belgium’s production area for potatoes and sugar beets is under Vegaplan certification. And for vegetables used in industry, Vegaplan covers a full 96% of the production area. Thus, it was natural for these two institutions to look toward possible synergies between the standards and efficiencies in terms of certification.
Mathieu Vrancken, Chairman of Vegaplan, says: “Thanks to this benchmark we can demonstrate the quality of our Belgian system even better to international stakeholders, who may be less familiar with the Vegaplan Standard.”
Guy Callebaut, Chairman of the GLOBALG.A.P. Board, adds: “Wherever possible, synergies should be found between quality standards. Cooperation with the Belgian quality system Vegaplan is important in order to organize control and certification efficiently and not create unnecessary costs for quality assurance. That is why I supported this project from the beginning.”
A thorough comparison between the two standards confirmed that they match to a large extent. Considering the structural differences in approach, Vegaplan opted deliberately for the benchmarking recognition level ‘resembling scheme’, in order to maintain the flexibility and regional specificities of Vegaplan. Structure and content of the Belgian Standard are mainly shaped by the integration of the Belgians’ official autocontrol system and IPM requirements defined by the regional authorities. The aspects assessed as not fully equivalent are published on the websites of GLOBALG.A.P. and Vegaplan.
What does this mean in practice?
For Vegaplan certified farmers there is no specific impact. In Belgium, Vegaplan remains the reference standard for quality assurance and market access certification for crops destined for processing.
For trade, industry, and retailers, however, this benchmarked status offers them transparency about the extent of the similarities between the two standards, which will help them in their procurement strategies when seeking uniform standardization.
For more information, please consult the websites of Vegaplan and GLOBALG.A.P.
https://www.GLOBALgap.org/uk_en/what-we-do/the-gg-system/benchmarking/scheme-profile/Vegaplan/
https://www.vegaplan.be/en/benchmark/GLOBALGAP
About GLOBALG.A.P.
GLOBALG.A.P. is a leading global certification program whose mission is to bring farmers and retailers together to produce and market safe food, to protect scarce resources, and to build a sustainable future. GLOBALG.A.P. offers benchmarking services to other standards and schemes wishing to use GLOBALG.A.P. as a point of reference for demonstrating their resemblance.
Visit www.globalgap.org for more information.
Contact:
GLOBALG.A.P. c/o FoodPLUS GmbH, Almut Sievers at sievers@globalgap.org.
Over Vegaplan
Vegaplan guarantees food safety, quality and sustainability of Belgian plant products and counts more than 17,000 certified producers. The Vegaplan Standard Primary Crop Production contains the whole of the legal requirements concerning food safety, as well as additional requirements for product safety, traceability and product quality. The Standard also includes requirements on sustainability and incorporates the legal requirements on Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Visit www.vegaplan.be for more information.
Contact:
Vegaplan vzw, Brigitta Wolf at brigitta.wolf@vegaplan.be