Relevance of Good Agricultural Practices in Organic Production Systems

Demand for organic food is higher than ever but the sustainability and the health benefits of organic food has always been a issue of discussion as the food produced using agricultural means is not produced in harmony with nature, whether it is grown by organic or conventional methods. Clinical and field trials conducted in various settings established that nutrition wise also there is no or non-significant difference between organic and conventional food. In such scenario Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) offers immense scope for Agricultural economies like India to take advantage of the new trade opportunities that sustain the export of premium farm produce and processed farm products. This can be achieved only if production is made as per the consumer demands and requirements of international markets. GLOBAL GAP (earlier known as EUREPGAP) has established itself as a key reference for Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in the global market place, by translating consumer requirements into agricultural production and the concerns and commitments of a wide range of stakeholders about food production and security, food safety, quality and the environmental sustainability of agriculture. Besides these it has social impacts as it takes care about workers health, safety and welfare. The paper elaborates the scope of GAPs in context of organic food production system and the relevant protocols available to take advantage at stakeholder level.