Shwapno is the first retailer in Southeast Asia to acquire a GLOBALG.A.P. membership.
In 2018, the retailer started working with the farmers from Haribatpur union, Jessore to produce vegetables following the G.A.P. regulations, where special attention is paid to global best agricultural practices, ensuring that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored reducing risks of microbial food safety hazards and in the safest methods possible, reads a press release.
Shwapno also launched its own private label under the brand name ‘Shuddho’, in an attempt to sell better and safer quality fruits and vegetables.
After the successful completion of training, development and testing programs, 50 farmers and 7 crop variants produced by these farmers under the brand received the GLOBALG.A.P. Certification.
Deputy Mission Director of USAID Randy Ali recently paid a courtesy visit to the GLOBALG.A.P. recognized vegetable farms in Jessore. Executive Director of ACI Logistics (Shwapno) Sabbir Hasan Nasir was also present at this event along with the Business Director Sohel Tanvir Khan, and the Head of Business (Protein & Perishables) Md Mahadi Faisal.
Addressing this initiative, Sabbir Hasan Nasir, executive director of ACI Logistics Limited (Shwapno) said: ‘’Shwapno is a bridge between the buyers and the farmers. We believe that capacity building, especially in our grower communities having access to the knowledge of best agricultural practices is crucial in ensuring a transparent safe food value chain.”
“We started our work with Global GAP in 2017. In this project, to ensure that the pesticides used on crops do not leave behind residues, a pre-harvest interval is maintained. GLOBALGAP principles & checklists are followed to assure safer food production and consumption,” he added.
“In 2022, seven of our crops and 50 growers got Global GAP certified. The GLOBALGAP certification is a world-class recognition which affirms the transparency we wanted to bring into the value chain. Thanks to USAID for staying by our side and supporting this effort,’ he further said.’
Md Mahadi Faisal, head of Business (Protein & Perishables) explained: “7 unique GLOBALG.A.P. Numbers (GGN) are provided for these 7 crops of Shuddho that give access to the information on the farming practices of these 7 crops that include who produced them, what medicine has been used, what was the post-harvest residue level of the medicine applied to them and many more.”
“Vegetables produced in Bangladesh can now compete in the high-end markets of Europe, the US and the rest of the world. In fact, Shwapno has already started exporting vegetables and fruits to Hong Kong and London,' he added.