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Enhancing Trade Through Quality Standards | Asian Seminar on Safe Food

Explore commercial quality standards for agricultural produce at the Asian seminar in New Delhi. Learn about UN Economic Commission for Europe standards and their role in international trade.

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Enhancing Trade Through Quality Standards | Asian Seminar on Safe Food

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  1. Overview of commercial quality standards for agricultural produce Asian seminar for on safe and high quality food New Delhi, 4 – 5 April 2002 Tom Heilandt Agricultural Standards Unit, UNECE Trade Division

  2. Outline • The need for harmonization: History, goals and role of commercial quality standards. • Aspects of quality • UNECE Agricultural Standards • A forum for the development of standards • Application of standards • The future of quality standards • Questions, discussion

  3. Situation in the ECE region in 1949 • Countries use national quality standards to regulate trade within their borders • Producers market • Growing interest in international trade • Existing national regulations become barriers to international trade

  4. Harmonization of national standards • 1949 The Working Party on Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development takes up its work at UNECE in Geneva • 1954 The Geneva Protocol and Standard Layout are adopted

  5. Why UNECE Standards? • To facilitate fair international trade • To encourage high quality production • To improve producers’ profitability • To protect consumers’ interests

  6. Role of UNECE standards • To define a common international trading language • To fill the gap between food safety regulations and marketing • To define commercial quality for foodstuffs

  7. Food safety (human, animal and plant health) ESSENTIAL QUALITY Environmental aspects of production Nutritional value

  8. External Cleanliness Color Freshness Shape Presentation Packing… COMMERCIAL QUALITY Internal Taste Maturity…

  9. Commercial quality • Commercial quality is a set of parameters describing internal and external characteristics of the produce, which are necessary to ensure transparency in trade. • Commercial quality lies between essential qualities like food safety or nutrition and marketing claims

  10. UNECE Standard Layout • Definition of produce • Minimum requirements • Maturity requirements • Classification (Extra, class I, class II) • Sizing provisions • Tolerances (quality, size) • Presentation (uniformity, packaging) • Marking • Annexes: Definitions, Lists of varieties, Testing and Sampling procedures, Definitions

  11. Dry and dried Fruit (17) Fresh fruit and vegetables (46) Meat (3) UNECE Agricultural Standards Cut flowers (8) Potatoes (3) Eggs and egg products (5)

  12. Principles for the Development of the Standards • Encourage all relevant parties (buyers, sellers, retailers, producers, consumers etc.) to participate • Define commercial quality in a way that is acceptable to all participants • Avoid building technical barriers to trade • Encourage widespread use of the standards

  13. Working procedures for the UNECE meetings • All UN and UNECE member countries can participate with the same rights • International organisations give input and use the standards • International producer, retailer, import/export or consumer organisations are welcome to cooperate and give advice • Decisions are taken on a consensus basis

  14. ECOSOC Economic Commission for Europe Organizational Structure Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development Working Party on Standardisation of Perishable Produce and Quality Development Specialized Section on Standardization of Seed Potatoes Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Dry and Dried Fruit Early and Ware Potatoes Meat

  15. Participation (1999/2000) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, European Community

  16. Application of UNECE Standards UNECE Standard Government European Commission Codex Alimentarius OECD Scheme National Standard Commission Regulation Codex Standard Explanatory Brochure

  17. ECE - Geneva ESCWA - Beirut ECA - Addis-Abeba ESCAP - Bangkok ECLAC - Santiago Promoting application of standards through cooperation of the Regional Commissions

  18. The situation 2002 • Consumers market - Consumers preoccupied with quality and safety • Complex international supply chains • Big retailers operate globally • Many more countries enter the international markets • Trade creates their own strict standards

  19. The future of quality standards • Private and public standard setting bodies work together, complementing each other • Definition of parameters and values for internal quality of produce • Codify standards to be used in electronic commerce • Develop training packages to assist countries in the implementation of standards

  20. Example: Bovine Coding (01) 91234567890121 - Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) (3102) 000376 - Net Weight, kilograms (7002) 15111110205142111 - UN/ECE Meat Carcasses and Cuts Code (13) 001231 - Slaughter/Packaging Date (10) 123ABC - Batch Number

  21. UN/ECE standards and meeting information on the internet • Http://www.unece.org/trade/agr/welcome.htm

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