SAI Platform, ITC and GLOBALG.A.P. introduce joint initiative for global food security through good agricultural practices
(Geneva) Today, GLOBALG.A.P., the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform and the International Trade Centre (ITC) are initiating the ‘The Declaration of Abu Dhabi for Global Food Security through Good Agricultural Practices’. The Declaration is an invitation to key stakeholders in the global food system to join a new private-public partnership initiative.
By bringing together all major market players in the food industry, the initiative aims to identify, align and implement practical and viable solutions in response to growing global food-security and safety challenges.
The initiative is an open call for global collaboration to find new approaches that will make it easier, more cost effective and more attractive for farmers worldwide to adopt safe and sustainable production practices. This will make markets more accessible for farmers and help them sustain their livelihoods, as well as reduce poverty and malnutrition.
By joining The Declaration of Abu Dhabi, the partners pledge to develop solutions that will help raise agricultural productivity. It will help ensure food safety and quality, and the sustainability of natural resources without compromising biodiversity and ecosystems. SAI Platform, ITC and GLOBALG.A.P. strongly support this initiative and welcome stakeholder participants.
‘SAI Platform was established with the vision to develop a joint understanding of sustainable agriculture and hands-on implementation tools for companies that source agricultural raw materials,’ said Dirk Jan de With, President of SAI Platform and Vice President of Procurement Ingredients and Sustainability, Unilever. ‘Extending this vision and collaboration to include food safety and to reach wider audiences provides unprecedented opportunities to scale sustainable and safe-farm practices.’
‘The fast-changing landscape of sustainability initiatives and good practices in international food supply chains requires effective tools and partnerships,’ said ITC Executive Director Arancha González. ‘As such, ITC supports The Declaration of Abu Dhabi and invites all stakeholders to participate in this joint effort which will support global food security and benefit producers, traders, buyers, policymakers and consumers.’
‘Today’s world is all about collaboration. We are proud to be part of this global food security initiative, which gives our members and our 140,000 farmers the opportunity to collaborate with even more industry players and stakeholders, in particular governments and food manufacturers,’ said Kristian Moeller, CEO of GLOBALG.A.P.
To this end, The Declaration of Abu Dhabi unites public and private partners committed to developing and adopting three important measures:
- A common set of good agricultural practices.
- A system for uniquely identifying every farm that is recognized by all stakeholders.
- A mechanism for securing the commitment and reporting by supply-chain partners.
The Abu Dhabi Set of Good Agricultural Practices builds upon established and ongoing work in all aspects of good agriculture and aquaculture practices, including food safety, environmental sustainability and social responsibility. The set of practices will draw upon existing standards and assessment tools and will serve as a consistent language for sustainability criteria applicable to farms of all sizes worldwide.
The collaboration will establish a system for uniquely identifying every farm, ensuring a public reporting mechanism for supply chains. The Abu Dhabi Set of Good Agricultural Practices and the unique farm identification and reporting mechanism will serve as a foundation upon which diverse training, assessment and verification programmes may be adapted and built, and impacts may be measured.
A launch event will be held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on 28 October 2014, in conjunction with the GLOBALG.A.P. SUMMIT 2014 on a special day dedicated to this Declaration and under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.
A website has been launched to provide information and details about The Declaration of Abu Dhabi. To learn more, please visit www.declaration-of-abu-dhabi.org.
About the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform
SAI Platform is the global industry initiative helping food and drink companies to achieve sustainable production and source agricultural raw materials.
www.saiplatform.org
About the International Trade Centre
ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the Millennium Development Goals.
Among tools and services developed by ITC is Standards Map, a web-based platform to bring transparency and facilitate comparability and harmonization among sustainability standards.
www.standardsmap.org
www.intracen.org
About GLOBALG.A.P.
GLOBALG.A.P. is a leading global certification programme whose mission is to bring farmers and retailers together to produce and market safe food, protect scarce resources and build a sustainable future.
www.globalgap.org