The document discusses on-farm food safety assurance systems and challenges. It covers topics like soil safety, irrigation safety, safe harvesting, packing and processing, farm safety for farmers and laborers, and certification. It emphasizes that implementing good agricultural practices (GAPs) can reduce risks of contamination, improve produce quality and shelf life, increase farm efficiency, and may be required by customers. GAPs involve audits to evaluate adherence to food safety standards in areas like worker health and hygiene, water quality, and post-harvest handling. The document provides resources for pesticide applicator training, certification and recertification in various categories.

1. On-Farm Food Safety Assurance
Systems
Food safety Challenges
ABUL HASNAT M SOLAIMAN, Ph.D. (Specialty Bio-Production) Japan
FAB LAB SAU
Fab Lab Innovation Incubation and Design Center
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University
and Professor
Department of Horticulture
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University
Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
P: + 880-2-9338871 (Res), 9144270-9 ext-277
C: + 01711-054215
E: solaimanhort@sau.edu.bd, solaimansau@gmail.com,
Website: http://www.fablabsau.com/
skype: Live:solaimansau

2. Contents
• On farm food safety
• Field Job
• For production safety (Field to Fork)
• Soil
• Irrigation
• Protection
• Safe Harvest
• Packing, processing, coding, grading etc
• Market safety-Wire house to market
• Farmers Safety
• Labour Safety
• Environment protection
• Certification
• Footsteps for safe crop to safe food

3. Why are GAPs important for my farm?
• Good Agricultural Practices can reduce the risk of harmful contamination of
your produce
• Reducing the risk of contamination before it occurs in the field is the best
way to minimize the risk of illness in the public.
• Lettuces, salad mix, green onions, tomatoes, sprouts, cantaloupes, carrots,
raspberries, and herbs are most often associated with foodborne illness
outbreaks because of how they are grown and consumed.
• All growers, regardless of their products, can benefit from implementing a
set of SOP to reduce microbial contamination.
• GAPs are not intended to sanitize fresh produce or completely eliminate
the risk of contamination: this is impossible. GAPs are intended to guide
growers to reduce the risk of contamination where possible.
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4. • Quality and shelf-life of your product is maintained and spoilage reduced
• GAPs focus on post-harvest handling and proper cooling, handling and
storing of product.
• This can reduce spoilage, improve quality and ensure that you have the
best quality produce for your customers.
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5. • Greater organization and efficiency of your operation
• After the initial work of developing a food safety plan, many growers
report improved efficiency and streamlined inventory control and
management of their products.
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6. • Your customer may require an audit
• Many produce distributors and supermarkets require, or will soon
require all their vendors have a GAP audit.
• If you wish to sell to this buyer, you must have follow their
requirements for certification.
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7. What is a GAPs audit?
• There are various GAP audits available.
• The most basic, and easiest to implement, is the USDA GAP audit/FAO GAP Audit????. The USDA GAP audit checklist consists of
these sections:
• General farm review (includes worker health and hygiene, traceability, water quality, manure and compost, animals and livestock)
• Field harvesting and field packing activities
• Packing house facility
• Storage and transportation
• Traceability (this section has been incorporated into other sections)
• Wholesale distribution center (applies to distribution centers)
• Preventative food defense procedures (applies to distribution centers or very large farms)
• Each section is a checklist related to food safety practices. Everyone must pass the General Farm Review (section 1), but the other
sections will vary by grower. Many growers are audited only on 3 or 4 of the sections (e.g. 1, 2, 3 and 4; 1, 2 and 4). Customers who
require growers to get an audit will specify which sections are needed.
• USDA GAP audits are done by friendly inspectors from the MN Department of Agriculture, Fruit and Vegetable inspections
unit. The rate for GAP/GHP audits is $108.00/hr. There is a 75 percent cost share available from the MDA. To schedule an audit call
651-201-6067.
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8. Farm safety
• Keeping people safe and healthy
• Stress management for Farmers
• Agrotourism
• Equipment and storage
• Tractor safety
• Storage bin safety
• Extreme Weather
• Summer
• Winter
• Livestock
• Biosecurity
• Handling livestock safely-even poultry
• Connect with Extension Farm Safety
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9. Keeping people safe and healthy
• Stress management for Farmers
• Resources for difficult times
• Find help, counseling, advocacy, legal and referral resources
• Agrotourism
• Safe agritourism
• Implement safety practices to reduce the risk of injury or illness to farm visitors
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10. Extreme weather
• Summer extreme
• Dealing with damaged ag buildings
• Inspecting for damage and making decisions about the future.
• Inspecting farm buildings for wind damage safety checks after a storm
• Roof, foundation, silo and interior checklist. – National Ag Safety Database (………)
• Winter Extreme
• Preventing ag structure collapse
• Owners can do several things to reduce the chances of a collapse.
• Plan ahead to manage on-farm effect
• With a adverse winter, farmers should consider how to makeup and aftercare.
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11. Equipment and Storage
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 Tractor and Power tiller Safety
• Youth tractor and farm safety certification
• Important safety training for youth age 14 and older.
• Tractor rollover protection
• Information on rollover protection structures and rebate programs. – UMASH
 Storage Bin safety
• Silage storage
• Hazards in silage bunkers and silos include silo gas, dust with molds, avalanches and
more. - UMASH
• Grain handling
• Steps you can take to help protect you and your family from dangers in grain handling
and storage. - UMASH

