Vegetable growing 72 Global Certificate - a guarantee for food safety in primary production for horticulture Iuliana Grigoriu, Roxana Ciceoi GFA-RO Consultanta Impex Bucharest, Romania Keywords: GLOBALGAP, primary production certification ABSTRACT The GLOBALGAP standard, previously known like EurepGAP, is a standard elaborated by the Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group in order to respect and to apply the Good Agricultural Practice. Since 2006 the gfa-ro company is a leader on the market for GlobalGap implementation. Since February 2006, when Leoser made the first GLOBALGAP certification in Romania, more than 50 companies were certified. The Romanian Ministry of Agriculture supported in 2006 and 2007 the EurepGAP implementation 100%, by to the OG 123/2006 and the law 125/2007. In 2008 the support of the Ministry will be of 70%, but no more than 10000 RON. We analyzed some common criteria of our clients and we can say that the interest for this standard, that allows for the farmers the exportation of the fruits and vegetables in the EU and that allows the commercialization of Romanian products on the supermarkets, is continuously growing. INTRODUCTION GLOBALGAP is a private sector body that sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe. The aim is to establish a standard for Good Agricultural Practice for all agricultural primary products, which means that the certificate covers the process of the certified product from farm inputs like feed or seedlings and all the farming activities until the product leaves the farm. GLOBALGAP is a business-to-business label and is therefore not directly visible to consumers. Until 2008 all over the world it were accessible only the standard for fruits and vegetables. Starting with 01.01.2008, the standards for others agricultural activities are available. The crops for GLOBALGAP standard are fruit & vegetables, flowers and ornamentals, combinable crops, green coffee, tea, cotton. For livestock, the products are cattle & sheep, dairy, pigs, poultry and for the aquaculture the fish species are salmon, trout, shrimp, pangasius and tilapia. There are also standards for feed compounds and for plant propagation material. In December 2007 there were certified a number of 81.000 companies, as shown in figure 1. The standard and his certification is carried out by more than 100 independent and accredited certification bodies in more than 80 countries, all over the world, like shown in figure 2. It is open to all producers worldwide. The certification includes annual inspections of the producers and additional unannounced inspections and also, it is subject to a three year revision cycle of continuous improvement to take into account technological and market developments (1). We consider this study necessary because this standard was financed 100% by the Romanian Government (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) in 2007, according with the order 123/2007 and the low 125/2007 (M.O. 310/2007). In the 2008 the GlobalGap standard will be supported 75% by the Ministry, with the maximum limit of 10.000 RON. This subvention was given only for fruit for vegetables also in 2007 and 2008, because of the great importance of this sector in European economy.