Guidelines Good Agricultural Practices
Departmental Program on Food and Nutritional Security, Antioquia, Colombia, Project TCP/3101/COL – UTF/COL/027/COL for Family Agriculture” Guidelines “Good Agricultural Practices Pag Guidelines “Good Agricultural Practices for Family Agriculture” Authors Preparation and edition of technical material: - Juan Izquierdo, Ph.D. Senior Plant Production Officer. FAO, Latin America and the Caribbean - Marcos Rodriguez Fazzone, GAP Consultant, FAO, Latin America and the Caribbean - Marcela Duran, FAO Volunteer Programme. FAO, Latin America and the Caribbean. Drawings and diagramming were under: - Marcia Miranda M. Graphic Designer - Marcelo Carrillo S. Acknowledgement to comments and suggestions coming from: - TCP/COL/3101/COL and UTF/COL/027/COL project teams - Maria Teresa Oyarzun, FAO Consultant, Latin America and the Caribbean The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the F ood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material contained in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without an y prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to Chief Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch Information Division FAO, Viale delle Termedi Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy, Or by e-mail to: copyright@fao.org © FAO 2007 ISBN 978-92-5-105757-5 Pag This manual has been prepared by the Group on Agriculture of the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. The purpose of this work is to spread the basic concepts of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in order to: guide the production systems towards a sustainable agriculture and ecologically safe, obtain harmless products of higher quality, contribute to food security generating income through the access to markets and improve working conditions of producers and their families. The manual addresses agricultural technicians and extension workers, producer organizations, rural school teachers, children, urban and peri- urban citizens and Family Agriculture groups in general. Introduction 1 Pag Índex 2 I. What are Good Agricultural Practices? Concept Who benefit from the GAPs? Diagram: What do the GAPs foster? II. Why should I use Good Agricultural Practices? Advantages and benefits versus problems and risks by non application of GAPs III. How should Good Agricultural Practices be implemented? 1. How can working conditions be improved and those of male and female workers? 1.1 What services must be assured for male and female workers? 1.2 What services must be assured for workers? 2. Which is the best place to sow? 3. How must the soil be prepared? 4. How can crops be handled? 5. How can water be used and manager? 5.1 How must water and irrigation be used? 5.2 Water for the family and workers 6. How must agro-chemicals be used? 6.1 What agro-chemical should I use? 6.2 What elements should I use to protect myself? 6.3 How should I apply agro-chemicals? 6.4 How and where should I keep agro-chemicals? 6.5 What must I do with the empty containers? Pag 3 7. What fertilizer should I use and in what quantity? 7.1 How must I apply fertilizers? 7.2 How and where should I keep fertilizers? 8. How should organic manure be used? 8.1 What type of manure should I apply and how should I do it? 8.2 Where should I prepare organic manure? 9. Animals in the field. 9.1 Work animals 9.2 Production animals 9.3 Domestic animals (dogs, cats, others) 10. Which is the best way of harvesting? 10.1 In what conditions should the workers doing the harvesting be? 11. How must the transport of food be done? 12. What must be taken into account at the moment of selling the product? 13. What information must I register to have a better control of the product? 14. How does the buyer know that my product was processed with GAPs? Pag Concept § Consumers are ever more concerned about obtaining safe food and produced caring about environment and worker wellbeing. § Good Agricultural Practices are born in this context and can be simply defined as Doing things well and guaranteeing it has been done so § GAPs and GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) are a set of principles, regulations and technical recommendations applicable to production, processing and food transport, addressing human health care, environment protection and improvement of worker conditions and their families. Who benefit from the GAPs? § Farmers and their families that will obtain healthy and good quality food to assure their nutrition and nourishment, generating a value added in their products to access markets in a better way. § Consumers, that will enjoy better and safe quality food, with sustainable production. § The population in general, that will benefit from a better environment. 4 I. What are Good Agricultural Practices? Pag What do the GAPs foster? Environment - No contamination of water and soils - Rational handling of agro-chemicals - Concern about Biodiversity - Healthy food, not contaminated and of higher quality to improve nutrition and food consumption Food Safety 5 Animal Wellfare - Animal care - Adequate feeding - Improve worker and consumer conditions - Enhance the Agricultural Family wellfare - Improve food security Security for People Pag Sick workers Healthy workers Children do not give priority to school attendance and spend energies doing farming work II. Why should I use Good Agricultural Practices? WITH BPA 6 Healthy and good quality products to improve nutrition and nourishment of the family. Products in bad conditions and/or contaminated affecting family health Sustainability and access to new markets High quality (differentiated product) Loss of markets and rejectedproducts. Low quality product Children attend school WITHOUT BPA Pag Animal welfare Clean field Toilets and deposits Animals are tired Contaminated field Latrine and infrastructure in bad conditions 7 More income Better prices for quality Lower costs ($) (-agro-chemicals) Higher yields (Productivity) Less income Lower prices Higher costs ($) (+agro-chemicals) Lower yields Confusion and disregard Control of production WITH BPA WITHOUT BPA Pag - All workers should be registered in the social security system - All workers will be trained, especially in agro- chemicals/fertilizer management, hygiene and first aid. 1. How can working conditions be improved and those of male and female workers? - Priority of children is to attend school and they may only help in the field in activities which do not attempt against their security and times to study. 40 III. How should Good Agricultural Practices be implemented? 8 . TCP/3101/COL – UTF/COL/027/COL for Family Agriculture” Guidelines “Good Agricultural Practices Pag Guidelines “Good Agricultural Practices for Family Agriculture”. are Good Agricultural Practices? Concept Who benefit from the GAPs? Diagram: What do the GAPs foster? II. Why should I use Good Agricultural Practices?