The organisation now oversees nearly 12mn acres of plant production as it looks beyond certification to address future farming challenges
Agraya, the founder of GlobalGAP North America, is marking its 25th anniversary in 2026.
Launched as a retailer-driven initiative in 2001, Agraya said it had ”thoughtfully evolved” alongside changing regulatory, market, and supply-chain demands.
This included the formation of GlobalGAP North America for the US and Canadian markets in 2010, it said.
”Over more than two decades, it has grown into a global organisation helping shape how farmed products are produced, verified, and traded,” the organisation stated.
”Today, Agraya and GlobalGAP North America draws on that experience to support a wide range of value chain partners with practical, scalable solutions for a changing industry.”
The organisaton noted that, over the past 25 years, it had developed a globally connected assurance system.
Today, over 195,000 producers worldwide use GlobalGAP certification solutions which aim to support responsible farming practices, market access, and trusted sourcing among traders and retailers.
As of 2025, it said, there were nearly 12mn acres of plant production and more than 3.1mn metric tonnes of aquaculture products under GlobalGAP certified production processes.
”With solutions currently implemented in over 135 countries, Agraya makes a significant contribution to the global trade of farmed products,” it said.
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 Work Group Good Agricultural Practice) 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.
FoodPlus expanded to found GlobalGAP North America as a dedicated subsidiary to serve the US and Canadian market in 2010.
In 2025, the organisation rebranded FoodPlus and brought the GlobalGAP and GGN label together under the Agraya umbrella.
Agraya stated that, while assurance remains its foundation, it is increasingly looking beyond certification to address future challenges in farming.
This is particularly key with regulatory complexity, climate pressures, and shifting expectations changing how the sector operates worldwide.
Against this backdrop, the organisation said that its 2030 vision is to facilitate space for new conversations and future-oriented initiatives that foster smarter decision-making, deeper connections, and more resilient outcomes across the value chain.
“We are proud of 25 years of driving good agricultural practices worldwide and the impact we have made on farms and supply chains,” said Elmé Coetzer-Boersma, CEO of Agraya.
“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,” she added.
