Past several years, food consumers around the world have witnessed a succession of foodborne disease outbreaks. As a result of these events, the safety of the global food system is now called into question and government regulators and private food retailers have responded by focusing on, in part, on-farm practices. Many local and international food retailers have begun requiring that produce growers obtain third-party certification ensuring that their produce is grown using Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to minimize food contamination risks. And in the United States, Congress recently passed into law the Food Safety Enhancement Act to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) greater regulatory powers to enforce adherence to on-farm food safety practices.The purpose of this research was to examine grower perceptions regarding on-farm food safety. Such an examination can help to identify appropriate means of communication through which extension educators and other stakeholders in the food system can help growers learn about and meet food safety standards. Because fruit and vegetable value chains span across national borders, case study research was conducted in the states of Pennsylvania in the United States and Sao Paulo in Brazil. From the results of this comparative case study, a new model for teaching on-farm food safety was developed. Such a model helps us to understand grower perceptions about various issues associated with the topic of on-farm food safety. This understanding provides agricultural extension educators and other professionals with a starting point for developing appropriate on-farm food safety educational materials.

Medicinal plant materials are supplied through collection from wild populations and cultivation. Under the overall context of quality assurance and control of herbal medicines WHO developed the Guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants providing general technical guidance on obtaining medicinal plant materials of good quality for the sustainable production of herbal products classified as medicines. These guidelines are also related to WHO's work on the protection of medicinal plants aiming promotion of sustainable use and cultivation of medicinal plants. The main objectives of these guidelines are to: (1) contribute to the quality assurance of medicinal plant materials used as the source for herbal medicines to improve the quality safety and efficacy of finished herbal products; (2) guide the formulation of national and/or regional GACP guidelines and GACP monographs for medicinal plants and related standard operating procedures; and (3) encourage and support the sustainable cultivation and collection of medicinal plants of good quality in ways that respect and support the conservation of medicinal plants and the environment in general. These guidelines concern the cultivation and collection of medicinal plants and include certain post-harvest operations. Good agricultural and collection practices for medicinal plants are the first step in quality assurance on which the safety and efficacy of herbal medicinal products directly depend. These practices also play an important role in protection natural resources of medicinal plants for sustainable use.

Essay from the year 2010 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: B, King`s College London, language: English, abstract: Risk management planning is undertaken to be able to identify the risks in a business, assess them, formulate strategies to mitigate the risks and monitor the resultant performance of the business. Preparing a risk management plan requires identification of potential risks to a business. This is done through understanding of the scope of possible risks which will be essential in developing a realistic, cost effective strategy for dealing with the risks. Assess the business need determine the risk. Risk assessment process is also essential and is done with proper knowledge on a business key services, staff, resources and major areas that could result to failure of the business. Risk management process will therefore involve systematic application of management policies, practices and procedures to all the tasks of establishing the context of business risks, identifying, analyzing, assessing, treating, monitoring and communicating (Culp, 2001). Each cycle in the process is vital since it contributes progressively to business improvement. This is through providing the management with greater insight into available risks and their impacts on operation of the business. To best analyze the risks and come up with the best strategies we got organized into a team having a good understanding of the tasks and objectives of the area of the business that needed to be analyzed. The marketing activities of the business bring both success and failure to a business if not carefully undertaken. Our risk management planning process was to determine the various risks associated with a business marketing activities and come up with best ways to help the business solve them. Understanding the internal environment of the company was our first stage in the process. It involved getting familiarized with the risk management philosophy of the business and various integrity and ethical values including the business commitments to competencies. Also we looked at the organizational structure with how authority and responsibilities are assigned and various marketing standards.

This publication capitalizes on the experience of scientists from the North Africa and Near East countries, in collaboration with experts from around the world, specialized in the different aspects of greenhouse crop production. It provides a comprehensive description and assessment of the greenhouse production practices in use in Mediterranean climate areas that have helped diversify vegetable production and increase productivity. The publication is also meant to be used as a reference and tool for trainers and growers as well as other actors in the greenhouse vegetables value chain in this region.

Transform your pastime into your livelihood. If your sweet corn is tall, your brood of chickens is beautiful, and your half-dozen goats give delicious milk, then you know firsthand the rewards of running a small farm. But what if you could turn that Do-It-Yourself hobby into a long-term source of regular income? Nurturing a healthy harvest is only half the battle--what you really need to know is how to create a successful and sustainable business. In The Farm to Market Handbook, veteran dairy-goat farmer Janet Hurst combines her deep knowledge of farming life and farmers' markets with her hard-won experience turning farm products into a living wage. From CSAs and weekly markets to school programs and local chefs, Hurst guides you through every type of market available to small farmers. She explains how you can develop a realistic marketing plan, provides a breakdown of the food laws and regulations you'll need to be aware of, and offers insider tips on how to be a successful businessperson. Through enlightening interviews with producers around the country who speak of their successes - and their failures - this book takes a look at some of the nation's top markets and analyzes why they have thrived where others have not. So if you've ever wondered how to get started selling your produce, entertained the idea of raising meat goats, or wanted to spread the word about your homegrown honey, you should read The Farm to Market Handbook and figure out how to put money in your pockets.