The U.S. Tobacco GAP Program
go.ncsu.edu/readext?351601
en Español / em Português
El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.
Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.
Português
Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.
Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.
English
English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.
Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.
Collapse ▲In 2013, the United States Tobacco Industry initiated the U.S. Tobacco Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Program. At present, the U.S. Tobacco GAP Program is organized and housed by GAP Connections, Inc. in Knoxville, Tennessee. A brief description of the US Tobacco GAP Program from the GAP Connections website is below.
“The U.S. Tobacco GAP Program was developed over several months with industry collaboration consisting of tobacco manufacturers dealers, state departments of agriculture, universities, grower associations, and other farm organizations such as Farm Bureau from across the tobacco growing regions. It is an industry-wide program that aims at ensuring sustainable, economically viable production of useable tobacco and can be defined as: agricultural practices which produce a quality crop wile protecting, sustaining or enhancing the environment with regard to soil, water, air, animal and plant life as well as protecting and ensuring the rights of farm laborers.”
Ultimately, the U.S. Tobacco GAP Program seeks to ensure that U.S. tobacco is produced in a manner that is competitive, sustainable, compliant, and safe for all involved parties. To promote compliance, tobacco producers are trained on the Principles of GAP at annual certification events conducted by the respective Cooperative Extension Services of the tobacco producing states. In addition, the United States Department of Labor provides training and handouts for the Labor component of the program. In 2014, over 9,700 growers from 19 states were trained on the Principles of Tobacco GAP by land-grant Extension programs.
The U.S. Tobacco GAP Program is still evolving and it is predicted that in the coming seasons producers will have access to a variety of electronic record keeping software and possibly more training options. In 2014, GAP Connections piloted unified industry audits and given the success of that program will continue in 2015 to expand the unified audit program, auditing roughly 700-800 growers across the tobacco growing states.
In general, the U.S. Tobacco GAP program is an industry program not a governmental program and addresses concerns in crop production and agrochemical management like many other GAP programs but does not have the same focus on foodborne illnesses and sanitation as in fruit and vegetable GAP programs. In comparison, there is also additional focus on environmental and labor management practices which do not appear in many of the traditional GAP programs. While there are similarities between many GAP programs compliance within the U.S. Tobacco GAP does not mean compliance with any other GAP program.
For additional information, contact your local Cooperative Extension Office.