GLOBALG.A.P.
Achieved GLOBALG.A.P. Group Certification including Japan’s first Joint Rice Drying and Processing Facility (Rice Factory)
JA Shin-Shinotsu obtained GLOBALG.A.P. Group Certification on December 3, 2020. This was the first certification within the JA system to include a Joint Rice Drying and Processing Facility (Rice Factory).
GLOBALG.A.P. is an international standard that certifies the practice of “sustainable production” with consideration for food safety, labor environments, and environmental conservation. As a global brand recognized in over 120 countries, it serves as a means of ensuring reliability for business partners and consumers. To obtain certification, a rigorous audit consisting of over 400 items is conducted by a third-party certification body.
Background of the Initiative
At JA Shin-Shinotsu, the “YES! clean” initiative expanded to vegetable production starting around 1998. In 2004, the Shin-Shinotsu Clean Rice Production Association was established, primarily by the JA Youth Division. It obtained certification and positioned clean agriculture as a pillar for rice, the village’s staple crop. However, since “YES! clean” is a Hokkaido-specific certification with low national recognition, the benefits of the initiative had become less apparent in recent years.
In 2017, the JA encouraged the Youth Division to pursue GAP certification. They focused on acquiring basic knowledge through study groups and on-site diagnosis based on the JA Simplified GAP. This took place as the national government announced the abolition of production quota allocations starting the following year, signaling a new phase in rice policy and management stabilization. Amid the increasing severity of the situation surrounding paddy farming, it became urgent to produce “marketable rice” through the formation of a distinctive production area to meet diverse needs. The JA viewed GLOBALG.A.P. as the ideal solution; as an international standard and the first rice group certification in Hokkaido, the high difficulty of obtaining it would serve as powerful PR and help resolve existing challenges.
From 2018, the JA utilized the JA Group GAP Support Team’s on-site advisory service for third-party certification, moving into full-scale administrative preparation and on-site guidance for producers. During this period, partial renovations were carried out at the Rice Factory to meet GAP standards based on risk assessments.
In 2020, to offset the significant cost of certification, the project was selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) 2-year subsidy program, “Production Area Risk Countermeasure Demonstration Project.” Following a final audit by SGS Japan Inc., certification was officially granted on December 3, 2020.
Certified Organization: Shin-Shinotsu Agricultural Cooperative (Shin-Shinotsu Clean Rice Production Association)
Number of Certified Entities: 12 producers + 1 facility
Certified Product: Rice (YES! clean)
Registration Number: 4063061525406
Date of Certification: December 3, 2020