12. Livestock
 Bio Security
• Biosecurity for small scale swine/duck production
• It is important for all pig farmers, regardless of size and set-up, to have a biosecurity plan.
• Biosecurity for small-scale poultry
• About avian influenza including what to do if your poultry may be infected, and steps to
protect your flock.
 Handling Livestock safely
• Prevent needlestick injuries
• Resources to educate and prevent needlestick injuries when administering medication to
livestock.
• Livestock handler safety – video
• How to safely handle a wide variety of livestock, including cattle, horses, sheep and swine.
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13. Education for those who apply pesticides on their
employer's or customer's land or sites
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14. Educational and recertification opportunities in the
following categories:
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• Category A: Core
• Category B: Aerial
• Category C: Field Crop
• Category E: Turf and Ornamentals
• Category F: Aquatic
• Category H: Seed Treatment
• Category I: Antimicrobial
• Category J: Natural Areas, Forestry and
Right-of-Way workshops
• Category K: Livestock Pests (Agricultural
Pest Control-Animal)
Category L: Mosquito and Blackfly
Category M: Food Processing noncommercial
Category N: Stored Grain and Fumigation
Category O: Soil Fumigation
Category P: Vertebrate Pests
Category Q: Wood Preservatives
Category R: Sewer Root
Category S: Structural noncommercial
SPCA: Structural Pest Control - Journeyman
SPCA: Structural Pest Control - Master
SPCA: Structural Pest Control - Fumigation Endorsement

15. How to recertify or get certified
Recertify
• Recertification is one requirement to renew your pesticide applicator license.
• To recertify, you must either attend an approved recertification workshop (need workshop
section ) or retest.
• You must attend a recertification workshop or retest in each certification category for
which you need to recertify.
• Study manuals are available to prepare for retesting.
• Learn more about pesticide applicator workshop and retesting recertification
requirements from the DAE or any Commission including license types, certification
categories, deadlines and fees.
 Certification and license status
• Online
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16. Workshops on
• Commercial,
• noncommercial and
• structural licensed pesticide applicators need to regularly recertify in
each certification category by attending an approved workshop or by
retesting with the DAE and other 3rd party protection agencies
• Workshops on 21 categories
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17. Exams
• Exams
• Certification exams are one of the requirements to obtain an initial
license. Learn more about exams from the Minnesota Department of
Agriculture.
• Study manuals
• Study manuals to help you prepare for the exams are available for all
certification categories.
• Any Agriculture University and agencies will offer Commercial, Noncommercial or Structural exams.
• You will need to schedule your exam with the DAE/Commisssion/3rd party agencies/University
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18. Study manuals
• Ensure you have the most current manuals for each category exam.
Using an out-of-date manual may affect your ability to pass the exam.
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19. Respirator Resources
• Many pesticide products on the market require a respirator for safe
use.
• In order to safely wear a respirator and comply with the Worker
Protection Standard, you must be medically cleared and fit tested.
• Check with your local clinic about both of these procedures.
• If your clinic does not offer these services, the following options are
available:
• Online medical clearance options
• Resptest
• 3M Online Respirator Medical Evaluation
• Rwebsite
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20. Respirator Resources
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21. Specific Requirements of GAPs
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22. What if you have more questions?
Connect with On-farm GAPs Education
Cost???
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