Recent changes in the agrifood sector have fuelled the use of private food standards. These standards are voluntary and generally serve as a risk management tool.

This paper presents an analysis of the relationship between private food standards and trade. Specifically, we analyse the effect of certification to GlobalGAP on EU15 imports of fresh fruits and vegetables at product level using a gravity-type model with fixed effects. We find that certification to GlobalGAP has a positive effect on both the extensive and the intensive margin of trade.