The 8 Commitments

1. Implement Good Agricultural Practices to Increase Food Security Sustainably

We (the signatories) recognize that unless farmers worldwide take care of the land and water they use, we will have difficulty meeting the food and fiber needs of growing populations. Respecting different cultures, farm sizes, markets and local specifics and heritage, we believe that good agricultural practices are an important tool worldwide in order to produce food in a safe and sustainable way and secure global food availability. We, therefore, agree to work together on helping farmers to implement good agricultural practices on a global scale.

2. Support Farms to Become more Sustainable and Resilient

The farming sector globally must realize a strong increase in productivity while becoming more efficient in the use of resources and more adaptive to weather, pests, and other pressures, and making positive contributions to the environment. We recognize that additional investments in agricultural research, capacity building, and training on farm level are needed in order to facilitate the global adoption of good agricultural practices.

3. Work toward a COMMON Set of Criteria for Good Agricultural Practices

We recognize that a COMMON set of criteria for good agricultural practices for crop production, livestock production, and aquaculture is needed, and may be based on already existing standards and assessment tools. This will encompass criteria for impacts on food safety, animal, plant, human, community and ecosystem health, human rights, and animal welfare.

4. Reduce Duplication of Systems to Verify Compliance on Farms

We recognize that in order to limit complexities and costs of on-farm compliance and verification, there needs to be greater transparency and mutual recognition of verification systems as a basis for reporting.

5. Cooperate between Governments and Market Actors

We recognize that market mechanisms alone will not drive a transition towards sustainable agricultural practices on a global level. We therefore recognize the need for a strong collaboration between public and private actors to define a path for the adoption of good agricultural practices.

6. Report on Progress

We agree that it is our common interest and our responsibility to introduce reliable metrics to report on the progress of implementation to encourage the adoption of good agricultural practices, and to report on the impact to ensure that these practices make the positive contributions we are aiming for.

7. Communicate Additional Claims

We recognize that there are farming systems offering differentiated social, environmental, and economic claims on top of the common set of criteria for good agricultural practices. Making these additional claims is important to develop and access markets.

8. Motivate the current and next generation to work in agriculture and agribusiness

We recognize the need for making the agricultural and agribusiness sector more attractive for people–male and female–to work and invest in the sector now and in the future.

The 3 Pillars

  1. A common set of good agricultural practices criteria.
  2. A system for uniquely identifying every farm that is recognized by all stakeholders.
  3. A mechanism for securing the commitment and reporting by supply chains.

 

Building these 3 pillars will enable us to achieve the 8 commitments of The Declaration of Abu Dhabi.

Download Dec. & Record of Signature (PDF)