Global Agro-food Trade And Standards

Standards are replacing tariffs as the main trade barriers facing developing country agro-food exports. This edited collection examines the challenges and opportunities that new public and private standards present to African countries, producers and exporters. The empirical focus is on food safety, environmental and climate change, and social and labour standards -- and how they are implemented on the ground.

Findings derive from a series of fieldwork-based studies carried out jointly by a group of researchers based in East Africa and Denmark under a collaborative research and capacity building programme. Key questions addressed in the book are: To what extent are agro-food standards and standard-setting processes changing?

In what ways are these standards being practically implemented? Have enterprises in African countries achieved conformity with these standards? What barriers have they overcome to do so, and with what costs and benefits?