ITU CERTIFICATE
Food production has a very important strategy in today´s world. While half of the world is struggling with hunger, the other half want the food they produce and consume to be safe. When safe food is mentioned, products that are not harmful to human health, that do not contain physical, chemical and microbiological residues, and that are traceable at the same time come to mind. In order to improve production and sell the products we produce to the right markets, manufacturers and institutions and organizations that package, distribute, even store and market these products have very important responsibilities. Today, traceability of agricultural products has become the most important issue in terms of ensuring food safety all over the world. Various studies have been done on this subject and are still being done. Now the consumer wants to know the production process of the food that comes to his table. There is a concept that arises all these requirements that has influenced the entire agriculture and export sector in recent years. This concept is good agricultural practices covering minimum agricultural production criteria.
In recent years, the development of modern technology has also had an impact on the agricultural sector. Excessive use of production inputs has led to the formation of chemical residues in agricultural products. Evaluations under the name of Good Agricultural Practices started to gain importance in order to prevent the occurrence of such negativities in agriculture. The purpose of these practices is defined as the processes that must be applied to make the agricultural production system socially viable, economically profitable and efficient, protecting human health, giving importance to animal health and welfare and the environment.
Today, consumers want to be sure of the safety of all food products they buy, especially the agricultural products they consume. For this reason, it has become inevitable to establish systems and standards in order to provide consumers with the guarantee that both direct and agricultural products are produced safely.
Good Agricultural Practices Certification Process
According to the regulation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Good Agricultural Practices within the scope of Good Agricultural Practices, the certification of agricultural products according to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) conditions is carried out by private and independent certification bodies with the authorization given by the Ministry. The entity to be audited must have a legal entity defined by the Group producer. The Group must have established and implemented a quality management system developed for good agricultural practices.
The Good Agricultural Practices Certification Standard is divided into two modules, individual certification and group certification:
* Individual Certification: Individual certification is applied to the enterprise engaged in agricultural production on agricultural lands under the use of real or legal persons as owners or tenants.
* Group Certification: Group certification is applied to the enterprise engaged in agricultural production on agricultural lands established under the roof of producer organizations or cooperatives, established by contract and under the use of real persons as owner or tenancy.
There are two signature processes in group certification, unlike individual certification. In the first, cooperatives or producer s also sign contracts with producers; in the latter, when the cooperatives apply for the ITU Certificate, they sign a contract with the certification body. In addition, enterprises applying as cooperatives are expected to meet the Quality Management System standards. The certificate application should be made to a certification body accredited by a domestic or international authority. Good Agricultural Practices certification procedures in Turkey are carried out by certification bodies accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The ITU Certificate standard has been actively implemented in our country since 2010. ITU Certificate is issued in accordance with GLOBALGAP standards, which is an international inspection and surveillance system in the field of environment and food safety. Within the scope of the GAP Certificate, only the cultivation of agricultural products is not included. All processes up to the packaged (final) product are covered by the Good Agricultural Practices standard.
Benefits of Good Agricultural Practices
It supports the continuous development of farming methods and technologies, based on the principles of Good Agricultural Practices Hazard Prevention, Hazard Analysis (HACCP), Integrated Pest Control (IPM) and Integrated Crop Farming (ICM). Good Agricultural Practices cover the full production process of the certified agricultural product the period before planting the plant to the finished product process. Also; It also covers Food Safety, Animal Welfare, Environmental Protection and Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare. Good Agricultural Practices; environment, human, animal It is a type of agricultural production made for the purpose of producing a production that does not harm health, protecting natural resources, ensuring traceability and sustainability in agriculture and food safety. The product with the Good Agricultural Practices certificate; It does not contain chemical, physical and microbiological residues, it is produced without polluting the environment and harming the natural balance; during its production, human, worker and other living things are not adversely affected; It is understood that it is produced in accordance with the agricultural legislation of the countries where it is produced and consumed.
In summary, Good Agricultural Practices;
Benefits to Manufacturers:
* Provides quality product cultivation.
* It is the reason why it is preferred in domestic and foreign markets.
* Being ahead of other manufacturers in equal competition conditions.
* Provides qualified agreements with retailers.
* It ensures the safety of employees in production.
Benefits to Consumers
* It reduces the risks related to food safety and human health.
* Provides traceability about the source of the product.
* It provides quality and reliability in the product.
* The demands of consumers regarding food quality and safety are met with success.
Benefits to Retailers
* Provides a qualified agreement with the manufacturer.
* Eliminates concerns about public health and product reliability.
* With the consumer´s confidence in the product, an increase in demand is achieved.
* It allows the obstacles to disappear due to compliance with legal regulations.
Benefits to the Exporter
* Production quantity and quality losses are prevented.
* With this application, exporters overcome non-tariff barriers.
* With the application, exporters reach wider markets.
* They earn more revenue thanks to increased demands with traceability of the product and reduction of health-related risks.
Environmental Benefits
* Sustainable, environmentally responsible production is made for the protection of natural life and biological diversity.
* It helps to reduce the harmful effects of agriculture on the environment.
* A protective management plan is implemented.
BELCERT CERTIFICATION
As BELCERT Certification Firm, What Do We Do Within the Scope of ITU Consulting?
* Current Situation Assessment
* Preliminary
* Preparation of Quality Objectives and Policies
* Organization chart is created.
* Giving Basic Trainings
* Job Descriptions and Key Personnel responsibilities
* Preparation of Procedures
* Occupational Safety and Security Practices
* Environmental Management System Applications
* Inner control
* YGG
* Deciding on the Certification Firm
“As BELCERT Certification Firm, we are here to support and assist you in this regard. You can contact us for detailed information.”
