This publication analyzes the use of voluntary standards and certification schemes in the food markets of the United States and Canada. With its large population and its high individual purchasing power, North America provides considerable opportunities for exports of valueamp;#8209;added...

Farmers are interested in sustainability and markets are interested as well, so how do the two link? While supply chains are indeed developing to facilitate the necessary linkages, civil society organizations serve as a useful component to help ensure farmer adoption in the field and a measure...

This teaching tool provides a basic understanding of food quality issues in developing countries and introduces the reader to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and other dominant methodologies for improving food quality. Quality has long been a factor in the success of food trade...

An overview of the fundamental issues in the production, trade and regulation of organic products. It notes the changing consumer and trade environments that are driving organics beyond the realm of niche products toward an increasingly relevant position among other important agricultural...

Vietnam's meteoric rise to become one of the world's largest coffee producers in world-record time has been matched by equally fast changes in policies and market structure. It has moved from a planned economy to a much more open market orientation and become one of Asia's fastest-growing...

More than 50 nations, almost all in the developing world, produce and export coffee, one of the world's most valuable traded commodities. Some of these countries are dependent on coffee exports for a very significant portion of their international trade and export income. Between 17 and 20...

The markets for agri-food products are changing at a pace that is unparalleled in modern history. Markets are increasingly open and also increasingly homogenized toward international tastes and requirements for levels of quality, packaging, safety, and even process attributes such as socially or...

Information is the lifeblood of most market economies. Nevertheless, attempts to jump start information flow by creating Market Information Services for food and agriculture usually fail. The author distills experiences and lessons from other studies and individual experts in the field on the...

although trade promotion organizations (TPOs) can be a cost-effective tool for developing trade and exports, their usefulness varies significantly from country to country. The author reviews the principles of establishing and structuring successful TPOs, clarifies their roles and defines their...