CO-OP Philippine Bananas Introduce GGN Label: A Mark of Responsible Agriculture

The Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU)(Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Toshio Tsuchiya) will begin sequential sales of its popular products, the “Designated Plantation CO-OP Philippine Bananas”and “Designated Plantation CO-OP Philippine Highland Bananas,” from late September. These products, with an annual supply volume of approximately 13.55 million packs (January to December 2023), will now feature the GGN label.

The GGN label signifies that the products are produced on farms certified by independent third-party auditors to meet the international standards of responsible production processes, covering food safety, labor conditions (safety, health, and welfare), human rights, and environmental conservation, as per the GLOBALG.A.P. (Global Good Agricultural Practices) certification. “GAP” stands for “Good Agricultural Practices,” which refers to a set of standards for “appropriate agricultural guidelines” or “agricultural production process management.” This system involves implementing necessary measures at each stage of agricultural production, considering aspects like food safety, environmental conservation, labor safety, human rights protection, and farm management. The aim is to improve and streamline agricultural operations while promoting responsible agriculture that takes into account social and environmental concerns.

Since the label allows traceability back to the farm where the product was produced, it ensures transparency in the production process. Consumers can access information about the producers by entering the identification number on the GGN label into the GGN Label website or by scanning the QR code.

Source: Coop Press Release Sep 4th 2024