In 2013, a study on green agricultural value chains by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia ESCWA in collaboration with GIZ called for the harmonization of practices for Arab food products for both the domestic and export markets. In addition, the recently adopted 2030 agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals advocate for enhancing food safety, human health and environmental quality among others, notably as related to Goal 2 (food security and nutrition), Goal 3 (health), Goal 6 (water and sanitation), Goal 12 (consumption and production) and Goal 15 (ecosystems). As such, ESCWA has initiated programs to explore the region’s adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), which are guidelines that aim to minimize risk of food hazards in fresh produces, especially fruits and vegetables, and to enhance environmental sustainability and social equity. In particular, GAPs support food security by promoting efficiency in production and distribution; enhancing food utilization, food safety and food quality; and reducing waste among others.
The Food and Agricultural Organization FAO developed non-binding principles for GAPs that cover soil and water management, crop and animal production, energy and waste management, human safety and environmental protection. A number of governments around the world have also detailed and de facto adopted mandatory GAPs. Also, in order to harmonize and avoid the multiplication of programs, large retailers, either as individual chains or groups, issued their own guidelines by tightening government-mandated ones. GLOBALG.A.P has arisen as one of the leading private-sector programs as it brings together farmers and retailers in over 100 countries. An ASEAN-GAPhas also been initiated to harmonize GAPs in the ASEAN region.
Most Arab countries have food safety/quality guidelines, which are enforced for cross-border trade but seldom for local markets. At national level, there are scattered good initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Center ADFSC , which endeavors to help farmers adopt GAPs similar to those of GLOBALG.A.P while also attempting to link them to retailers and large customers. At regional level, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) issued an “Arab-GAP” framework in 2007 though it has yet to be operationalized. Thus, by and large, the region still lacks a working and harmonized region-wide GAPs program that could enhance food safety and quality in local markets.
Moreover, to become GAPs-certified through a program such as GLOBALG.A.P comes usually at a great cost. There are relatively high fees to be paid, regular audits to go through, extensive documentation to maintain and so on. These costly and burdening requirements tend to deter producers, particularly smaller producers, if there is no price premium or guaranteed market. With the rapidly evolving food market in the Arab region, the demand for food products, which meets certain safety and quality standards, is increasing fast. This trend is observed through the growing number of specialty products (e.g., organic, ‘baladi’), dedicated retail food outlets (e.g., Nature Gifts Stores/Egypt, Healthy Basket/Lebanon or Watania/Saudi Arabia) or certified restaurants (HACCP, ISO 22000). The increasing use of wastewater for food production in some countries or the potential effect that the recent waste/garbage crisis in Lebanon could have on food production and distribution are just indications that there is increasing demand for food safety and quality monitoring.
A wide adoption of GAPs targeting local food markets will require to take into account constraints faced by local operators, who are usually small and with limited financial means. GAPs adapted to the circumstances of the Arab region would avoid being excessively restrictive and costly at first in order to entice the greatest number of participants – producers, handlers and retailers – while at the same time raising awareness on their importance in reducing food hazards. Simple GAPs checklists would be issued to farmers while also advocating for retailers to procure primarily from producers using GAPs. As more and more operators enter the program and consumers become aware of GAPs compliance, these would be tightened progressively with a 10-15 year horizon for linking the Arab-GAP to international ones such as GLOBALG.A.P. A region-wide “Arab-GAP” structure would be required to streamline and harmonize the GAPs and to provide support to countries to develop or align their national GAPs along the Arab-GAP.
To promote this agenda, ESCWA in collaboration with the League of Arab States (LAS) and its specialized institutions and the FAO–Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa has started to implement a project supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation (Sida) on “Promoting food and water security through cooperation and capacity development in the Arab region.” The project has three main components in addition to the component on promoting GAPs, which are enhancing (i) capacity to assess the impact of changing water availability in agriculture, (ii) coordination for food and water security policy development, and (iii) capacity to assess food security. To support the adoption of GAPs, it is envisaged to develop a structural framework and operational modality for the Arab-GAP based on the AOAD’s framework. From there an intensive campaign would be conducted in order to raise awareness on the importance of GAPs while also supporting countries in related efforts. Let us work together on enhancing food safety and quality and food sustainability in the Arab region through the adoption of applicable good agricultural practices!
