The EurepGAP benchmarking process still throws up some technical problems for suppliers, said Wolfgang Ahlers of Atlanta Gruppe, Germany, at last week’s World Union of Wholesale Markets conference in Bremen.
He told delegates that there is often too long a delay in the system that makes certification details available for verification by prospective buyers, which leaves them “relying on suppliers to tell them the truth”.
He said that it is vital that EurepGAP engages in the wider standards picture to maximise its relevance. “EurepGAP cannot continue to operate in a vacuum. It needs an interface with the standards that subsequently apply to the trading side of the industry so that its work is not lost.”
Ahlers answered his own question, do standards create quality? “No,” he said, “they assure it, but they do help a lot.”
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