GACP

GACP stands for Good Agricultural and Collection Practices. It is a framework guiding the cultivation, harvesting, and initial processing of medicinal plants to help ensure the quality, safety, and consistency of plant-based materials used in herbal medicines and related products. GACP addresses the full production chain from farm to collection site, before materials enter manufacturing or conference-level quality systems.

Key elements of GACP include site and crop management, sanitation, pest and disease control, irrigation and water quality, soil health and fertility, choice of planting material, and documentation of agricultural practices. It also covers harvesting timing and methods, post-harvest handling, drying and storage conditions, packaging, labeling, and traceability. The objective is to minimize contamination, preserve active constituents, and prevent mix-ups or adulteration, while enabling traceability of materials back to their origin.

GACP is commonly implemented alongside Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) as part of a holistic quality system for herbal medicines and plant-derived extracts. While GACP guidelines are often promoted by international bodies such as the World Health Organization, adoption and enforcement vary by country and regulatory framework. Some jurisdictions require adherence to GACP or reference it in licensing and inspection regimes; others treat it as a best-practice standard rather than a strict regulatory mandate.

In practice, GACP supports quality control by ensuring that raw plant materials entering production meet defined criteria for identity, purity, and potency, thereby reducing variability and risk in subsequent processing and finished products.