A board reshuffle at GlobalGAP has resulted in the appointments of Guy Callebaut as its new chairman and Jim Jefcoate in the role of vice-chairman.
Callebaut first joined the GlobalGAP board last year as a producer representative and has over thirty years of experience in the fresh produce industry as a grower of apples and pears. He currently serves as vice chairman of several producer cooperatives including VBT (Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives).
GlobalGAP said that Jim Jefcoate, who is also group technical director at Asda-owned IPL, the UK's largest importer of fresh produce, will help it to expand its IT capabilities in order to better serve the multimedia supply chains of retailers.
Both men, who will be appointed on four-year contracts, said they are delighted with their new roles.
New GlobalGAPchairman Guy Callebaut said: 'I’ve been GlobalGAP certified for more than 10 years and so have experienced first-hand the valuable benefits of being part of such an extensive and strong international system. This is a great opportunity to highlight and strengthen the benefits for farmers participating in GLOBALG.A.P. around the world.'
Meanwhile, Jim Jefcoate has pledged to help the certification body improve its technology output.
He concluded: 'The rise in consumer demand for safefood that is produced sustainably has posed a big challenge for retailers and buyers of all sizes. I am convinced that cutting-edge communication technology will provide the necessary IT solutions to deliver transparency and integrity along the entire supply chain.'
