If you grow kiwifruit, avocados, or other export crops in New Zealand, you have probably heard the words GLOBALG.A.P. and GRASP.

And if you are honest, they can feel a bit overwhelming.

There are standards.
There are records.
There are audits.
There are contractor requirements.
There are worker welfare expectations.

For many growers, it can feel like “just more paperwork.”

But GLOBALG.A.P. and GRASP are not really about paperwork.

They are about proving that your produce is grown in a way that is safe, traceable, responsible, and acceptable to international markets.

Let’s break this down in plain English.

What Is GLOBALG.A.P.?

GLOBALG.A.P. is a global farm assurance standard.

For fruit and vegetables, the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance standard is designed to support responsible farming at primary production level. It covers key areas such as food safety, environment, workers’ health, safety and welfare, production processes, and traceability.

In simple terms, GLOBALG.A.P. helps show buyers that a crop has been grown under recognised good agricultural practices.

For New Zealand growers, this matters because many export markets and buyers want proof that produce has been grown safely and responsibly.

That means it is not just a “nice to have.”

For many growers, it becomes part of market access, buyer confidence, and supply chain trust.

What Is GRASP?

GRASP stands for GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice.

It is connected to worker welfare and social practice.

GLOBALG.A.P. describes GRASP as an evaluation checklist that helps producers assess, improve, and show responsible social practices. It builds on IFA requirements linked to worker health, safety, and welfare, and covers topics such as labour and human rights, worker representation, and protection of children and young workers.

In plain English, GRASP asks:

Are workers being treated properly?
Are employment practices clear?
Can workers raise concerns?
Are worker welfare expectations being met?

This is why GRASP matters so much in horticulture.

It is not just about the fruit.

It is also about the people growing, picking, pruning, packing, spraying, and managing the work.

Why Buyers Require GLOBALG.A.P. and GRASP

Buyers want more than good-looking fruit.

They want confidence.

They want to know:

• The crop is traceable.
• Food safety risks are managed.
• Chemicals are controlled properly.
• Workers are treated fairly.
• Environmental risks are considered.
• Records can prove what happened.

GLOBALG.A.P. helps create this evidence.

GRASP adds another layer by focusing on responsible social practices and worker welfare.

For export crops like kiwifruit and avocados, this matters because overseas customers are not standing in the orchard watching the work happen.

They rely on recognised standards, audits, records, and supply chain checks.

That is how trust travels.

Why This Matters for Zespri Kiwifruit Growers and Contractors

For kiwifruit, Zespri has its own strong compliance pathway connected to GAP and GRASP.

Zespri states that it runs a GAP and GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice programme certified to the GLOBALG.A.P. standard. This programme includes assessing orchard management systems and the activities undertaken on orchards.

Zespri also explains that registered contractors in the programme are inspected against relevant GAP sections and all GRASP requirements. Once requirements are successfully completed, they are issued a Compliance Assessment Verification, known as a CAV.

That means kiwifruit compliance is not only about the grower.

Contractors matter too.

Labour providers, harvest contractors, vine maintenance teams, spray operators, fertiliser operators, and other orchard service providers can all affect audit readiness.

If their records, systems, or worker welfare evidence are weak, the grower can still feel the impact.

Why This Matters for NZ Avocado Growers

For avocado growers, GLOBALG.A.P. also plays an important role in export compliance and market confidence.

NZ Avocado provides compliance resources for growers, including GLOBALG.A.P.-related resources through its industry compliance area.

Avocado export supply chains rely on strong evidence around:

• Food safety
• Spray and fertiliser records
• Contractor management
• Traceability
• Harvest hygiene
• Worker welfare
• Environmental care
• Corrective actions before audit

The details may differ between crop types and exporter requirements, but the big picture is the same.

Good records support market access.

Weak records create stress.

How GLOBALG.A.P. Connects to Food Safety

Food safety is one of the main reasons GLOBALG.A.P. exists.

Growers need to show that food safety risks are being managed from the orchard level.

This can include things like:

• Chemical use
• Withholding periods
• Water risks
• Hygiene
• Harvest practices
• Contamination controls
• Traceability

The goal is simple:

If a problem appears, the business should be able to trace what happened, where it happened, and what controls were in place.

That is why records matter.

Not because auditors love paperwork.

Because records help prove control.

How GRASP Connects to Worker Welfare

GRASP focuses on the people side of production.

This can include worker rights, communication, representation, employment practices, and social risks.

For growers, this matters because worker welfare is now a major part of supply chain trust.

Buyers, exporters, and certification programmes want evidence that workers are not just present on the orchard but are being managed responsibly.

This does not mean every grower needs a complicated HR department.

But it does mean worker records, communication, complaint pathways, and employment-related evidence need to be clear.

How These Standards Connect to Traceability

Traceability means being able to follow the story of the crop.

Where did it come from?
What block was it grown in?
What inputs were used?
Who worked on it?
When was it harvested?
Where did it go next?

GLOBALG.A.P. helps growers show this story through records and systems.

For kiwifruit and avocado growers, traceability is not just a technical word.

It is part of export trust.

If records are missing, unclear, or scattered, the audit becomes harder than it needs to be.

How These Standards Connect to the Environment

GLOBALG.A.P. includes environmental topics as part of responsible farming.

That can include how growers manage:

• Chemicals
• Waste
• Water
• Biodiversity
• Soil protection
• Pollution risk
• Storage areas
• Spill response

For New Zealand growers, this connects well with good orchard management.

The goal is not to make the orchard perfect.

The goal is to show that environmental risks are known, managed, and reviewed.

Again, the key word is evidence.

What Growers Get Wrong Most

Here are the common issues we see:

1. Waiting until audit season

Audit readiness should not start two weeks before the auditor arrives.

That creates stress.

2. Treating GLOBALG.A.P. as “just paperwork”

The paperwork is only proof.

The real work is the system behind it.

3. Forgetting contractors

Contractors are often where gaps appear.

If they work on the orchard, they need to fit into the compliance picture.

4. Scattered records

Records kept in too many places can be hard to prove during audit.

5. Not checking worker welfare evidence

GRASP is not something to leave until the last minute.

Worker-related evidence needs to be tidy, current, and easy to explain.

A Note for Growers Outside New Zealand

This article is written for New Zealand growers, especially kiwifruit and avocado businesses, but GLOBALG.A.P. and GRASP are international frameworks.

The crop may change.
The buyer may change.
The local laws may change.
The exporter requirements may change.

But the core ideas stay very similar:

Grow safe produce.
Protect workers.
Manage environmental risks.
Keep clear records.
Be ready to prove what happened.

If you operate outside New Zealand, use this structure and align it with your local law, buyer rules, and certification body requirements.

Final Thought

GLOBALG.A.P. and GRASP can feel heavy at first.

But in plain English, they are about trust.

Trust that the fruit is safe.
Trust that workers are treated properly.
Trust that environmental risks are being managed.
Trust that records can prove the story.

For kiwifruit and avocado growers, that trust matters.

It supports audit readiness, buyer confidence, and long-term access to valuable markets.

If you would like practical, editable templates to help organise GLOBALG.A.P., GRASP, contractor records, worker welfare evidence, and orchard compliance systems, our Way Safe Biz DIY Compliance Bundle is currently being developed.

You can register your expression of interest below.

Clear records.
Clear systems.
Audit-ready confidence.

– Esther, Way Safe Biz