Lucas Simons, CEO of NewForsight, is in conversation with Ton van Mill, director of Taskforce Innovation Regio Utrecht, in the second edition of the magazine Get Connected. Ton van Milll is interested in Lucas’ vision on his success in sustainable market transitions and his view on the world. Is this sustainable market transformation model – which NewForesight applies on global level – usable on a regional level like the Utrecht region as well? Read the article here. 

Governments, Multilateral Institutions, NGOs, and private parties from producer to retail: all stakeholders have a vision of what the production process should look like. Their priorities, from poverty reduction to profit or environmental protection are reflected in a variety of (production) standards. Such standards link a market demand for these priorities to changes in the production process.

How one produces agricultural goods is captured in the “Good Agricultural Practices.” These “GAPs” guarantee a certain quality of product and/or process. Standards make use of GAPs to ensure their priorities are reflected in the production process. With the current focus on food security, food safety and sustainable production an interest in GAPs is on the rise.

NewForesight has been asked by the Ministry of Economics, Agriculture and Innovation to conduct a comparative study of GAPs. The Ministry wants to explore the landscape of the various GAPs being used in the field through standards, laws and other code of conducts.

The study will compare the various codes and practices and then zoom in on the strategic agenda behind GAPs and how it could evolve over time. A deeper understanding of the landscape of GAPs and the underlying mechanisms that shape them will aid the agribusiness sector in engaging the challenges of producing more food, while using less resources. What role is there for GAPs in guiding the way?