Belize Experience: Third Party Certification

Delilah A. Cabb Ayala B.Sc. M.Sc. Coordinator Belize Agricultural Health Authority

WTO Thematic SPS Workshop on Control, Inspection and Approval Procedures, Geneva, Switzerland, 9-10 July 2018

Outline Background Experience of the Private

Sector Summary New Work

Belize

WTO Thematic SPS Workshop on Control, Inspection and Approval Procedures

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Population: 387, 879 (2017) Area: 8,867 sq. miles or Approximately 23,000 sq. km (22,966 km2) Official language: English Agricultural based economy with fisheries being very important along with the growing tourism sector.

Background

Belize Agricultural Health Authority (Chapter 211 of 2011)

Belize Bureau of Standards (chapter 295 of 2011)

Functions: food safety among others:

Standardization

Risk analysis Accreditation

Surveillance Metrology

diagnostics Labelling & consumer protection

Import regulation

Export Certification Ministry of Health (Chapter 40) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)

Human health

Background

Statutory Instrument No. 54 of 2004 (Inspection – Foreign) Channel of communication Evaluation (what to expect) Timeframe Report Annex

Conditions of importation Negotiation process with competent authority

Belize experience: Third Party Certification

Exports from Belize

Source of information: https://caribbeanbiosafety.org/about-the-project/

To the USA To EU Member States To the Caribbean

Papayas: Phytosanitary certification – PH; Food safety – 3rd Party Certification eg. Primus Labs Hot pepper sauce: -HACCP certification; -FSMA (audits from Japanese buyers; FDA)

Shrimp: Certification: • veterinary & food

safety services • annual monitoring plan

(micro. & residues) • buyers 3rd party

certification requirements;

• (audits by FDA, buyers and customers)

Shrimp: Certification: • veterinary &

food safety services;

• Citrus juices • ISO 9001:2015 &

ISO 14001 (buyer is Coca Cola & Nestle)

Belize Experience: Third Party Certification & Audits shrimp Citrus concentrate

Citrus pulp Animal feed

Requirements

British Retail Consortium; Best Aquaculture Practices; Aquaculture Stewardship Council; Ethical Trading Initiative; Marks and Spencer - buyer TESCO - buyer

ISO 9001:2015 (QMS); ISO 14001:2015 (EMS); ISO 22000 (HACCP); British Retail consortium; Nestle – buyer Coco-Cola - buyer

Annual audits to retain certification and market access; -disease control; -residues (pesticides, antibiotics); -contaminants etc.

6 audits/annum 6 audits/annum

Summary

Requirements - more stringent/changing annually Transparency; harmonization; scientific justification; ALOP;

Communication – address concerns auditor & exporting company

Fees borne by the exporting company

Timeframes – report – within 28 days/audit

Summary

The Impact of Third Party Certification – certified companies Easier to access new markets Have less resilience to sustain shocks (disease outbreaks or

accessibility to inputs); High cost of production: investment (compliance), inputs &

numerous certifications (expansion of markets) at the national level

Dual certification system – product/destination; Loss of market access for a few companies (papayas)

New Work ?

Work in CCFICS – working document “Guidance for Competent Authorities to Assess third Party Assurance and its potential to inform National Food Control System (NFCS) Planning

Relationship between this guidance document & Article 13 of the SPS Agreement;

New Work?

Can developing countries (resource constraint/vulnerable economies) benefit from the use of TPA – without marginalizing their competent authorities?

Which proposed models would allow both to co-exist – collaboration/complimentary?

Questions?