The Annual General Meeting of CanAgPlus, the not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates the CanadaGAP Program, was held in December in Ottawa.
CanadaGAP program participants elected two new and two returning directors to the CanAgPlus Board.
Congratulations to the following individuals:
- Mike Furi, Federated Co-operatives Limited
- Alvin Keenan, Rollo Bay Holdings
- Cathy McKay, Nature’s Bounty
- Jody Mott, Holland Marsh Growers’ Association
Chair Jack Bates and Vice-Chair Hugh Bowman retired from the Board. Sincere thanks are extended to Jack and Hugh for their dedication and contributions to CanadaGAP.
The new Board met subsequent to the AGM and appointed Stephanie Lariviere as chair and Scott Wright as vice-chair.
Newly elected board members will serve a two-year term for 2019 and 2020. Biographies of CanAgPlus directors are posted at: http://www.canadagap.ca/history/governance/
CanadaGAP is a food safety program for companies that produce, pack, repack, store, wholesale and broker fruits and vegetables. 2018 marks the ten-year anniversary of CanadaGAP certification becoming available.
The program officially launched in September 2008 with the enrolment of five hundred potato growers, and has grown to over 3,100 participating companies today from across the Canadian and U.S. fresh produce industry.
CanadaGAP is designed to help implement effective food safety procedures within fresh produce operations. Audit and certification services for the program are delivered by third party, accredited Certification Bodies. Since 2010, the program has been benchmarked and officially recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) for certification options B, C and D. It is also officially recognized by the Canadian Government.
Two manuals, one specific to greenhouses, the second for other fruit and vegetable operations, have been developed by the horticultural industry and reviewed for technical soundness by Canadian government officials. The manuals are designed for companies implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and maintaining an effective food safety program.
The manuals are based on a rigorous hazard analysis applying the seven principles of the internationally-recognized HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) approach. Program materials are available for free on the CanadaGAP website at: www.canadagap.ca
More than 3,100 produce suppliers are currently CanadaGAP-certified. The program enjoys strong support from Canada’s retail, processing and food service sectors, as well as international recognition across the range of export markets in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia. Working together, a dedicated team of staff members, Board of Directors, stakeholders and program participants contribute to strengthening food safety implementation across the horticultural sector.
The 2018 Annual Report can be accessed at: http://www.canadagap.ca/publications/annual-report/
The corporation’s financial statements and the annual report Powerpoint presentation are accessible from the Members Only section on the CanadaGAP website or directly from the office. Any member may obtain a copy upon request.
If you have any questions, please call the CanadaGAP office at 613-829-4711 or send us an email at info@canadagap.ca.
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