The GLOBALG.A.P. Summit 2018 that took place Nov. 5-7 in Lima, Peru, marked the first time the event was held in the Americas. That was by design as the summit aims to build long-term ties for a global sustainable future for Peru and neighboring countries.

GLOBALG.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practice) certification connects farmers to brand owners around the world to ensure the trade of safe and responsibly grown food in times of disruptive change. It opens markets and provides ongoing assurance for buyers to mitigate food-borne risks, according to organizers.

“Consumers around the world have the right to food that is safe and responsibly grown,” says Kristian Moeller, CEO of GLOBALG.A.P. “We need a common industry response and the GLOBALG.A.P. Summit is the perfect place to discuss our responses on farming and agriculture.”

For instance, on Nov. 7, GLOBALG.A.P. and the World Banana Forum presented a global action plan to save bananas from the threat of Tropical Race 4, a variant of a fungus that is considered to be the greatest threat to producers and workers in the global banana industry. Already present in the Asia Pacific region, the pathogen is continuing to spread westward and has already reached certain regions in Africa.

“The GLOBALG.A.P. Summit introduces opportunities to educate our industry,” says Donna Lynn Browne, director of Food Safety and Social Responsibility with Naturipe Farms, a Florida-based grower-owned producer and marketer of premium berries and avocados. “We are at the point where produce companies grow globally. This summit helps bring together many key decision-makers from all over the world to discuss how the industry can move towards responsibly grown produce.”