Agraya looks back on quarter century of advancing responsible farming

Cologne-based Agraya, the organisation behind the GlobalGAP and GGN labels, is 25 years old. Founded as a retailer-driven initiative in 2001, the company has evolved alongside changing regulatory, market, and supply-chain demands, growing into a global organisation helping to shape how farmed products are produced, verified, and traded.

Over the last 25 years, Agraya has built a globally connected assurance system. Today, over 195,000 producers worldwide in over 135 countries use GlobalGAP certification solutions, which aim to support responsible farming practices, market access, and trusted sourcing among traders and retailers. As of 2025, there are more than 4.8mn hectares of plant production and more than 3.1mn tonnes of aquaculture products under GlobalGAP certified production processes.

The origins of Agraya date back to 1996, when a retailer-driven initiative was launched in response to concerns over pesticide residues on fresh produce. This led to the foundation of EurepGAP (Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group Good Agricultural Practices) and the first steps in developing an independent, holistic certification system for Good Agricultural Practices.

With the establishment of FoodPLUS as the legal owner of the EurepGAP standards in 2001, certification was formalised, and in 2007 the standard was renamed GlobalGAP to reflect its global reach. The launch of the GGN label in 2016 added the first consumer-facing channel, linking on-product communication directly to production processes under GlobalGAP certification.

Following over 20 years of developing and refining large-scale assurance systems, the organisation moved to the next stage in 2025 by rebranding FoodPLUS and uniting the GlobalGAP and the GGN label under a single corporate banner: Agraya. Both brands remain unchanged and fully operational, continuing to serve as distinct and well-established pillars of Agraya’s portfolio.

Looking to the future, Agraya said it will continue to build on this foundation by taking a collaborative approach to the challenges and opportunities shaping agriculture, focusing on advancing the sector through practical solutions, innovation, and long-term impact.

While assurance remains the cornerstone of Agraya’s operation, the organisation increasingly looks beyond certification to address future challenges in farming. “Regulatory complexity, climate pressures, and shifting expectations are changing how the sector operates worldwide. Against this backdrop, our 2030 vision is to enable new conversations and support innovative pathways toward greater value chain resilience, responsive and responsible farming practices, and stronger links between sector participants,” the organisation said. “This ambition is a natural outgrowth of our tradition of empowering all stakeholders, from the consumer back to independent producers.”

Elmé Coetzer-Boersma, CEO of Agraya, commented: “We are proud of 25 years of driving good agricultural practices worldwide and the impact we have made on farms and supply chains. We have grown into an assurance system at the heart of the industry. That trust has been earned through practical standards, strong governance, and a constant focus on real-world applicability. Looking ahead, Agraya will continue to build on this foundation by developing practical solutions that respond to the evolving needs of the industry”.