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News Release - For Immediate Release - May 7, 2013Contact: Jonathan Needham, northamerica-marketing@globalgap.org, 443.869.6120GFSI Recognizes GLOBALG.A.P.’sIntegrated Farm Assurance and Produce Safety Standard Version 4.0GLOBALG.A.P. Offers Produce Growers Trusted & Comprehensive Pre-Farmgate Assurance SolutionsBaltimore, MD – GLOBALG.A.P. North America Inc. (GGNA), the USA and Canadian division of theworld’s largest private sector standards organization for Good Agricultural Practice, is pleased toannounce that the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has recognized its Integrated Farm Assurance(IFA V4.0 - Fruit & Vegetables Sub-scope) and Produce Safety Standard (PSS V4.0) according to GFSIGuidance Document Sixth Edition, BI and D Scopes (Farming of Plants and Pre-Processing Handlingof Plants respectively), for food safety and traceability.“We are very committed to meeting our growers’ supply chain requirements, and welcome the rebenchmarkingof IFA and the first recognition of PSS by GFSI,” said Thomas Fenimore, GGNA’sExecutive Vice President. “GLOBALG.A.P. offers growers in the USA and Canada a range ofstandards to meet their certification needs, and the requirements of their customers, for the domesticand international markets. GFSI recognition further enhances our innovative product line by meetingretailer benchmarking expectations. We appreciate the recognition of our standards by retailers andfoodservice providers.”Tim Spreier, Director, Lipman Produce Companies stated: “As the largest field-grown tomato producerin the USA, Lipman is using the certification body NSF Agriculture to perform the GLOBALG.A.P.Produce Safety Standard audit with the optional Tomato Metrics checklist. Lipman feels that both ofthese advanced audit schemes comprehensively review our farming, packing, and distribution channelsalong with being accepted by our entire customer base.”“I am very pleased with the new version of GLOBALG.A.P.'s Integrated Farm Assurance, Version 4,which utilizes the Harmonized GAP Standard in its food safety module and in doing so, addressesareas of concern regarding microbiological hazards. It has also been recognized by GFSI and we havea number of our operations audited to GLOBALG.A.P. IFA Version 4,” said Walter Ram, Vice Presidentof Food Safety, The Giumarra Family of Companies, and Chairman of the United Fresh Food Safetyand Technology Council.Jonathan Needham, GGNA’s Vice President of Operations, affirmed: “GLOBALG.A.P. is the first choicein farm assurance around the world. When a grower presents his GLOBALG.A.P. Certificate to aretailer, he is communicating the strongest possible commitment to food safety, the most proactivededication to consumer and supply chain partner protection. GLOBALG.A.P. Certification expressestrust, excellence, thoroughness and unparalleled integrity. We are a stakeholder-driven, partnershipbasedorganization with core values of openness and transparency. Our objective is not profitmaximization, it is safe, sustainable agriculture worldwide. This is what distinguishes us in the NorthAmerican marketplace. GFSI recognition is a testament to our commitment to the growers who haveplaced their trust in us.”GLOBALG.A.P. offers North American produce growers three general use standards.1. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA): the most widely accepted import/export farm certificationstandard worldwide—comprehensive, progressive and holistic in scope2. Produce Safety Standard (PSS): the perfect option for growers seeking food safety andtraceability certification in the domestic market—a subset of IFA with an upgrade path3553 Chestnut Avenue, Suite 2S, Baltimore, MD 21211-2443, USA | Tel: +1.443.869.6120northamerica@globalgap.org | www.globalgap.org/north-america | President: Dr. Kristian Moeller1 of 2

3. Primary Farm Assurance (PFA): the non-accredited assessment stepping stone towards fullcertification, an entry-level standard that assesses fundamental food safety for local anddomestic marketsIFA is the passport to the global agricultural market. PSS is the ideal solution for growers supplying tothe domestic market and/or those who do not require IFA’s comprehensive criteria. PFA is the first steptowards certification, the North American version of our localg.a.p. Standard. IFA and PSS areexpandable via optional add-ons and alternate industry-specific checklists like the Tomato Metrics. Alloffer individual farm and producer group certification, which provides central management and costsavingsbenefits. Each is backed by GLOBALG.A.P.’s database and CIPRO (Certification IntegrityProgram) systems. Mr. Needham continued: “We look forward to introducing a packing housestandard in the near future to further augment our product line. Furthermore, we are deeply committedto reducing audit fatigue, and support the Produce GAPs Harmonization Initiative led by United Fresh,and the Harmonized Standards checklists.”“Achieving GFSI re-recognition is a terrific achievement for GLOBALG.A.P.,” said Ben Marchant, VicePresident of Marketing, NCSI Americas, a provider of auditing and certification services. “Once again,growers will be able to choose between several GFSI programs with GLOBALG.A.P. at the fore as theworld's largest GAP standard. GLOBALG.A.P.'s Produce Safety Standard is an innovation in GAPcertification that nobody was aware that we needed - until now that it's in place and being auditedagainst, giving growers an intermediary standard to meet as part of their continuous improvementtoward full IFA certification. Further innovations such as a GLOBALG.A.P. packing house standard willbe widely welcomed by the produce community and we look forward to it being rolled out.”Dr. David Gombas, Senior Vice President Food Safety and Technology, United Fresh ProduceAssociation commented: “GLOBALG.A.P. was the first of the GFSI-benchmarked audit organizations toadopt the Harmonized Standards as their National Interpretation Guideline in the USA, so we areconfident that fresh produce suppliers, and buyers that are requiring their suppliers to be certified to aGFSI-benchmarked standard, will find GLOBALG.A.P.'s PSS and IFA to be reasonable and completefood safety standards for Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) audits. The Harmonized Standards weredeveloped by the broadest spectrum of fresh produce suppliers and customers to meet food safetyassurance needs, and we encourage all audit organizations to utilize the Harmonized Standards fortheir GAPs checklists.”Dave Sargent, owner of Sargent Farms and supplier to 1,600 Walmart Supercenters, stated:“GLOBALG.A.P. in my opinion as a farmer is the best thing that's ever happened to the industry. I thinkthat all farmers benefit from GLOBALG.A.P. audits. I know I do. We have to make sure on the farmthat we do an excellent job, and GLOBALG.A.P. has helped us there immensely. The world isbecoming a smaller place because of modern communication and transport technology. It is criticalthat the world be able to feed itself, and in order for that to happen, we will have to ship our produceinternationally. To meet the demands and expectations of the global marketplace, we have decided toupgrade our GLOBALG.A.P. audit scheme from the non-accredited Primary Farm Assuranceassessment to the accredited Integrated Farm Assurance certification with its comprehensive set ofcriteria. I congratulate GLOBALG.A.P. on its recent GFSI recognition.”# # #GLOBALG.A.P., founded in 1997 and based in Cologne, Germany, is the world's most widely acceptedand largest private sector food safety standards organization: 130,000 producers under certification in110 countries; 400+ covered products; 23 standards, add-on modules and programs; and 300 memberorganizations across the industry with the shared vision of harmonizing GAP globally. Please visitwww.globalgap.org/north-america and www.globalgap.org for more information.3553 Chestnut Avenue, Suite 2S, Baltimore, MD 21211-2443, USA | Tel: +1.443.869.6120northamerica@globalgap.org | www.globalgap.org/north-america | President: Dr. Kristian Moeller2 of 2