Thailand is the first Asian Country to Receive Approval

Thailand is the first Asian Country to Receive Approval of National Interpretation Guideline by GLOBALGAP

The ThaiGAP initiative arose from the inspiration of a private/public partnership to improve the quality infrastructure in Thai agricultural and food sector. Support for the initiative comes from The Board of Trade of Thailand, Thai Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association, Kasetsart University, PTB (National Metrology Institute Germany) and GTZ, the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS) and the Department of Agriculture (DOA).

The aim of the project is to develop food safety and quality standards for Thai agricultural products that are internationally recognized as equivalent to GLOBALGAP standards, thus enabling the country’s small farmers to access higher value markets worldwide, as well as to increase farmers’ income and ensure long-term sustainability in Thailand’s agricultural sector.

PTB and GTZ have facilitated the project through The Board of Trade of Thailand (BOTT) and the Thai Fruit
and Vegetable Producer Association (TFVPA) in providing advice and support for the benchmarking process. It examined the scope of ThaiGAP and made recommendations on its governance structure, liaised with GLOBALGAP to draw up a road map, supported the National Technical Working Group on the interpretation of GLOBALGAP for Thai conditions.

Furthermore the project worked on the draft, approval and implementationof an “Approved Modified Checklist” which is an interim step leading to the benchmarking of ThaiGAP with the international GLOBALGAP standard.

The National Technical Working Group (NTWG) was established by 9 volunteer members from both public and private organizations i.e. ACFS, DOA, Kasetsart University, Management and System Certification Institute for ISOStandard (MASCI), the Thai Fruit and Vegetable Producer Association, and exporters. These agencies have worked together on drafting the National Interpretation Guideline (NIG) which provides guidance on the implementation of GLOBALGAP Control Points and Compliance Criteria suitable for Thai conditions.

This National Interpretation Guideline (NIG) in the Thai language was approved by GLOBALGAP on March 9th, 2009 and is the first of its kind in an Asian country. The guideline is now posted in GLOBALGAP website: http:// www.globalgap.org/cms/front_content.php?idart=147&idcat=48&lang=1&client=1. 

All certification bodies operating in Thailand must include the guideline in their certification procedure within 3 months after publication.  This guideline will facilitate GLOBALGAP implementation, since it is adapted to relevant national circumstances, legal regulations, and makes the standard more accessible and understandable for Thai farmers.