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Commission of the European Communities (2008) Green Paper on agricultural product quality:product standards, farming requirements and quality schemes
Paper,
Commission of European Communities
Document:
eu_greenpaper_en_quality.pdf
Abstract
As globalisation spreads, products from emerging countries with low production costs are putting greater pressure on EU farmers. There is growing competition for both agricultural commodities and value-added products. Faced with these new commercial challenges, the EU farmers’ most potent weapon is ‘quality’. The EU has an advantage on quality given the very high level of safety ensured across the food chain by EU legislation in which farmers, and producers more globally, have invested. However, there are more aspects which can reinforce quality in the more global sense of the term. Quality is about meeting consumer expectations. The agricultural product qualities addressed in this Green Paper are the product characteristics, such as farming methods used place of farming, etc., that a farmer wants to be better known and a consumer wants to know. Quality is an issue for every farmer and every buyer, whether they are dealing with commodities produced to baseline standards or with the high-end quality products in which Europe excels.
This Green Paper is without prejudice to issues of quality linked to food safety which are already covered by other Commission actions such as nutritional labelling, animal welfare,etc.
Keywords: production requirements, marketing standards, specific EU quality schemes, certification schemes
Relevance to our study:
This green paper did set out the framework for consulation on food quality issues and various consultations which have now resulted in a communication from the Commision (COM/234/2009).
It provides a good overview of quality and certification schemes in a European context.
Relevancy on a scale from 1 to 5 = 4
Review status: Finished
Review started on 2009–04–03
Reviewed by Jane Vine and Susanne Padel?
Comments:
