Bridging the GAPs: Strategies to Improve Produce Safety, Preserve Farm Diversity and Strengthen Local Food Systems

Description

Private industry food safety protocols for produce farmers are not always based on independent science and are biased against smaller-scale, diversified farms and those using sustainable production methods, finds a new report issued September 10, 2009 by Food & Water Watch and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “Bridging the GAPs: Strategies to Improve Produce Safety, Preserve Farm Diversity and Strengthen Local Food Systems,” by Elanor Starmer and Marie Kulick, analyzes common, non-regulatory food safety protocols for produce growers including, the federal Good Agriculture Practices, the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, industry “super metrics,” and international food safety protocols. In the absence of federal regulations governing food safety at the farm level, a growing number of wholesale and institutional produce buyers are requiring farmers to comply with a food safety protocol and pass a third party audit in order to sell their product. Though audit requirements differ among buyers, most require documentation, testing and other added costs; many requirements conflict with those of environmental programs supported by state and federal agencies. The report finds that the proliferation of private industry food safety protocols and mandatory audits unduly burdens many produce farmers and confuses consumers without delivering clear food safety benefits. The report includes several recommendations for such a program: -Broad stakeholder involvement that includes small, diversified and organic farms. -Specific measures to improve food safety based on independent science. -Policies that are adaptable to farms of all sizes and types. -Significant educational and training resources to assist farmers in transitioning to a new system and to educate auditors on different farming systems, practices and programs.

Resource Type(s)

Report

Website Address

http://www.iatp.org/iatp/publications.cfm?accountID=258&refID=106746