Benchmarking: ProTerra Standard V5 and Japan Good Agricultural Practices

The requirements of the ProTerra Standard version 5.0 (PT V5) associated with Level I (farms) have been benchmarked against the Japan Good Agricultural Practices – Control Points and Compliance for Farms/Grains, including its SAI: General Regulations Plus Sustainable Agriculture (JGAP+ SAI) module. The results of the benchmarking demonstrated adherence between the two standards, which allows recognition by the ProTerra Foundation of a Level I organisation certified under JGAP+ SAI (grains).

JGAP has a strong focus on management systems to support the sustainable development of Japanese agriculture and food-related industries. JGAP includes requirements associated with respect for human rights and labour management, occupational safety, energy efficiency and prevention of global warming, waste management, the effective use of natural resources and consideration of the surrounding environment and biodiversity. These topics align with ProTerra’s approach and requirements.

Similarly to ProTerra, JGAP requires third-party certification based on ISO/IEC 17065. JGAP certification is valid for two years.

It is important to highlight that under JGAP, certified and non-certified agricultural products cannot be mixed.

Table 1 presents the list of additional requirements for a JGAP+ SAI-certified organisation to be recognised as ProTerra Standard V5 – Level I. However, for PTV5 recognition, it is important to observe the different certification validity periods. Once under PTV5, certification is valid for one year. The noted alignment between JGAP+ SAI and ProTerra V5 opens the possibility to explore the synergies between the two standards with positive outcomes for users, such as reduced audit burden and lower costs while optimising the effort in terms of implementation, maintenance and demonstration of a sustainable, transparent and traceable supply chain.