Overlay” guidelines now available for growers to further protect water and wildlife
Growers across the Interior Columbia Basin have long carried both Salmon-Safe and GLOBALG.A.P. certifications. These environmentally innovative growers inspired the standards’ overlay by seeking a combined certification process. With the successful completion of pilot inspections utilizing the overlay earlier this year, these growers and others can now be inspected for GLOBALG.A.P. and Salmon-Safe certification in a single integrated farm visit.
Salmon-Safe Compliments GLOBALG.A.P. Certification
“Now that a series of pilot audits with the Salmon-Safe overlay across a number of crops are complete, we know that Salmon-Safe is a great complement to GLOBALG.A.P. certification,” said Roberta Anderson, Executive Vice President of GLOBALG.A.P. North America, Inc. “While GLOBALG.A.P.’s IFA standard covers food safety, traceability, occupational health and safety, and environment, Salmon-Safe offers a targeted, science-based focus on watershed impact. The Salmon-Safe certification is a great way to recognize farmers with GLOBALG.A.P. certification committed to continually improving stewardship of their streams and waterways.”
Salmon-Safe conducted a 24-month development process of aligning its certification guidelines with the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for Crops version 5. The new Salmon-Safe overlay will enable a more efficient inspection process for farmers seeking both certifications.
Combined Audit Option
“Pacific Northwest farmers who are leading the way to healthier and more progressive agriculture will be interested in this combined audit option,” said Dan Kent, Salmon-Safe Executive Director.” By combining GLOBALG.A.P. and Salmon-Safe practices, growers can ensure safe and responsible production while advancing ecologically sustainable agriculture here in the Pacific Northwest and nationally.”
The Salmon-Safe overlay standard includes riparian area management, water management, water quality protection, and biodiversity enhancement guidelines beyond those within the GLOBALG.A.P. IFA standard. Salmon-Safe also offers farmers the use of a consumer label free of charge.
Michael Roy, president of the hop and blueberry divisions of Roy Farms, a Yakima-based diversified farming operation, said: “After separately seeking Salmon-Safe and GLOBALG.A.P. certification, we’re happy to see a fast track to joint certification. We also know our wholesale buyers appreciate that our farming practices help conserve our local Yakima river watershed; Salmon-Safe helps us deliver that message.”
Salmon-Safe Awarded EPA Grant
This month, Salmon-Safe was awarded a grant by U.S. EPA for water quality protection work with agriculture in the interior Columbia Basin. The project includes further outreach to growers with GLOBALG.A.P. certification as well as collaborative research with extension and others to assist growers in transitioning to integrated pest management practices that reduce downstream water quality impacts.
