Acadian Plant Health’s Guillaume Lefranc becomes first biostimulant industry representative to join GLOBALG.A.P. Environmental Sustainable Solutions Group

Date:11-25-2024

Acadian Plant Health™ (APH), a leader in sustainable agriculture and biostimulant innovation, announces that Guillaume Lefranc, Food Value Chain Manager, has become the first representative from the biostimulant industry to join GLOBALG.A.P.'s Environmental Sustainable Working Group. This group, composed of over 80 sustainability experts and advocates from diverse stakeholders, is committed to enhancing sustainable practices across the global food value chain.

In this newly appointed role, Lefranc will contribute to the Agricultural Regeneration subgroup, a team focusing specifically on advancing soil health initiatives. This appointment aligns with GLOBALG.A.P.'s mission to promote safe, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable farming practices on a global scale.

"The GLOBALG.A.P. mission is to foster the adoption of new responsible farming practices that benefit consumers and the planet alike. By engaging key players across the supply chain within the GLOBALG.A.P. Working Group, we collaborate on cost-effective, value-adding assurance and benchmarking solutions that support sustainability," said Lefranc. "Being a part of the Environmental Sustainability Working Group gives us an invaluable opportunity to contribute to farming standards that advance soil health and sustainable food production practices worldwide."

GLOBALG.A.P. solutions include a range of standards for safe, socially and environmentally responsible farming practices. The most widely used GLOBALG.A.P. standard is IFA, applicable to fruit and vegetables, aquaculture, floriculture, and more.  The GLOBALG.A.P. brand began its journey as EUREPGAP in 1997. Now, over twenty-five years later, almost 200,000 producers are under GLOBALG.A.P. certification in 137 countries.

Acadian Plant Health joined GLOBALG.A.P. in 2023 and recently participated in the GLOBALG.A.P. Summit in Warsaw, marking the first post-pandemic summit. During the event, thought leaders discussed the growing challenges within sustainable food value chains and the ways that GLOBALG.A.P. standards support stakeholders in advancing responsible farming practices.

"The addition of Guillaume to the Environmental Sustainability Working Group underscores our commitment to driving change and elevating sustainable practices at every level of the food value chain," said Nelson Gibson, President of Acadian Plant Health. "His expertise in sustainable agriculture and soil health will support GLOBALG.A.P. in its continued mission to foster practices that benefit producers, consumers, and ecosystems alike."

The Group's work includes developing recommendations, providing public feedback periods, and advancing initiatives aligned with GLOBALG.A.P.’s objectives. The Agricultural Regeneration subgroup's focus on soil health is particularly aligned with Acadian Plant Health’s core values of improving soil health and resilience through natural solutions, including innovative biostimulants derived from seaweed.