A new Australian initiative is set to save growers time and money by benchmarking the domestically popular Freshcare Food Safety and Quality Standard with the internationally recognized GlobalG.A.P. certification.

The new scheme is being delivered by Horticulture Innovation Australia – using vegetable industry levy funds and funds from the Australian Government – in partnership with peak vegetable and potato industry body Ausveg.

Hort Innovation chief executive John Lloyd said the country's vegetable exporters currently had to implement GlobalG.A.P for export markets including Asia and the Middle East, but they also had to meet the Freshcare standard at home. 

"This new initiative will see the Freshcare standard benchmarked against the internationally recognised GLOBALG.A.P. standard, leading to increased efficiencies and cost savings for Australian fresh produce exporters," Lloyd said in a release.

"Australian produce has a strong international reputation for being fresh, clean and safe, and as the horticulture industry looks to increase its presence in overseas markets, it’s vital that this reputation is backed up by an internationally recognised certification."

Freshcare executive officer Clare Hamilton-Bate said the on-farm assurance organization would develop a supplement to its current Freshcare Food Safety and Quality Standard to achieve GlobalG.A.P. recognition.

"Freshcare is the most widely adopted food safety standard in the Australian fresh produce sector, with over 5000 participating horticulture businesses using the standard to meet domestic market requirements," she said.

"However, the Freshcare standard is not widely recognised in export markets. Benchmarking the Freshcare standard against GLOBALG.A.P. will allow these Australian producers to achieve regulatory and retailer compliance in export markets through an extension to their existing Freshcare certification."

Ausveg CEO Simon Bolles welcomed the project and its potential to help Australian growers access the wealth of overseas markets.

"Evolving food safety demands could represent a barrier to trade for Australian vegetable and potato exports, and benchmarking Freshcare against the GLOBALG.A.P. standard will help keep overseas markets open to Australian growers," he said.

"We hope to see this project pay real dividends into the future – not just for our vegetable and potato growers, but for the entire horticulture sector."

Photo: Horticulture Innovation Australia

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