Standards and Agriculture Trade: Principals and Practice

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The growth of the agri-food trade over the last three decades has provided many opportunities to raise incomes, generate employment and reduce poverty in many developing economies. However, as regulation of the trade has increased, standards and technical requirements related to food safety, agriculture, health and sustainability have become increasingly burdensome to exporters in developing economies, leading to the exclusion of many exporters from international trade. As trade liberalization has progressed, the costs associated with compliance to standards are having a significant impact on export competitiveness. Although standards provide transparent criteria for market entry and reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses, the relative growth of private standards introduces greater challenges as they become a tool of a competitive strategy based on product differentiation, and a means to extend the sustainability agenda. In order to benefit from trade and to generate sustainable inclusive growth, developing country governments and exporters must adopt a strategic approach and develop partnerships to navigate the global standards landscape effectively.

This e-learning course examines the challenges and opportunities for developing economies associated with trading in a rapidly evolving and complex global landscape of technical regulations and standards. The course aims to:

• Increase awareness and dialogue among policymakers and representatives of regulatory/technical agencies, the private sector, NGOs, and other stakeholders regarding the challenges and opportunities posed by the proliferation of standards accompanying the agri-food trade.
• Offer analytical frameworks and practical evidence of strategic options available to governments and exporters in developing economies to respond to standards and to build effective food safety and agriculture health management systems in the face of multiple deficiencies and limited resources.