Generate and Disseminate Information on GAP

FAO provides countries and stakeholders with independent information on existing GAP programmes, practices and standards to support sound decision making, such as:

• analytical inventories and studies on the technical content of existing GAP standards and codes, benefits and costs (based on specific case-studies), challenges, scope, drivers and incentives to adopt them;
• technical know-how and application of GAP at farm level;
• information on regulatory requirements.

Information related to good agricultural practices is also available on the following sections of the website:

FAO GAP Resources
FAO GAP Database
FAO Agriculture, Biosecurity, Nutrition and Consumer Department webpage

Refine Basic Global Principles of GAP

General principles for Good Agricultural Practices were first presented to the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in 2003 in the paper ‘Development of a Framework for Good Agricultural Practices' (html), the annex of which broadly outlined farm-level GAP recommendations in 10 fields. These principles are being refined in line with the guidance received from COAG.

FAO GAP Principles

Provide National and Regional Policy and Technical assistance

FAO provides technical expertise, policy advice, capacity building and a platform to facilitate stakeholder dialogue, at national and regional levels. Assistance provided to member countries to deal with the proliferation of GAP standards and regulations in recent years includes:

• helping review national legislations, standards and programmes related to GAP and promoting pragmatic solutions to implementation of GAP for food safety and sustainability concerns;
• helping understand policy trade-offs and options for benchmarking to international private standards;
• facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues at different levels of the supply chain;
• monitoring effects of GAP schemes on small-scale producers in developing countries and undertaking costs of compliance analysis;
• supporting national programmes and cooperation between food safety services laboratories; research and extension services; exporter, producer associations and certifiers in implementing GAP;
• setting up capacity building mechanisms (e.g. Farmer Field Schools or others) to reach small or medium-scale farmers to assist them in complying with GAP requirements;
• promoting exchange and partnerships among development aid institutions to help public and private stakeholders work together to find win-win situations and ensure smallholder participation for the implementation of GAP in specific agroecological contexts.

FAO Activities