The challenge of globalising markets is nowhere greater than in the primary food sector. GLOBALGAP (formerly known as EUREPGAP) started in 1997 as an initiative of retailers. The aim was to agree on standards and procedures for development of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) in order to ensure food safety by translating consumer requirements into agricultural production in a rapidly growing list of countries – currently more than 80 worldwide.
 
GLOBALGAP is a private sector body that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe. The GLOBALGAP standard is primarily designed to reassure consumers about how food is produced on the farm by minimising detrimental environmental impacts of farming operations, reducing the use of chemical inputs and ensuring a responsible approach to worker health and safety as well as animal welfare.
GLOBALGAP serves as a practical manual for Good Agricultural Practice (G.A.P.) anywhere in the world. The basis is an equal partnership of agricultural producers and retailers who wish to establish efficient certification standards and procedures.
In essence, the GLOBALGAP goals are to reduce the risks of food safety lapses in agricultural production and to objectively verify best practice with the help of reference points so that it is done systematically and consistently throughout the world (see also at www.globalgap.org).
 
The GLOBALGAP standards comprise the following aspects:

• Technical Production Standards: to ensure sustainable agriculture by means of Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Crop Management, so as to minimise the impact of residues on man and the environment.
• Hygienic Standards: to prevent chemical, microbiological or physical contamination of the harvested crops took place.
• Working environment: to ensure workers health and to prevent social abuse of workers.
• Traceability: If a problem occurs, the product is traceable to the farm where it was grown.

GLOBALGAP modular structure:
The Globalgap system (GLOBALGAP Integrated Farm Assurance Standard Version 3.0) distinguishes between “Scopes” covering generic production issues (All Farm Base, Crops Base, Livestock Base and Aquaculture Base) and “Sub-scopes” covering specific production details, classified per product type (e.g. Fruit & Vegetables, Green Coffee, Cattle & Sheep, etc.).

The certification process for each scope is harmonized under the General Regulations. Each scope and subscope has its own Checklists and Control Points & Compliance criteria. GLOBALGAP is a set of normative documents, which covers the General Regulations, the "Control Points and Compliance Criteria" and GLOBALGAP Checklists. Including additional guidance documents, they can all be downloaded free of charge and in different languages here http://www.globalgap.org/cms/front_content.php?idart=34 by clicking on the required subscope.

>>see Regulations

IMO is an international certification Body for a wide range of Certification Schemes, with activities in more than 90 countries and various local offices world-wide.
Since 2005, IMO is officially accredited for Inspection and Certification according to GLOBALGAP Fruit and Vegetables and GLOBALGAP Coffee. In 2006, IMO was approved for the first time for the GLOBALGAP Tea standard. In 2007, IMO was approved for the GLOBALGAP Flower and Ornamentals standard.