Good Agricultural Collection Practices (GACP) or other means of on-farm auditing is essential for quality control and traceability for all growing operations. Growers who use organic methods can do so as well. Ultimately every grower is responsible for themselves and their crop and is responsible for making their own choices of how they grow Rhodiola rosea.
By using the GACP guidelines, farmers can evaluate the risks to their crop and make plans to counter those potential risks. As an example, some of the risks for Rhodiola would be accurate identification and traceability of plant propagation materials – seed and seedlings. Another big risk factor is the potential for contamination at time of harvest.
Once the grower is aware of their potential risks for crop failures and contamination, they can develop a plan to avoid those risks.
It is important to create and use a log and record everything that is done to or for your farm operation. Some information that should be included:
• Fertilizer inputs – schedules, types and amounts
• Soil/water tests,
• Monitoring for aphids and control methods
• Compiling labels from potting mix used for growing trays, and other crop inputs
Growers can be certified under the Good Agricultural Collection Practices (GACP) certification program or other risk management audit system. Through these types of programs you can develop documents for identification and traceability of plants throughout their lifecycle. Below are descriptions and contacts for the Canadian and US GACP Programs:
Canadian GACP Certification
In Canada, industry has in place Good Agriculture and Collection Practices (GACPs). In Canada, CHSNC (Herb, Specialty Agriculture and Natural Health Product Coalition) and HSSA (Herb, Spice and Specialty Agriculture Association) have worked with Health Canada, Agriculture Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to develop internationally recognized, auditable and certified GACP standards for Specialty Agriculture. These protocols meld seamlessly with existing or pending Good Production Practices (GPP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) up the chain.
Canada’s industry-owned GACPs are also recognized as a CFIA On-farm food safety program and are revalidated with CFIA every 18 months. The program covers production practices from field and greenhouse to finished product–assuring that quality assurance, product safety and traceability are in place–essential for recalls and compliance. Canada’s GACPs have been benchmarked against the EU GACPs and exceed their standards, have mutual recognition with the United States GACPs (American Herbal Products Association) and were built with the support of the World Health Organization.
Learn about Canadian GACP Certification
US Certification – Good Agricultural & Collection Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices (GACP-GMP) for botanical materials
Botanical agricultural, collection and manufacturing practices have wide-ranging impacts on product quality, native and regional communities and the environment. AHPA’s Guidance on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices for Botanical Materials provides a template for small and large growers, harvesters, and processors to implement and document best practices. The guidance and accompanying assessment tools help the industry ensure that herbal raw materials used in consumer products are accurately identified, not adulterated with contaminants that may present a public health risk, and fully conform to all quality characteristics for which they are represented.