# GRASP certification: what it means and why working conditions matter

What GRASP in GLOBALG.A.P. is, what it checks, and why working conditions at a supplier are a real buying criterion. We explain it using our own example.

GRASP is the acronym a vegetable buyer sees next to GLOBALG.A.P. and often skips over. Yet this is exactly the module that says how we treat the people who harvest and pack the goods. In this post we explain what GRASP is, what it checks, and why, for a buyer, working conditions at a supplier are not a nice extra but a real buying criterion.

## What GRASP is

GRASP stands for GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice. It is an add-on module to the GLOBALG.A.P. certificate, so only farms that already hold GLOBALG.A.P. can apply for it. The GRASP assessment goes hand in hand with the GLOBALG.A.P. audit, in a single visit by the auditor.

Put simply: GLOBALG.A.P. looks at how we grow and what ends up in the vegetable. GRASP looks at how we treat the people who work on that vegetable. We hold both, and on top of that we run the farm according to the principles of Integrated Plant Production.

## What GRASP assesses

GRASP focuses on the health, safety and well-being of workers at farm level. The auditor checks specific areas, not declarations.

| Assessment area | What it means in practice |
| --- | --- |
| Worker voice | workers have a way to raise concerns and are heard |
| Workers' rights | contracts, working hours and pay in line with the law |
| Safety and health | safe workstations, equipment and working conditions |
| Protecting young people | no child labour, protection of young workers |

One important detail: the assessment covers every form of employment, including seasonal and temporary work. In vegetable growing that matters, because the peak of work with onions is the harvest and packing season, when we need the most hands.

## Why it matters to the buyer

A vegetable buyer no longer just buys goods. The retail chains and processing plants served by our partners hold their suppliers accountable for where the raw material comes from and how it was produced. Working conditions are part of that accountability.

GRASP gives the buyer one simple thing: proof that the supply comes from a farm whose social practices have been checked by someone independent. That takes the risk off the buyer. Instead of taking it on trust, they have an audit.

{% callout tone="info" %}
Our vegetables reach market leaders such as Onix, Farm Frites and FreshPol, partners who supply the largest retail chains and processing plants in Poland and Europe. For buyers like these, GRASP and GLOBALG.A.P. are the price of entry, not a differentiator.
{% /callout %}

## GRASP and GLOBALG.A.P., how they differ

These two are easy to mix up, because they travel together. The difference is simple.

| Feature | GLOBALG.A.P. | GRASP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it covers | the way crops are grown and food safety | working conditions and workers' rights |
| Status | standalone certificate | add-on module to GLOBALG.A.P. |
| Who it protects | the consumer and the buyer | the farm worker |

One without the other makes sense, but together they give a fuller picture: a safe vegetable produced in fair conditions. That is why we keep both.

## How it looks at our farm

GRASP is not a piece of paper for the drawer. We run over 400 ha, including about 150 ha of onions, our own storage for 1300 tonnes and an automated packing line. At that scale, the season means dozens of people harvesting, sorting and packing. Without orderly working rules you cannot run it safely or consistently.

We treat certificates as part of quality, not as something next to it. How we look after quality from field to pallet is something we describe in [growing onions in Zulawy](/blog/cebula-z-zulaw-jak-uprawiamy) and in [onion storage](/blog/przechowywanie-cebuli). And how trade cooperation and delivery formats work, we write about in the post on [wholesale onions from Zulawy](/blog/cebula-hurt-dostawca).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the GRASP certificate?
It is the GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice. An add-on module to GLOBALG.A.P. that assesses working conditions, workers' rights and their safety.

### How does GRASP differ from GLOBALG.A.P.?
GLOBALG.A.P. covers the way crops are grown and food safety. GRASP covers working conditions and workers' rights. GRASP is an add-on module and requires holding GLOBALG.A.P.

### Does GRASP cover seasonal workers?
Yes. The assessment covers every form of employment, including seasonal and temporary work, which is especially important in vegetable growing.

### Does Agro-Malz have GRASP?
Yes. We hold GLOBALG.A.P. and GRASP, and we run the farm according to the principles of Integrated Plant Production.

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Looking for a vegetable supplier with a full set of certificates? Get in touch through our [contact page](/kontakt) or take a look at our [onion offer](/oferta/cebula).