Alex F. Favila - UNCTAD Research - 2004

UNCTAD

Sub-Regional Workshop on
Environmental requirements, market access/entry and export
competitiveness in the Horticultural Sector
Bangkok, 29 September – 1 October 2004
International Institute for Trade and Development (ITD)

Country Case Study on Environmental Requirements, Market
Access/Entry and Export Competitiveness for Horticultural Products
from

PHILIPPINES

Project on Building Capacity for Improved Policy Making and Negotiation on Key Trade and
Environment Issues

The Philippines—a National Case Study on
Capacity Building: Enhancing the
Competitiveness of Horticultural Exports
through Compliance with International
Environment and Health Standards

A study conducted for the UNCTAD

Alex F. Favila
Manila, Philippines
13 August 2004

Contents
THE PHILIPPINE HORTICULTURE INDUSTRY ................................................................................ 3
IDENTIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS IN EXPORT
MARKETS.................................................................................................................................................... 5
EUROPEAN UNION ....................................................................................................................................... 5
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ....................................................................................................................... 7
JAPAN ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
AWARENESS ON THE ISSUES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT10
HORTINET ...............................................................................................................................................11
CURRENT ADJUSTMENT APPROACH ...............................................................................................12
ELEMENTS OF A PRO-ACTIVE APPROACH AND THE NEED FOR INSTITUTIONAL
CAPACITY BUILDING.............................................................................................................................16

Page 2 of 17

Philippine horticultural exports collectively increased 10.23% in 2003 from the
previous year, contributing USD 670.1 million to the nation’s GDP1. In order to maintain
growth, we must recognize that enhancing the competitiveness of exports is critical to the
development of a nation’s economy. In the Philippines, much effort has been invested
into creating, devising, or uncovering innovative means to pave access for Philippine
produce into the key export markets. But non-tariff barriers in terms of environmental
and health requirements and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures serve as
necessary impediments to exports. As these requirements require more resources,
tangible and quantifiable or otherwise, expended onto production, they also ensure a
certified level of quality, and they strengthen competitiveness in the long-term. This
research therefore seeks to resolve how international environmental and health
requirements actually smoothen and strengthen the entry of Philippine horticultural
products in the international export markets.

Industrialization has been in constant growth and development around the world, and as
such, the demand for natural resources has grown correspondingly great. Consequently
however, these needs have led to the inevitable production of wastes, emissions, and
other harmful bi-products of industrial innovation—all of which are hazardous or
threatening to the environment. Clearly therefore, these have to be addressed urgently
and effectively.

This is why in recent years, environmental advocates the world-over cannot over-
emphasize the need to achieve sustainable development:

“Sustainable development is a process of change in which exploitation of
resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological
development, and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both
current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations. In other
words: sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the
present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs2.”

And cognizant which such concerns, which are global in scope and reach, is that world
institutions such as the World Trade Organization and other regional trade associations
across the globe, have underscored the need to include the environment as an important
issue in international trade. We can witness such execution through the following. First,
through environmental legislation, policies have been formalized and institutionalized to
effectively consider pre- and/or post-environmental effects of international trade
transactions. And second, we can increasingly see that such policies are enacted through
market forces such as environmental labels and management systems3.

The Philippine Horticulture Industry

From the period 1999 up until 2003, horticultural exports from the Philippines comprised
only 1.69% of total exports on average, and majority of it subsequently is that of fruits,
which was 1.60% of total exports on average. The USD value or the free-on-board

1
Tradeline Philippines. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Republic of
the Philippines. 2004.
2
Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, www.cbi.nl,
2002.
3
Ibid.

Page 3 of 17

(FOB) value of the exports of fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, and cutflowers
increased 7.53% year-on-year (yoy) on average in the same period.

