On the Way to Europe - The Significance of GLOBAL G.A.P. for European Integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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As an applicant country for EU membership, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union in 2007. Agriculture is crucial to BiH’s economy, necessitating harmonization of its food production system and adherence to internationally accepted food safety standards. Given the limited application of these standards, particularly at the producer level, the NGO IPERRA initiated a program, funded by the Swiss Development Corporation, to promote the GLOBAL G.A.P. food safety standard. To determine the most effective implementation strategies, IPERRA introduced this standard on six demonstration farms across BiH in spring 2010, supported by a socio-economic monitoring and evaluation system. Recognizing the diversity among farms and managers, the monitoring aimed to uncover how Global G.A.P. can be effectively implemented under varying socio-economic conditions, enhancing farm organization, production parameters, and economic performance. This booklet explores the macro-political, socio-cultural, and economic significance of European food safety standards in BiH, highlighting the challenges of sustainable implementation on farms. It offers guidelines for initiatives promoting food quality standards at the producer level and provides practical recommendations applicable in various global contexts.