Member Companies

For Companies: Assurance

GAP Connections gives purchasing companies a transparent set of accepted producer standards and an assurance of quality. Documentation, education, and provided resources promote industry-wide collaboration in the production of the highest quality, agricultural product and enable purchasing companies to be confident that they are working with the best using good agricultural practices. This united effort maximizes the rate of producer compliance and eases your individual burden by providing reassurance to consumers, stakeholders, and regulators of the consistent quality of your suppliers.

GAPC Company Members receive:

• License to use the GAPC Proud Supporting Member Logo and approved claims after approval, acknowledgment of the GAPC Claims and Logo Use Policy, and completion of the GAPC Logo License Agreement.
• A voice in the development and maintenance of a transparent set of accepted producer standards in crop, environment, and labor management reviewed and vetted by content experts.
• Access to continuous support, in-person and virtual training, and resources including guides, templates, and posters to help your supply chain achieve sustainability and compliance goals.
• Access to an easier and more efficient method and platform for growers to provide real-time data to your company and for your company to access real-time data on your suppliers who have completed a data release through the GAPC Grower System®.
• Access to the Worker Concern Helpline and worker concern resolution process, a confidential, bicultural channel for farmworkers to obtain information about workplace compliance issues, report instances of suspected noncompliance, and seek resolution.
• Partnerships with critical stakeholders such as regulatory agencies and departments, labor and environmental NGOs, and grower interest organizations that allow for open discussion of issues and challenges and provide your supply chain with information and resources to help them be compliant and progressive operations.
• An entry point for growers in your supply chain to participate in the GAPC Certification Program, a comprehensive, and transparent tool to verify compliance with best practice implementation through a third-party verification, improvement, and remediation process.

Company (Regular) Member Qualifications

Any organization that contracts with growers to purchase agricultural products used to produce consumable products shall be eligible for membership as a “Regular Member” of GAP Connections. Each Regular Member will designate a representative to the Board of Directors. Representatives must be selected from among the principal officers, owners, or employees of the Regular Members whom they represent.

Non-Contract Member Qualifications

Any organization that procures agricultural products by means other than directly contracting with growers in order to further process the agricultural product and/or manufacture consumable products that contain the agricultural product as a significant ingredient and is aligned with the Corporation's policies and purpose shall be eligible for membership as a "Non-contracting  Member" of the Corporation. Each Non-contracting  Member will designate in writing to the President of the Corporation the name of that Non-contracting  Member's representative to the Corporation and the name of that Non-contracting Member's alternate representatives, if any.  One elected representative from the Non-contracting Membership will serve on the GAP Connections' Board.

Current Company Members

Alliance One International . Altria . American Snuff . Burley Stabilization Corporation (BSC) . China Tobacco International (North America) Inc. (CTI) . Gallatin Redrying and Storage Co. . Hail and Cotton International Group . John Middleton . Japan Tobacco International (JTI) . Philip Morris USA . Pyxus . R.J. Reynolds (RJR) . Sante Fe . Swisher International . United Tobacco Company . Universal Leaf .  U.S. Smokeless Tobacco . U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Inc.

For more information about becoming a company member, contact:

Office: (865) 622-4606
Email: info@gapconnections.com