Good agricultural practices and more be connected

1. GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
GAB

2. Introduction
Good agricultural practice (GAP) is a certification system for agriculture,
specifying procedures (and attendant documentation) that must be implemented
to create food for consumers or further processing that is safe and wholesome,
using sustainable methods. While there are numerous competing definitions of
what methods constitute good agricultural practice there are several broadly
accepted schemes that producers can adhere to.

3. Objectives
Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPs, are voluntary guidelines for produce
farmers to reduce the risk of microbial contamination related to food borne
illnesses on their farms. The guidelines are based on the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA)'s Guide to Minimizing Microbial Food Safety Hazards for
Fresh Produce.

4. Details
As consumption of fresh produce has increased, the number of foodborne illness outbreaks
associated with fresh produce also has steadily increased. Bacteria such
as Salmonella and E. coli 0157:H7 are most often linked to these illnesses, as are parasites
such as Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora. As a result, some larger buyers, especially
supermarkets and produce distributors, have begun began requiring their vendors to be
audited by a third party to certify that they follow Good Agricultural Practices to minimize
the risk of microbial contamination on their produce.

5. Conclusion
Traditional agriculture is an extractable process where all resources — human, water, and
land — are taken and applied to immediate use. Modern agriculture uses planned
technology and emphasizes management practices of conservation and renewability of
resources. Modernization forces the growth of an infrastructure concomitant with rural
development, urbanization, and industry. Overall economic development depends on the
effective use of population and conservation of water and land as vital resources of the
environment.