Good Agricultural Practices (GAP): An Introductory Course for The Bahamas

The Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) and The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources (MAMR) in collaboration with Commonwealth of Learning (COL) have  partnered to provide farmers with an online course on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs).

This self-study course addresses fruit and vegetable production and is designed to inform farmers on the basic environmental and operational conditions necessary for the production of safe and wholesome produce. 

Fruits and vegetables are an important component of our diet. Nutritionists and health professionals have clearly shown that diets low in fat and high in fiber, with at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, protect us against many types of cancers and lessen the risk of heart disease. Now, more than ever, consumers listen to these messages and have altered their food choices.

In recent years, there has been an increase in food recalls due to biological, chemical and physical risks, particularly with leafy greens such as lettuce.  This six-week course will help to mitigate against these risks and serve as a guide in the implementation of best management practices at all stages of the crop production and processing systems. 

Participants are required to commit 30 - 60 mins per week on completing the weekly presentations and assignments to successfully achieve the learning goals of this course.

Unit 1: Background to Food Safety 

Unit 2: Introduction to Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and its Standards

Unit 3: Food safety module (FSM)

Unit 4: Environmental management module (EMM) 

Unit 5: Worker’ health, safety and welfare module (WHSM) 

Unit 6: Produce quality module (PQM)

This course is designed as an introductory course to build awareness on the importance of food safety, quality and the foundational Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to be implemented throughout the food chain. Food safety concerns should be addressed at all stages, from the farmer to the packaging and transporting of foods to the consumer.

Therefore, this course is intended to attract participants from various backgrounds, both technical and non-technical.

Upon completion of this course you should be able to:

• Discuss the importance of food safety and its relations to GAP
• Define GAP standards and requirements
• Understand the GAP structure, modules and key elements
• Apply GAPs in fruit and vegetable production for improved food safety and quality

A Certificate of Completion will be issued by The Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) and The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources (MAMR) in collaboration with Commonwealth of Learning (COL).

The criteria for the award of the certificate will be successfully completing each unit's quiz and the final assignment. 

This Certificate of Completion will be recognized as part of the conformity requirements for the proposed - The Bahamas' Good Agricultural Practices (BAHAGAP) standards.