NZGAP has developed a Social Practice Add-on to enable certified businesses to demonstrate that they are compliant with NZ employment law and market  requirements for worker welfare.

Registration to the NZGAP Social Practice Add-on is now available to all NZGAP (and GLOBALG.A.P.) certified businesses across the horticulture supply chain, including growing, packing, wholesale, transport and contracting. The Social Practice Add-on is also aligned with GLOBALG.A.P. GRASP (GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment for Social Practice), which will enable NZGAP to recognise a GRASP assessment, thus reducing compliance costs for GRASP assessed growers.

Regulators and retailers are wanting greater transparency and accountability across the horticulture supply chain, as it is identified as a high-risk sector regarding compliance with labour laws. Retailers globally are already seeking this assurance, which is why GRASP has been adopted by many NZ growers in recent years. GRASP is, however, only available to GLOBALG.A.P. certified growers, hence NZGAP has developed the Social Practice Add-on to meet local market  requirements, while also meeting a broadened scope of NZ employment law.

NZGAP has been working with key stakeholders and regulators over the last 18 months to develop the Social Practice Add-on Checklist, Guidelines and Templates. These documents have now been finalised and are available to be downloaded from the ‘Social Practice Add-on’ programme webpage on the NZGAP website.

At this stage, growers are required to be registered with either NZGAP Social Practice, GLOBALG.A.P. GRASP or SMETA (Sedex Member Ethical Trade Audit) and in the coming months will require a Social Practice audit to demonstrate compliance. This audit will take place alongside a usual NZGAP audit.

NZGAP will also be launching a Contractor Standard shortly which will enable the certification of labour hire providers/contractors who supply services to NZGAP or GLOBALG.A.P. certified businesses. Growers seeking the services of certified contractors will be able to search them on the NZGAP public register.

All NZ growers supplying MG are required to have NZGAP Social Practice Add-on, Global G.A.P. GRASP or SEDEX/SMETA certification by the end of June 2022. Also, please note that it is mandatory for growers supplying some major retailers through MG to already have one of the social practice certifications.