Renthia Kaimbi
Namibia’s plan to make GLOBALG.A.P. certification compulsory for all horticultural exports by 2027 is facing financial, operational and structural challenges, according to a new report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
The report, released in April 2026, examined countries that have integrated voluntary sustainability standards into export promotion systems.
Researchers said Namibia’s partnership with GLOBALG.A.P. shows progress but warned that the Namibian Agronomic Board is facing several difficulties as it expands the programme.
One of the main concerns raised in the report is NAB’s dual role as both trainer and regulator.
The board helps farmers comply with GLOBALG.A.P.’s Primary Farm Assurance standard while also monitoring compliance.
Researchers said this creates concerns about possible conflicts of interest and has affected the board’s ability to expand services.
The report said financial and logistical problems have added pressure.
The Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) operates through a levy-funded budget, which limits the number of farmers it can support each year.
Researchers said nationwide training and farm assessments remain expensive, while many farmers continue to struggle with documentation and record-keeping needed for compliance.
Laboratory testing was also identified as a major challenge.
The report said testing chemicals and materials is expensive because of low testing volumes, making compliance verification costly for producers.
Researchers said these are important issues NAB must address as GLOBALG.A.P. practices expand across the horticulture sector.
The report also noted that GLOBALG.A.P. itself has limited operational capacity to support implementation in Namibia and neighbouring countries.
Researchers warned this could leave NAB with limited external support.
Despite the challenges, the report highlighted progress made since NAB and GLOBALG.A.P. signed a five-year service-level agreement in 2021.
The partnership has trained more than 45 experts in GLOBALG.A.P. standards and certification processes.
Earlier this year, NAB became the first organisation in the world to roll out the full GLOBALG.A.P. Primary Farm Assurance training programme.
The collaboration also established a National Technical Working Group that develops Namibia-specific guidelines covering issues such as pesticide use and worker welfare.
NAB’s oversight now covers more than 87 horticultural products, including apples, bananas, watermelons and table grapes.
The report said the levy system has helped NAB cover training costs, mentorship and producer support services.
Farmers currently do not pay for certification, farm registration or inspector deployment.
Researchers described the system as a way of reducing financial barriers for small-scale farmers.
The report also identified strong government leadership and coordination among stakeholders as important factors supporting the programme.
It said formal agreements and cooperation between government, industry and producers have helped guide implementation.
Researchers added that establishing NAB as a national verification body has helped reduce costs for farmers and simplified audit processes.
NAB also plans to expand GLOBALG.A.P.-aligned support into the grain sector.
Researchers warned that the integration process still requires monitoring, especially once compliance becomes mandatory for exports, imports and transit of horticultural products.
The report said Namibia’s main motivation for introducing the system is to improve food safety and quality for both exports and local consumption.
Researchers added that rising sustainability requirements in European export markets have also influenced Namibia’s approach.
The report concluded that introducing sustainability standards alone will not guarantee success.
“Simply having a strategy is insufficient. Governments, standard-setting bodies and sectoral associations must proactively engage to ensure tangible outcomes,” the report stated.