USD Value 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Processed Fruits 179,063,128 201,377,463 219,893,735 205,953,521 231,467,763
Processed Vegetables 4,302,220 3,547,692 3,587,283 4,749,102 5,461,763
Fresh Fruits 297,467,653 354,143,351 357,206,957 371,145,823 403,687,199
Fresh Vegetables 21,525,998 23,668,895 21,915,120 23,119,147 27,158,333
Cutflowers/Ornamental Plants 1,986,352 1,849,859 1,797,727 2,906,915 2,299,536
Horticulture: Sum 504,345,351 584,587,260 604,400,822 607,874,508 670,074,594
Source: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Republic of the Philippines

% of Total Exports 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 AVE
Processed Fruits 0.51% 0.53% 0.68% 0.58% 0.64% 0.59%
Processed Vegetables 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.02% 0.01%
Fresh Fruits 0.85% 0.93% 1.11% 1.05% 1.11% 1.01%
Fresh Vegetables 0.07% 0.07% 0.07% 0.07% 0.07% 0.07%
Cutflowers/Ornamental Plants 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Horticulture: Sum 1.45% 1.55% 1.88% 1.72% 1.85% 1.69%

Growth Rate YoY 2000 2001 2002 2003 AVE
Processed Fruits 12.46% 9.19% -6.34% 12.39% 6.93%
Processed Vegetables -17.54% 1.12% 32.39% 15.01% 7.74%
Fresh Fruits 19.05% 0.87% 3.90% 8.77% 8.15%
Fresh Vegetables 9.95% -7.41% 5.49% 17.47% 6.38%
Cutflowers/Ornamental Plants -6.87% -2.82% 61.70% -20.89% 7.78%
Horticulture: Sum 15.91% 3.39% 0.57% 10.23% 7.53%

Moving onward with the above data, beginning with fruits, processed and fresh fruits
combined constitute a majority of horticultural exports, accounting for 94% of total
horticulture exports on average for the period under analysis. Total fruit exports has also
been growing at an average rate of 15.07% in the same time period.

Fresh Fruits Processed Fruits
450 1.20%
250 0.80%
Millions
Millions

400 0.70%
1.00% 200 0.60%
350
300 0.80%
150 0.50%
250 0.40%
0.60%
200 100 0.30%
150 0.40%
0.20%
100 50
0.20% 0.10%
50
0 0.00% 0 0.00%
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
USD Value % of Total Exports USD Value % of Total Exports

Exports of processed and fresh vegetables together has stayed around 5% as a percentage
of total horticultural exports, and, certainly worthy of note, grew from a contraction of -
7.58% yoy in 1999 to an acceleration of 32.48% yoy in 2003. On average for the past
five years, total vegetables exports has grown 14.12%.

Page 4 of 17

Fresh Vegetables
Processed Vegetables
30 0.08%
6 0.03%
Millions

Millions
0.07%
25 5 0.02%
0.06%
20 4
0.05% 0.02%
15 0.04% 3
z 0.01%
0.03%
10 2
0.02%
0.01%
5 1
0.01%

0 0.00% 0 0.00%
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
USD Value % of Total Exports USD Value % of Total Exports

Exports of cutflowers and ornamental plants has posted volatile performance, though it
has grown 7.78% on average for the period 1999 to 2003. This segment has remained
below 1% of total horticultural exports.

Cutflowers/Ornamental Plants
3,500 0.01%
Thousands

3,000 0.01%
2,500
0.01%
2,000
0.01%
1,500
0.00%
1,000
500 0.00%

0 0.00%
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

USD Value % of Total Exports

Identification of Environmental and Health Requirements in Export Markets

European Union

The European Union, now with 25 member states, has taken into effect legislation that
aims to reduce the negative environmental impact of products. This is called
environmental legislation. Obviously, this kind of policy-making is importantly
considered by exporters to the EU, since environmental legislation is mandatory and
applicable to all products traded with or within its borders.

Alongside environmental legislation for products, standards are also being implemented
to take processes into consideration—subsequently termed as process legislation. Since
environmental impact was always being assessed in the level of the end-product, there
has been increased awareness for the need to consider every environmental impact across
the entire production chain. To illustrate, restrictions are employed on the amounts of
industrial waste and air pollution caused by production. European importers are
authorized to impose these EU-process legislations as binding standards to their overseas
supplier. Tangentially, such restrictions encourage the use of process optimization,
where alternative techniques are employed, and the use hazardous substances are
reduced. It goes without saying that cleaner production is indirectly related to cleaner

Page 5 of 17

products, specifically since requirements in the end-product level can sometimes only be
met through changes in the production process4.

