Standards and agro-food exports from developing countries : rebalancing the debate / Spencer Henson, Steven Jaffee.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Henson, Spencer, author.

Jaffee, Steven, author.

Series:

Policy research working papers (Online) ; 3348.

Policy research working papers (Online) ; 3348

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Food industry and trade--Safety measures.

Food industry and trade.

Food--Safety measures.

Food.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (43 pages).

Other Title:

Standards and Agro-Food Exports from Developing Countries

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : World Bank, 2004.

Summary:

The proliferation and increased stringency of food safety and agricultural health standards is a source of concern among many developing countries. These standards are perceived as a barrier to the continued success of their exports of high-value agro-food products (including fish, horticultural, and other products), either because these countries lack the technical and administrative capacities needed for compliance or because these standards can be applied in a discriminatory or protectionist manner. Jaffee and Henson draw on available literature and work in progress to examine the underlying evidence related to the changing standards environment and its impact on existing and potential developing country exporters of high-value agricultural and food products. The evidence the authors present, while only partial, suggests that the picture for developing countries as a whole is not necessarily problematic and certainly less pessimistic than the mainstream "standards-as-barriers" perspective. Indeed, rising standards serve to accentuate underlying supply chain strengths and weaknesses and thus impact differently on the competitive position of individual countries and distinct market participants. Some countries and industries are even using high quality and safety standards to successfully (re- )position themselves in competitive global markets. This emphasizes the importance of considering the effects of food safety and agricultural health measures within the context of wider capacity constraints and underlying supply chain trends and drivers. The key question for developing countries is how to exploit their strengths and overcome their weaknesses such that they are gainers rather than losers in the emerging commercial and regulatory context. This paper--a product of the International Trade Department, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network--is part of a larger effort in the network to understand the challenges and opportunities facing developing countries associated with evolving international standards for food and other products.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Publisher Number:

10.1596/1813-9450-3348