African Natural resources standardisation perspective -

Role of CFP standards in agricultural export promotion

Hermogene Nsengimana (PhD)21-25 November 2011, Windhoek,

Namibia

What do we export?

Horticulture Council of Africa (HCA)

Land area (worldmapper.org)

Territory size shows the proportion of worldwide net imports of vegetables (in US$) that are received there.

(worldmapper.org)

What do we do?

“Avoid to be standard takers but standards makers”

• Climate is on the worlds agenda• Politicians on the international arena set

targets • Politicians locally have their agendas and

ambitions• Companies feel pressure and have ambitions• Individuals want to know if their choices make

a difference

Why do we need climate declarations

Environmentalists?

Bilan CarboneFrankrike

Carbon Footprint von ProduktenTyskland

JEMAIJapan

KOECOSydkorea

UK Carbon Trust

Carbon Footprint UK

BSI PAS 2050

Carbon Disclosure

Project

PE International - Carbon Footprint

Carbon Planet

Georgia Pacific – Pew Center on Global Climate

Change

Timberland Inc.

CEPI, Confederation of European Paper

Industries

Friends of the Earth

LifeGateItaly

WBSD/WRI

NCASI

The Supply Chain Carbon Council, ESCI

Tesco - Carbon Label

ASDA

Mark & Spencer

Casino, Frankrike

Carrefour, Frankrike

Migros, Schweiz

Walkers

Cascades

Forestry Commission UK

The New Zealand Wine

Company

FoodWeekAustralia

Dole Food Company

TetrapakCarbon Reduction Institute Australia

KRAV - Svensk SigillSweden

Australia's Greenhouse

Friendly label

Carbon Labelling CO2

StarEU

Carbon Label for California

Louise Galvin

Vattenfall

Coca Cola

Cadbury’s

Danone

Granarolo

Halifax North Carolina's Carbon Footprint Project

Boots Muller Dairy Ltd

Hewlett-Packard

Dell

Lóreal

Unilever

International EPD®programme

There is a manifold of brands, labels, declarations

• Climate change declaration on • Milk• Electricity• Clay bricks• ………….

Emissions in the different stages, cradle to gate gate to gate, gate to grave, as CO2-eq.

Contact persons and company informationand where to get the complete environmental information

Independent verification and other formal information

Information about the product

Information about the company

Information about the LCA and climate declaration

Information

How can climate declaration be used

• Environmental issues are complex• The interest to act responsibly is spreading• The complete environmental information is

too much for most consumer and even professional actors

• Climate declaration could be door openers for many to – later appreciate the full environmental information

• Climate is a big issue• International agreements are needed around

worldwide issues• We need information to help us do the right

things• Standard body

• provide tools to describe and compare alternative solutions

• help to keep the market open and fair

Carbon Footprints as a key

All companies need…• To earn money now and in the future• Understand its products and markets• Keep customers and survive long term• Be trusted by investor, authorities and

banks

What African stake• Standards… a passport to international trade

– At private sector…no debate on ‘whether or not to comply’

• No Standards, No Trade• Debate on Compliance Attestation(certification), both for

‘official control systems’ and ‘private labels’

• In Developing Countries:• A synergy between private sector ‘self regulation’

standards and ‘official control’ systems• Benchmarking to international market standards• Africa/private sector representation in standard setting

process

Climate Change and Fresh Produce

• Food miles – 2006-07: start of the debate– ‘airplane labeling’ in some UK supermarkets

• Why food only, actually only fresh produce?• Why the transport aspect only?, production emissions,

whole value chain approach?• Africa’s response ‘GROWN UNDER THE SUN’

CFP- EAC trials

• Trials on greenhouse roses– Kenya/ Europe

• Trials on Kenyan green beans• Experiences:

– Seasonal variations– Farm-to-farm differences– Subjectivity issues

• The Need for Standardization– Welcome the process of Developing ISO

14067

‘protectionism’.

‘Grow local, buy local, eat local’.

‘Y Tir’ – the newspaper of the Farmers Union of Wales, November 2005.

…standard body behind… “In a time of globalization, it becomes more clear how

important it is with a strong national or regional profile. We notice that the consumers are becoming more interested in

locally-produced products”

Jacqueline Forster Zigerley, Biosuisse

“A carbon label will put the power in the hands of consumers to choose how they want to be green ” Tom Delay, Carbon Trust, UK

Developing countries

• Our reality:– Small scale production -70% of total production

• Minimal or no mechanization – low emissions• No need to heat up growing environments , all year

production• Dependency on international trade for livelihoods• Low Per Capita Emissions

Information about the total amount of GHGs emitted during the life cycle of a good or service

Grams CO2-eq. per unit of product

Display of this information on packaging and websites – with other CC information

Different from measurement of emissions “at source”

Different from corporate and project level assessments

Indicators of impacts on the climate, not necessary good indicators of wider environmental and social issues

What is a product carbon footprint (PCF)?

Dominant method for calculating the sum of GHG emissions from activities along the entire life cycle of a product

From “Cradle-to-grave” or “Farm-to-fork” or “Field-to-Wheel”

PCF activities engages all value chain actors – in terms of data provision and GHG reduction efforts

Precise boundary of the GHG calculation in not clearly specified

No discrimination against products transported over long distance, some ignore short-distant transport

The CFP Framework: Life-Cycle Analysis (LFA)

Source: www.zespri.com

21

CFP- EAC trials

• Trials on greenhouse roses– Kenya/ Europe

• Trials on Kenyan green beans• Experiences:

– Seasonal variations– Farm-to-farm differences– Subjectivity issues

• The Need for Standardization– Welcome the process of Developing ISO 14067

Standards for Climate change and Trade

• Standard… a BIG YES– A standardized way to measure compliance

• Current view from Africa…food miles/buy local is protectionist

– What if it was ‘buy local’ for everything?

• BUT… a real risk of a Trade BarrierBe part of the development of standards

ConclusionDon’t sit, act now

We can all actand with correct information it is easier to make good

choices

Take advantage and participate in the standard process

Thank You