Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/53661

GLOBALGAP has been spreading worldwide since the beginning of the 2000s with the aim of ensuring the safety of agri-food systems for the benefit of all, from producers through to consumers, by large retailers. In Japan, GLOBALGAP was introduced in the late-2000s by the adoption of "Private brands" by a few large retailers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the introduction of GLOBALGAP in the agricultural marketing of Vegetables by studying the case of the Kitahibiki Agricultural Cooperative in Hokkaido, Japan. This cooperative achieved GLOBALGAP certification in 2009 with the aim of improving sales of vegetables to large retailers. This study shows that the introduction of GLOBALGAP has resulting in an increase in the amounts of vegetables labeled Tokubetsu-saibai by large retailers; however, whether this has resulted in increased prices in not clear. On the other hand, it is known that the cost of the introduction of GLOBALGAP was high.