Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) Risk Management Workshop

Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) Risk Management Workshop

Developed by Canadian Herb, Spice and Natural Health Products Coalition. Hosted by Sean Westerveld, Ph.D.

The Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) certification course will be offered over three sessions on Monday April 17,  Tuesday April 18 and Wednesday April 19th from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Growers of all specialty crops are welcome.

This course is essential for you to ensure that you are operating your farm business safely and with proper documentation. For a full description please see the write up below. 

You must be present each of the three-hour sessions (with video turned on) in order to receive certification. 

Contact Sean Westerveld, Ginseng and Herbs Specialist, OMAFRA to register at Sean.Westerveld@ontario.ca.  

Why would you want GACP Certification?

• Evaluating and addressing risk in your operation is now and always should be front and centre.  Your customers need that confidence and your banks and insurers insist on it.  Not only is it important to have risk management in place but it is important to be able to prove you do. 
• Good Agriculture and Collection Practice training not only helps you address your risks but also helps you prioritize them and put practices in place to mitigate them.  In addition GACPs helps you prove you are doing so without burying yourself in paperwork.  
• ·Successful completion of this course not only rewards you with a certificate of training completion but shows your customers, your banker and your insurer that you are well on your way to making risk management a priority for your business.
• GACP Certification is a voluntary risk management program that helps you to identify risks in your operation and develop an ongoing plan on how to either avoid, or address and fix them. 

Risk management plans ensure that:

• You are doing your best to mitigate risk instead of panicking after it happens
• You have defined procedures in place to reduce risks in day-to-day operations
• You have records (proof) of your due diligence
• Your plan is tailored specifically to your business 

GACP training is a skills training session… not simply an information session.

GACP principles are recognized globally. Over 2,000 people have passed the training in Canada!

• It is a pass or fail course.  You must be on video with the teacher and engaged at all times and finish the assignments.
• After passing the course, you will receive a training certificate and a folder of relevant information and tools for you to use.
• The training certificate once received is good forever – but if you wish to state you are certified annually, you must do a paper or on-site audit to verify your actions.
• Many smaller companies take the training, apply what they learn and go no further – your choice.

Having a GACP Risk Management Plan ensures a strong value chain of traceability, safety, quality and ethical assurances tightly linked with existing Good Manufacturing Practices in both the culinary and medicinal worlds. This boosts customer confidence and protects you legally. Both wholesale buyers and insurance companies look favourably at operations with this kind of certified risk management program in place. It is a valuable certificate to have.

Anyone producing, manufacturing, or selling food or cosmetic related products needs to take this course!