Other requirements, such as environmental labels, codes of conduct, and management
systems, have a direct impact on cleaner production measures. But these are not
compulsory, and they often necessitate higher investment, financial-monetary or
otherwise. These are recognized as voluntary because these are instruments used as a
response to market incentives rather than to public regulation. For example, business
partners, i.e. the importer, may require these instruments in view of rising and/or
changing market demands. The supplier or exporter therefore sees these interests as
incentives for compliance. In recent time however, there has been growing importance to
adopt environmental labels, which were initially voluntary, as actual market
requirements. Well-known examples are EKO (label for organic food) and ISO 14000 (a
management system for continuous environmental improvement)5.

Now, many companies, which began with product development, undertake mounting
efforts toward ecodesign, or environmentally sound product design. Here, the entire life
cycle of the product is considered, and the reduction of negative environmental effects is
achieved across the full production chain6.

Parallel to environmental policies, consumer health and safety issues have become more
and more important in international trade. Authorities, consumers, and industries within
the Union can be extremely sensitive to any negative impact a product may have during
or after its use. Such issues become significantly relevant for those in the food sector,
since, crises involving contaminated food or similar catastrophes are brought to public
attention. Though legislative action may help, industries and producers themselves wish
to address these potential dangers to ensure long-term public confidence in their produce.
Many standards set prohibitive limits with regard to chemical use, and many others
prescribe information about product conditions and processes through labels, e.g. GMO
information. These kinds of marketing tools are often considered as “passports” for entry
into the EU markets.

Very noteworthy—food industries themselves initiate programmes or codes to become
more transparent in order to increase their capacity of certifying their products are safe
and healthy. Retailers respond to negative public opinion on their products with standards
on farm production, called the EUREPGAP standard, and the processing of food, the
BRC standard. These standards merge environmental with health and safety standards (in
fact, EUREPGAP even sets social standards). These standards are gaining ground
worldwide, also because the European retailers who demand them are gaining influence7.

In 1999, the Euro-Reatiler Produce Working Group or EUREPGAP was conceived and
developed by leading European retailers to address the concerns of its members and
certainly those of its customers. The key objective of this standard was the development
of a framework for Good Agricultural Practice or GAP, in order to increase food safety
by promoting sound agricultural practice mainly based on international standards.
Compliant producers will adopt protocols on various stages of the production cycle, and
even on management systems, which are aligned with internationally recognized
environmental standards8. The implementation of the EUREPGAP therefore will ensure

4
Ibid.
5
Ibid.
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.

Page 6 of 17

traceability from consumer to the field, covering several management systems such as
that on the site, soil, fertilizer and pesticides, as well as worker health, safety, and
welfare9. Currently moving forward, the EUREPGAP standard is developing into a
system whereby certification is conducted by an independent third party10. In summary,
the EUREPGAP has aimed to harmonize protocols for the production of fruits,
vegetables, and flowers.

Consumers can see the combination of environmental and health and safety issues
through the marketing of some environmental labels, e.g. organic or biodynamic labels,
for food products. Currently, these are marketed in the EU as healthy food products, with
environmentally sound aspects. In actuality, consumers in Europe are very health
conscious, as with other developed states, and therefore these environmental labels
create added value. Concurrent compliance with environmental and health and safety
standards can assist entry into key markets within the EU.

United States of America

The United States government has for many years held in high regard the safety of its
citizens as consumers. Several federal agencies, which furthermore continuously
coordinate with one another, have been established to protect this primary interest.

Clearly as the foremost authority in cultivating, sustaining, and developing agricultural
production in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has
established a number of programs to address the needs of producers and ensure the safety
of consumers. Under the USDA, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has three
primary functions, designed toward: (1) facilitating the marketing of agricultural produce,
(2) certifying quality in the food supply for consumers, and (3) implementing fair trading
practices, inclusive of enforcement. In reference to the second, AMS offers an
independent, albeit federal and official, grading service to provide the relevant industries
with “impartial, third-party certification of quality and the condition of any fresh or
processed product11.” This capability offers apparent advantages for the agronomy, as
this certification program can provide the basis for ensuring quality in produce, verifying
compliance with contractual terms (in terms of production) in order to enhance
marketing, and create ease with which to settle claims for damages incurred during transit
and/or storage of the product.

