Ms. Morag WEBB, COLEACP-PIP
Award on the theme of Standards and Conformity, for the programme "Supporting compliance within the ACP Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Sector"
The global objective of COLEACP-PIP is to strengthen the competitiveness of ACP horticultural export companies and, in particular, small and medium-scale growers. The specific objective is to ensure compliance of their exports with the demands of EU markets in terms of the official controls (food safety and traceability regulations), and commercial requirements (private voluntary standards).
Major changes have been made to EU food safety and traceability regulations in recent years that could potentially have created market access barriers for ACP suppliers. At the same time suppliers are facing increasingly strigent (and costly) demands from their buyers that often go further than the official controls.
Since 2001 the programme has supported ACP producers and exporters as well as local public and private sector organizations that service the export sector. So far we have been working in 23 ACP countries and with around 250 export companies. Together these companies supply over 80% of fresh fruit and vegetables imported into the EU (excluding citrus and banana). The philosophy has been to help each exporter install and maintain sustainable and durable risk managements systems including: a food safety system, traceability, integrated pest management, and an in-house long-term training programme.
The COLEACP-PIP only works with companies after they make an application for support. The first step is to conduct a needs assessment by an independent consultant, which leads to the development of a joint PIP-company action plan. The subsequent activities include participation in collective training events with other exporters (allowing for better use of resources) as well as actions tailored to the specific needs of the company . These actions take place over time (generally 2 or more years) and the aim is to achieve a change in company mindset and behaviour by installing and implementing the risk management systems mentioned above. The end result is to ensure compliance of export produce with EU requirements. The final step, if requested by the company, is to support them to demonstrate compliance through certification.
This is a private sector support project implemented by a private sector association, but financed by public funds. Operating in this way at the public-private interface presented managerial challenges. The programme has demonstrated that with external support, SMEs and smallholder growers can achieve compliance with regulatory and market demands, from MRLs and traceability to the most stringent PVS. However, the problem of maintaining PVS certification, in the face of high recurrent costs, remains.
PIP is top-down. It does not focus exclusively on pro-poor, but on strengthening the sector as a whole. This is a more effective and relevant approach for the sector. PIP focuses on the private sector, and is led by a private sector organisation (COLEACP). The fact that COLEACP already had a long-standing relationship of trust with the ACP export sector was important. Also the design and implementation was led by a team made up predominantly of individuals from the industry, and with an understanding of the problematic. The main focus of support is on the supply chain. However, for sustainability ACP suppliers need affordable and high quality local service providers, rather than having to depend on high-cost international experts. PIP developed local service providers and then contracted them to implement the programme. International expertise was thus substituted over time by local expertise- this approach was unique, but very effective.
