Costs of Food Safety Certification on Fresh Produce Farms in Vermont

摘要

This article addresses the economic costs of good agricultural practices (GAPs) audits of small and medium size farms in Vermont. It focuses on the costs of infrastructure, equipment, and labor required to successfully pass a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) GAPs audit. In-depth interviews and surveys of produce farmers in 2011 revealed that the cost of GAPs certification ranges between dollar 37 and dollar 54 per acre, and an additional 7 hours were required each week during the growing season.Based on this exploratory research, certifying all the farms in Vermont would cost between dollar 228,216 and dollar 3,019,114. Our study explored all the criteria of the certification and measured the costs of GAPs from planning stages to daily recordkeeping more than one year after the certification was achieved. This study provides information to farmers who are considering GAPs certification. It also provides background information to agricultural service providers and policymakers planning for the future of the fresh produce industry.