More specifically, the AMS provides the following services:
Quality Standards: Agricultural produce is comprised of an immense cluster
of diverse commodities. Such an array of goods includes fruits and vegetables
(fresh and processed), specialty crops, milk and other dairy products, livestock,
poultry and eggs, cotton, tobacco, and organic products. Coordinating with the
relevant industries, AMS develops, implements, and enforces quality standards
for hundreds of these products.
Grading and Certification: Parallel to quality standards, AMS provides a user-
fee service for quality grading. This certification is based on the standards
developed for each agricultural product. These services are often executed in
conjunction and cooperation with other federal departments that specialize in
agriculture.

9
Fintrac Harvest. Fall 2002.
10
FAO. “Working Golden Fruit”. October 2001.
11
Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report (FAIRS),
USDA, April 2001.

Page 7 of 17

Inspection of Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts: Specific agricultural goods (these
include: fresh tomatoes, avocados, mangos, limes, oranges, green peppers, Irish
potatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, dry onions, walnuts and fibers, walnuts and
filberts, processed dates, prunes, raisins, and olives) must conform to import
regulations relating to grade, size, quality, and maturity12. These particular
commodities are subject to rigorous inspection, after which a certificate must be
issued by the AMS to assure compliance with such import requirements.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS): The main purpose of the ARS is to
serve as a centralized information hub for providing comprehensive data on
agriculture. This service conducts statistical research on food consumption and
to help in developing technology and expertise in solving agricultural problems
that are technical and broad in scope.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the US Government’s environmental
representative in matters dealing with the safety of foods. The EPA coordinates its action
by integrating research, monitoring, standard-setting, and enforcement. For example,
through the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), the EPA determines the safety levels
of newly developed pesticides, calculates allowable pesticide content or residues in
agricultural foods. The EPA subsequently enforces these policies, and sets guidelines to
be obeyed.

Japan

Being one of the world’s largest economies, Japan enforces general import requirements
and standards relating to environmental, health, and safety concerns, and which are set by
the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW). Imported foods that do not
meet the requirements implemented by this agency will not be allowed entry. In the
same regard, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is also
involved in food risk management, focusing on the area of food labeling, through the
Japan Agricultural standards (JAS) Law, and animal and plant health protection,
through a series of quarantine laws.

The JAS Law was revised in 2000, which requires labeling of13:
1. Place of origin for all perishable foods (produce, meat, seafood, dairy)
2. Ingredients derived from biotechnology- limited to 30 foods made from
corn, soybeans and potato where the genetically modified content of the
labeled ingredient exceeds 5%.
3. Organic labeling, including mandatory third-party certification for
products labeled as “organic.”

A Commodity Case Study: Bananas

The industry for bananas is certainly a major one in the Philippines. This commodity
alone accounts for 0.4% of total GDP in 2001 statistics. That rate translates to a
generation of export earnings of more than USD 250m annually. This industry also

12
Ibid.
13
Japan: Country Report: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and
Standards. GAIN Report, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA. August 2003.

Page 8 of 17

directly employs more than 45,000 people in farms of the Cavendish variety alone14.
Major export markets of Philippine bananas are enumerated below:

Market Percentage USD equivalent
Japan 54% 152.67m
People’s Republic of China 11% 31.43m
United Arab Emirates 11% 30.54m
Republic of Taiwan 10% 27.02m
Republic of South Korea 9% 24.45m

The following is an illustration of the geographical flow of Philippine bananas:

FARM Collection Center Provincial Ports
(1-5 days) Bulk or Crated
(‹ 1 - 3 days)

Wholesale/Retail Distribution
(Exports)
Manila Port
(Stripping/Unloading:
4-6 hrs)
Wholesale/Retail Distribution Sea
(Metro Manila, Other Provinces) Transport

Wholesale/Retail Distribution Cebu Port
(Cebu)

