First event of its kind since 2018 will welcome industry leaders to the Polish city on 10-12 September this year
The GlobalGAP Summit 2024 is scheduled to take place on 10–12 September in Warsaw, Poland, marking the first event of its kind since 2018.
The farm assurance brand said that Poland boasted a diverse range of farming industries with significant influence in the Europe, and had emerged as one of the top producing countries for selected fresh produce in the EU, making it an ideal host.
“This is the event where we bring producers and suppliers together with buyers and certifiers,” remarked Dr Elmé Coetzer-Boersma, managing director at GlobalGAP.
“This is the event to explore the latest smart solutions on the market,” she noted. “This is the event where we can tackle the challenges the industry is facing with a new-found sense of clarity.”
GlobalGAP pointed out that the team behind its certification system was constantly seeking innovative ways to help producers farm more responsibly and communicate their positive achievements to consumers.
Listening to stakeholder input from across all stages of the supply chain was essential to staying ahead of the curve, it said, meaning that a central element of the GlobalGAP Summit 2024 would be a “frank and open assessment” of blind spots and pain points in certification standards, in view of rapidly evolving legal requirements and consumer expectations placing heightened scrutiny on market claims.
On day one of the Summit, a panel of industry experts will hold a discussion entitled ’Gaps in G.A.P.s,’ which aims to shed light on current trends and developments in certification, including greenwashing, smallholder disadvantages, financial burdens for producers, lack of robust supply chain transparency mechanisms, poor access to training, and the slow adoption of data management systems and technology in agriculture.
”Opening the dialogue in this way will create ample food for thought to be further explored in depth throughout the topics of the Summit agenda, ultimately finding solutions to close the gaps as the industry moves forward together,” GlobalGAP explained.
The Summit’s agenda includes three days filled with plenary sessions, panel discussions, and breakout groups that will dive into a wide range of topics from auditing and technology to social responsibility, legislation, and much more.
The final day will be dedicated to farm and retail visits showcasing the impact of smart farm assurance solutions on the ground.
GlobalGAP stated that the Summit would provide a platform for industry leaders to highlight state-of-the-art technologies that are helping producers in tangible ways to increase productivity, while overcoming the obstacles that hinder the implementation of responsible farming practices.
“The GlobalGAP Summit 2024 is not just a conference, but a platform where innovative strategies take shape,” said Markus Philipp, managing director at GlobalGAP.
”Attendees will engage in valuable networking opportunities, exchanging crucial market insights with industry leaders from around the world,” he added.
”It’s a collaborative environment where new ideas flourish and connections are forged for new ways forward in the global supply chain.”
