1. Purpose, Scope and Basis
The purpose of the regulation is to organize agricultural production that does not harm the environment, human and animal health, to ensure the protection of natural resources, to guarantee traceability and sustainability in agriculture, and to create a reliable product supply.
As scope, it covers the general rules of good agricultural practices, the control and certification system, producers, producer organizations, operators, control and certification bodies, inspectors, certifiers, internal inspectors, as well as the duties and responsibilities of committees and provincial directorates.
Basis; it is based on Law No. 5488 on Agriculture, Decree Law No. 639, Law No. 5996 on Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed, and Law No. 1380 on Fisheries.
2. Definitions
In the regulation, concepts such as Ministry, individual and group certification, control, inspection, integrated pest management, integrated product management, internal control, control points, certificate, certification, certifier, producer, producer organizations, product, authorization certificate, logo and compliance criteria are defined in detail.
3. General Rules and Certification System
Good agricultural practices are carried out according to the criteria determined by the Ministry. Control and certification processes are carried out by the Ministry or authorized bodies.
Individual certification: Carried out in areas under the producer’s own control.
Group certification: Conducted through producer organizations or operators. Establishing a quality management system is mandatory.
Producers and operators are jointly responsible for the compliance of certified products.
Inspections are carried out at least once a year. Products are inspected during critical periods such as harvest and slaughter. In group certification, producers are selected using a sampling method. Unannounced inspections are conducted.
The certificate includes; producer information, product name and quantity, inspection date, validity period, certificate number and certifier’s signature. The validity period is a maximum of 12 months.
4. Committee
The committee consists of members from the General Directorates of Crop Production, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Food and Control, a legal advisor and an inspector. The chairmanship is carried out by a manager from the General Directorate of Crop Production.
The committee meets at least twice a year. Among its duties are ensuring the implementation of the regulation, authorizing or canceling control and certification bodies (CBs), invalidating certificates and requesting information-documents.
5. Duties of Provincial Directorates, Producers, Producer Organizations and Operators
Provincial Directorates: Responsible for training, registration, preparation of integrated pest management programs, and supervision of inspections.
Producers: Must comply with the rules of the regulation and certify all their products.
Producer Organizations: Regulate production and trade activities in accordance with their own legislation, comply with the quality system, and remove non-compliant members from certification.
Operators: Can certify agricultural products and are obliged to ensure traceability. They must prevent mixing with uncertified products. They cannot produce or market agricultural inputs.
6. Control Bodies (CBs)
CBs must meet the conditions of personnel, impartiality, technical infrastructure and accreditation. Accreditation documents must be submitted within two years. Otherwise, their authorization is canceled.
Documents required for authorization applications include signature circulars, trade registry documents, organizational chart, quality manual, sample certificate and contracts.
Working principles:
Two-year authorization periods.
Issuance of contracts.
Preparation of control plans.
Warning, suspension and cancellation in case of non-compliance.
Suspended producers are excluded from the system for 12 months.
7. Inspectors, Certifiers and Internal Inspectors
Inspectors: Selected among agricultural, food, fisheries engineers or veterinarians. They undergo training by the Ministry. They must submit their reports within seven days. They cannot enter into conflicts of interest.
Certifiers: Approve compliance after inspection. At least one year of experience is required. Accreditation training is mandatory.
Internal Inspectors: Inspect producers in group certification. They must undergo training. They cannot enter into conflicts of interest.
8. Audits and Sanctions
Audits are carried out by the Ministry. Authorities may be delegated to public institutions, the private sector or universities.
In cases of non-compliance with the regulation; warning, suspension or cancellation procedures are applied. In case of repeated violations, stricter sanctions are imposed.
9. Marketing of Certified Products
Uncertified products cannot be sold under the name “good agricultural practices”. Packaging and labels must comply with the provisions of the Turkish Food Codex. Labels must include; producer information, CB name and code, certificate number and the good agricultural practices logo.
10. Compliance Criteria
Control points are determined by the Ministry. For certification, compliance with 100% of first-degree criteria and 95% of second-degree criteria is required.
11. General Provisions
The Ministry and CBs are obliged to ensure the confidentiality of trade secrets. However, information on product traceability may be disclosed to third parties.
In cases of force majeure such as earthquake, flood, fire, epidemic, the procedures and principles of inspections may be regulated by the Ministry.
12. Provisional and Final Provisions
Documents obtained through the E-Government system are considered valid.
Provisional arrangements have been made regarding inspectors and internal inspectors.
The previous regulation dated 2004 has been repealed.
The regulation entered into force on January 1, 2011.
Conclusion
The regulation sets out in detail the rules of good agricultural practices, control and certification processes, and the duties and responsibilities of the relevant parties. The aim is to establish the legal framework of sustainable, traceable, environmentally and health-sensitive agricultural production.
In addition,
You can access the full text of the Regulation on Good Agricultural Practices No. 27778 here and the page where the following documents are available here;
1 – Control Points to be Followed by All Producers/Producer Groups and Operators Engaged in GAP Activities
2 – Control Points to be Followed by All Producers/Producer Groups and Operators Engaged in Plant Production under GAP Activities
3 – Control Points to be Followed by All Producers/Producer Groups and Operators Engaged in Fruit and Vegetable Production under GAP Activities
4 – Control Points to be Followed by All Producers/Producer Groups and Operators Engaged in Cotton Production under GAP Activities
5 – Control Points to be Followed by All Producers/Producer Groups and Operators Required to Implement a Quality Management System under GAP Activities