Meeting the requirements from the retail
MPS-GAP is a label with which you can anticipate the market demands of the retail channel. The MPS-GAP certification scheme is based on the criteria formulated by the European retail organisation EUREP for safe, sustainably-cultivated, high-quality and traceable products. These criteria are expressed in Good Agricultural Practice (GAP). MPS-GAP is benchmarked with the GlobalGap flowers and plants scheme. On the website of GlobalGap you will find more information on the benchmark.
Why MPS-GAP?
Of the (international) market developments taking place, a number of issues will strongly influence the direction of your business in the coming years. For example, think of the increasing sales and therefore power of the supermarkets and, inherent to this, the importance of tracking and tracing. In addition, the competitive position of other countries is growing, e.g. the rise of Japan and China, where sales through chain stores are increasing enormously. Growers, therefore, need to find ways to clearly differentiate their product in terms of added value and quality, otherwise they will lose out. On the social front, we see the power of the consumer growing and governments imposing more and more rules. Also, economies of scale are becoming more important, and production and trade are becoming increasingly international. In addition, further specialization (both at product level and in the trade chain) is occurring.
Without a doubt, these developments offer enormous opportunities for your company. Opportunities in the supermarket sector which may be improved by the MPS-GAP certificate. You could tap new markets, retain or expand existing markets or be a pioneer. Apart from these developments, MPS-GAP also offers many marketing benefits. It enhances your company's image and improves your internal operational efficiency. It also reduces the level of risk for your client through the guaranteed traceability of products and you may use the MPS-GAP trademark on your promotional and packaging materials.
How do I implement MPS-GAP?
The certification scheme includes requirements, amongst others, relating to land/plot use, substrate, parental material, waste, storage locations, maintenance of equipment and resources, application, use and stock of crop protection agents, qualifications of employees and advisers, safety/health and hygiene.
For MPS-GAP it is important that you keep a daily registration. For this reason, MPS has developed the registration program ACTRES which greatly simplifies your daily registration. In addition, it is necessary to draw up a number of policy plans, in which you describe how you deal with the requirements stated above. When you have registered for at least three months, you may request an audit. The auditor examines whether you satisfy all requirements by means of a checklist.
Who is MPS-GAP designed for?
MPS-GAP is meant for all production companies in the floriculture sector which sell to the retail channel (chain stores – food and non-food). For the trade, MPS-GAP products offer extra opportunities with their retailer clients.
Documents relevant to MPS-GAP
During the certification process, a number of documents are important. You will start with filling in the Application form. In the certification scheme you can find the requirements. The other documents also give important information about the certification process of MPS-GAP.
The following documents are available for downloading: