GAPs Online Produce Safety Course

If you are marketing to grocery stores or institutions you may, or may not yet, have to be GAP certified in order to sell your product to them.  It is not required by USDA or state but it may be coming down the pike in the future.  If you do want to market to anyone who will then resell your product, you may want to ask if they require GAP certification.  If so this online course will be of interest to you.


Implementing Good Agricultural Practices is a 3-week web-based course offered through the National GAPs Program.  Class size is limited to 25 people on a first come, first serve basis.  Special arrangements can be made for large groups to ensure everyone is in the same class together.

Time Commitment

Once the course opens, it is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for 3 weeks so you will be able to complete the course when time permits in your schedule.  There are no required hours of participation.  There is an instructor.  The instructor may schedule office hours but you are not required to attend these hours.  You will be able to email your instructor at all times during the course and they will respond in a timely manner.  All course requirements must be completed within the 3 week window.  Do communicate any problems you are having to your instructor or to the eCornell help desk so that we can provide assistance and guidance. 

Within the three weeks you are expected to:

Complete a pre- and post test

Read all course materials

Turn in 4 assignments for evaluation

Complete 2 self-tests

Contribute to the discussion boards

Most students spend 15 to 20 hours on this course, but depending on your knowledge, more or less time may be required.  If this is more than you can manage at the moment, we hope that you will not take the course at this time, but sign up at a later date when you have the time to complete the program.

Good Agricultural Practices Online Produce Safety Course Outline

Module One: Welcome to Implementing GAPs: A Key to Produce Safety

1.0.0 Module Home Page

                1.1.0 About This Course

Module Two: Shared Responsibility in Food Safety

2.0.0 Module Home Page

                2.1.0 Reasons for Engagement                      

                2.2.0 Module Wrap-Up

Module Three: Good Agricultural Practices

3.0.0 Module Home Page

                3.1.0 Worker Training, Hygiene, and Health                

3.2.0 Water Use

                3.3.0 Postharvest Water Use

                3.4.0 Soil Amendments                     

                3.5.0 Cleaning and Sanitation

3.6.0 Traceability and Recall

                3.7.0 Crisis Management

                3.8.0 Other Important Practices

                3.9.0 Module Wrap-Up

Module Four: Implementing Change

4.0.0 Module Home Page

                4.1.0 Education and Training in Food Safety                               

                4.2.0 Building the Plan

                4.3.0 Module Wrap-Up

Module Five: Course Conclusion

5.0.0 Module Home Page

                5.1.0 Concluding Activities

Development of this course and its content has been a collaborative effort between professionals in government, academia, and industry with funding from the USDA, so we hope you enjoy the course and increase your produce food safety knowledge!

If you have any questions email eab38@cornell.edu or 315 787 2625.  If you would like to enroll, please complete the enrollment information and submit a $190 payment for the course at www.ecornell.com/gaps  (If the direct link from this letter does not work, please type it directly in as a web address)