LGMA News:
LGMA Announces Limited 2008/2009 Sign-Up for New Members
March 6 , 2008
Sacramento, California – The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) announced that is accepting sign-up forms from new signatories for the 2008/2009 fiscal year. In order to participate in the LGMA program from April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2009 handlers need to fill out their sign-up form and submit it to the LGMA office by April 1, 2008. Current members do not need to sign up again.
The LGMA represents an unprecedented commitment to food safety. Nearly 120 handlers representing over 99% of the volume of California lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens joined the organization in 2007, committing themselves to handle and sell products grown in accordance with a set of Good Agricultural Practices. Buyers of leafy green products can look to LGMA certification to see if their suppliers are members of the LGMA in good standing. In addition, both Canada and Mexico have put regulations in place allowing imports of leafy greens only from LGMA-certified companies.
Handlers who would like to join the LGMA need to verify that they meet the LGMA’s definition of a handler and also that they handle at least one of the leafy green products covered under the LGMA program.
The LGMA defines a handler as: Any person who handles, processes, ships any person who handles, processes, ships or distributes leafy green product for market whether as owner, agent, employee, broker or otherwise. This definition does not include a retailer.
Leafy green products covered by the LGMA include: arugula, baby leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, cabbage, chard, endive, escarole, green leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, kale, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach and spring mix.
Prospective members should review the LGMA’s Good Agricultural Practices, which can be found on the LGMA website. Once enrolled in the program members, and their growers, are subject to compliance audits conducted by California Department of Food and Agriculture inspectors. The goal of these audits is to verify that handlers, and their growers, are complying with the accepted Good Agricultural Practices of the LGMA.
Members of the LGMA are subject to assessments on all California grown leafy greens handled by the company during the period of April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2009.
Download the 2008/2009 Sign-up Form 