In recent years, agricultural exports to developed country markets have emerged as a major source of export growth for many developing countries. Exploiting this potential however, poses many challenges. The capacity of developing country exporters to enter markets depends critically on their ability to meet stringent food safety standards imposed by developed countries. These standards now include the responsible use of agrochemicals, energy, water and waste, as well as social and environmental impact considerations.
In July 2005, UNCTAD completed the first phase of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) project in three selected African LDCs (Guinea, Mozambique and Tanzania). As a follow up to these activities, the Standards Trade Development Facility (STDF) provided funds to UNCTAD to design a technical assistance project in Guinea based on the findings of UNCTAD´s study on Agrifood Safety and SPS Compliance. In this context the manual "Safety and Quality of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables - A Training Manual for Trainers" was developed.
The objective of this manual is to provide uniform, broad-based scientific and practical information on the safe production, handling, storage, and transport of fresh produce. This manual:
- Provides a teaching tool to train trainers who will be conducting courses to facilitate the safe production, handling, storage and transport of horticultural exports produced in developing countries exporting to developed country markets and elsewhere;
- Serves as a resource for trainers preparing and conducting courses to assist those in the produce industry in identifying and implementing appropriate measures to minimize the risk of microbial contamination while reducing other hazards (chemical and physical) and maintaining market quality. The material in this manual should be used as a guide and not as a regulatory tool, and should be applied as required to individual fruit and vegetable operations.
Topics include:
- Introduction to food safety and quality
- Food safety of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Good agricultural practices (GAPs)
- Good manufacturing practices (GMPs)
- Principles and practices of food safety management
- Food laws and food safety regulations
- Additional Resources – include relevant reference documents and web information on issues addressed by this manual
It is hoped that improving the ability of developing countries to meet food quality and safety standards for horticulture products will facilitate greater international market access, stimulating investment and mitigating risk, leading to increased exports and an improvement in livelihoods for horticultural producers.
