Rural producers, wineries and grape processing industries are in the final stage of audits to assess compliance with the localg.ap, GLOBALG.AP’s initial protocol of good agricultural practices, one of the most recognized certifications worldwide for the primary sector. In Rio Grande do Sul, work on implementation and good agricultural practices began in 2014 with PAS Uva – Grape Safe Food Program for Processing. More than 1,000 rural properties were served. In 2022, when carrying out a comparative study with the localg.ap, a technical equivalence of requirements was verified, which motivated the sector to make some adjustments to material and methodology to begin complying with the protocol. A fundamental step for the sector, aligning itself with international standards and demonstrating the search for innovation in processes. This will be the country’s first localg.ap compliance assessment and, most likely, one of the most representative in Latin America, due to the number of producers, companies and institutions involved.
The next stage, starting in 2023, was training. Of the 1,000 rural properties initially trained, 500 were selected to receive adaptation consultancies. As the chosen form of conformity assessment works in a group format, the companies and cooperatives that mobilized their suppliers also went through a process of team qualification and structuring of their quality management systems to localg.ap. The companies Tecnovin, Naturasuc, Golden Sucos and the cooperatives Pradense, Garibaldi, Aurora, Nova Aliança, São João and Paraíso, which are participating in the initiative, played a fundamental role in this restructuring.
According to Janine Basso Lisbôa, a consultant who works in the management and articulation of the program, this work has always been developed, works and is evolving because many hands are involved. In this transition phase to localg.ap, the success of the initiative would not have been possible without the involvement of several entities. Sebrae-RS played a crucial role in managing the project, with resources coming from the Institute of Management, Planning and Development of Viticulture of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Consevitis-RS) and the multinational UPL, specialized in chemical and biological products. Consevitis-RS, through a technical and financial cooperation agreement with Sebrae, supported the initiative through resources from the partnership with the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production and Irrigation (Seapi), of Rio Grande do Sul.
“This project is very important for the organization and qualification of processes on properties. Consevitis-RS, together with partners, has sought to invest efforts and resources to guarantee the qualification and certification of these processes, demonstrating the excellent quality of grapes, juices, wines and sparkling wines and guaranteeing the necessary good practices on the part of producers, of industries and cooperatives”, assesses the president of Consevitis-RS, Luciano Rebellatto.
Audits – Another important evolution of the program is the carrying out of audits by a certifier. Now in the final phase, inspections were conducted by the certification body Qima/WQS to verify the QMS (quality management system) and a sample of rural producers per group. The main points assessed include assessment of risk analyzes by property, field notebook, pesticide storage, water quality and care, inspection and maintenance of sprayers, use of PPE, worker training and other procedures to ensure environmental safety, workers and the final product.
Felipe Corso, a grape producer in the city of Antônio Prado, in Serra Gaúcha, evaluates participation in the process positively: “I was invited by the cooperative about two years ago to participate in the Pas Uva Program. At first we are afraid of making changes, of bureaucracy. But I ended up getting involved, doing what was asked and realized that it was worth it. Organization never hurts anyone.”
The expectation is that, in April, six companies and cooperatives and their producer groups, totaling around 200 rural properties, will obtain their letters of compliance, successfully completing this first stage and consolidating the local gap as a reality in Brazil. From this pilot onwards, the expectation is to continue with the partnership, supporting the sector in the implementation of good agricultural practices to meet the requirements of the protocol localg.ap in other grape producers for processing, ensuring the evolution of the production chain. “In this way, we hope to establish standards for sustainable, safe and quality agricultural production”, reinforces Angélica Louvani Brandalise, project manager at Sebrae RS.
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