8:20 pm - Thursday March 28, 2024

Unique Global GAP Certification for CDC Bananas

The former Tiko Banana Project and Banana Expansion Project now have a unique certification for Global Good Agricultural Practices.

 With consumers’ growing concerns on product safety, working conditions of workers and environmental impacts, it has become compulsory to harmonise standards, procedures and develop an independent certification system for Good Agricultural Practice (GAP). The Global GAP Certification is a written guarantee that a production process or product meets laid down standards. It is a prerequisite in the Banana industry. Certifications may focus on environmental issues, food safety or even social issues (workers’ rights, occupational health and safety) etc. Global GAP standards are primarily designed to assure and reassure consumers that the food is produced by minimizing detrimental environmental impacts of farming operations, reducing the use of chemical inputs and ensuring a responsible approach to workers’ health and safety. In addition, the Global GAP certification can lead to product differentiation in the market, improve market penetration and even lead to better prices. It is an important and integral standard in the CDC Group Banana. The implementation of a yearly inspection has improved farm management practices. CDC Banana at the Banana Parking House

In 2009, the CDC created a banana plantation known as Banana Expansion Project (BEP) which was run parallel to the existing plantations it operated with Del Monte Fresh Fruits Inc, known at the time as the Tiko Banana Project (TBP).

With the merger of TBP and BEP in 2013, the GLOBAL GAP implementation team advised the CDC to rather go in for Quality Management System (QMS). This explains why the corporation now has one certification for the former BEP and TBP since May 2015.

It should be noted that the most recent banana audit in the CDC was in July 2015, by Ronald Vargas of Global Gap.  Our corporation scored 197/200. The auditor expressed satisfaction over the company’s continuous efforts to meet the required practices and standards.

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