About GLOBALG.A.P.
Technical committees
Technical committees consist of representatives from GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member organizations in the categories of producer/supplier and retail/food service. With members chosen for fixed terms of four years, their primary focus is the maintenance, interpretation, and revision of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons, rules, and regulations.
Harnessing global expertise
What are technical committees?
Comprised of representatives from GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member organizations in the categories of producer/supplier and retail/food service, technical committee participants represent all major regions of GLOBALG.A.P. operations – Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania – either directly or through their company affiliation. They play an integral role in both the development of our smart farm assurance solutions, the approval of national interpretation guidelines (NIGs), and in addressing urgent issues affecting the industry as a whole.
What are the responsibilities of a technical committee?
Overseeing the maintenance
and proper interpretation of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons
Participating in the peer review
and approval of new NIGs
Consulting on standard developments
and making recommendations to the GLOBALG.A.P. Advisory Board
Preparing guidance documents
on specific aspects of production
Evaluating input and proposals
received from the topic-specific focus groups
Discussing urgent issues,
trends, or challenges affecting the industry as a whole
How do technical committees work?
Technical committees are composed of GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members that represent experts in their respective fields. They work in close collaboration with a GLOBALG.A.P. Advisory Board liaison and a GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat representative assigned by the executive management.
This system enables direct stakeholder input on a wide range of technical topics, from standard revisions and focus group proposals to guidelines on specific aspects of production. In some cases, the Advisory Board may also appoint observers to help with information exchange.
Members of technical committees are chosen by the Advisory Board for fixed terms – typically four years – and can serve a maximum of three consecutive terms (12 years in total). Meeting dates are agreed by members, with sessions taking place both in person and virtually.
At the first meeting of a technical committee, a chairperson and vice-chairperson are elected. Any member of the technical committee can nominate themselves, and they are then responsible for organizing and moderating the meetings. The positions are held for the duration of the member’s term.
There are currently five active technical committees:
Why join a technical committee?
Help shape the future of GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions
Support the local adaptation of our standards and add-ons through the approval of NIGs, advancing fit-for-purpose solutions and cost-effective audit processes around the world
Contribute your expertise to the creation of technical guidelines
Discuss industry challenges, trends, and insights with diverse global stakeholders
Direct collaboration with the industry
How can I join a technical committee?
Open seats are always published in the technical committee overviews below. The application form must be accompanied by a letter of motivation and at least two letters of recommendation from existing GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members in the applicant’s peer group. This information is then evaluated and sent to the GLOBALG.A.P. Advisory Board for a decision.
Five steps to joining a technical committee
When open seats on a technical committee are available, a public call for participation will be published on the GLOBALG.A.P. website and sent to all relevant GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members.
Interested parties should first read the terms of reference for technical committees to understand the roles and responsibilities of the respective technical committee.
Interested parties can apply to the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat via the online application form. The form requires information about professional experience, a letter of motivation, and a minimum of two letters of recommendations from GLOBALG.A.P. Community Members from the same member category as the applicant’s organization.
The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat evaluates all incoming applications and prepares a summary for the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board reviews the applicants and then appoints the new technical committee members based on the information in the letters of motivation and recommendation.
Technical committee members are reassigned by the Advisory Board every four years following the conclusion of the term. This process takes into account sufficient continuity and knowledge transfer, therefore not all members are replaced. All active participants are transparently published on the GLOBALG.A.P. website, including information on name, country, organization, and duration of service.
GLOBALG.A.P. Community membership
Become a GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member and join a technical committee to help us shape the evolution of safer and more sustainable farming practices across the globe!
View the full list
Active technical committees
There are five active technical committees covering standards for fruit and vegetables and aquaculture, the GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody (CoC) standard, the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) add-on, and the rules and regulations that govern the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system.
Active technical committees
Latest news
29 April 2024
New fee tables now available
The revised GLOBALG.A.P. fee tables, including the version for North America, were published on 29 April 2024. The new fee structure, as outlined in the documents, will be effective as of 1 August 2024.
29 April 2024
How GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member Jerónimo Martins is fortifying its supply chain with its own production
Food distributor group Jerónimo Martins is a GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member. Explore how it combines production and retail activities to promote strategic food security and balance the economic sustainability of the business with its environmental impacts.
FAQ
Upcoming events
24 Apr - 24 May
2024
Have your say on the new workers’ well-being standard
Location:
Online
Event type:
Public consultation
Event format:
Virtual
15 May
2024
Flowers and Ornamentals Focus Group meeting
Location:
Online
Event type:
Meeting
Event format:
Virtual
Contact us
For questions about the GLOBALG.A.P. committees, please contact us at committees@globalgap.org.