Several specific strategies for bananas have been established by the Department of
Agriculture (DA) in order to be able to achieve key objectives such as increased
productivity, reduced post-harvest losses, and greater market access, both domestically
and internationally15. These were directly from the Banana Road Map as prepared by the
DA:

1. First frying operations for banana saba
2. Intensified international promotions for cereal uses of banana chips in Europe,
Middle East, North America and China.
3. Prepare site suitability map (e.g., classify areas with even or longer rainy
season, typhoon-free and loamy soil)
4. Intensify production of tissue culture plants thru establishment of tissue culture
laboratories in strategic areas and micro propagation technology transfer
5. Kits for indexing viral diseases
6. Increase access to irrigation facilities, and fertilizer inputs and recommendations

14
Banana Road Map. Department of Agriculture (DA), Republic of the Philippines. 2003.
15
Ibid.

Page 9 of 17

7. Conduct integrated OR & D focusing on varietal improvement, planting density,
cropping systems, irrigation and fertilization
8. Reduce losses by massive info drive on the proper handling and PH technologies
of banana
9. Improve the handling chain (e.g., use of appropriate containers, refrigerated
trucks/vans, method of handling)
10. Harmonize existing standards with CODEX
11. Promote adoption of harvesting techniques for small - and medium - scale
banana growers (e.g., use of cushion pads, de-handling tools, etc.)
12. Develop tramlines in mountainous productive areas (e.g., Mindoro, Agusan
Provinces, etc.
13. Tap new foreign markets for banana chips such as China and Iran.
14. Market information from attaches
15. Conduct rapid marketing appraisal studies (domestic and selected target markets
abroad)
16. Participation of industry players in market promotion activities (e.g., trade
missions/fairs, exhibitions/festivals)
17. Tariff reduction / market access (Australia / US / Taiwan)

Awareness on the Issues and Effectiveness of Information Management

Philippine experience with regard to conformance with required environmental
management systems (EMS) is very evident in ISO certification16. Though it is already
understood that this is non-mandatory, ISO has actually become a prerequisite to
necessitate the “greening” of the supply chain. Since creating a facility for ISO
certification or other EMS is expensive, very few companies until 1999, more so with
small- to medium-sized enterprises (SME), adopted them. Furthermore during that time,
there was an apparent lack of awareness of the benefits of EMS and cleaner production
and of the environmental laws themselves17. Fortunately in the present time, I can
conclude that there have been significant improvements in this area. The Philippines
generated some USD 400 million in banana export earnings in 2003, and the country now
stands at becoming the second largest banana exporter in the world, edging out Costa
Rica18. Aside from increased demand in key markets, this powerful surge is attributable
to the constant benchmarking of industry participants to attain international standards.

In the realm of EUREPGAP, independent groups advise local producers on production
and the adoption of management systems. In 2003, Agro Eco, which is an Dutch,
independent, and private consultancy company specializing in organic agriculture,
advised a large group of small holders and processors in the Philippines on the organic
production of bananas and coconuts. This was conducted to help fulfill new regulations
by implementing an internal control system, so as to address the issue of the composting
and recycling of waste from the factories of banana chips and coconut oil19. The

16
Kaushik, Atul. “The Impact of Environmental Requirements on Export
Performance. Strengthening Research and Policy-Making Capacity on Trade
and Environment in Developing Countries.” Los Baños, Philippines: November
1999.
17
Ibid.
18
Gaylican, Christine. “RP seen to overtake 2nd lead Costa Rica in banana
exports.” Business, Philippine Daily Inquirer. Manila, Philippines: 21 June
2004.
19
Annual Report. Agro Eco. 2003.

Page 10 of 17

International Trade Centre, jointly governed by the UNCTAD and WTO, has
strengthened efforts in increasing awareness on marketing entry requirements,
particularly to those for the European market. Projects have been implemented whereby
tours were organized to acquaint producers and exporters with market trends and an
understanding of quality and standards requirements for imports in the EU, in respect of
EUREPGAP20.

HORTINET

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has extended governmental
efforts onto cyberspace with the Horticulture Information Network (HORTINET)21,
which is a one-stop information site to assist participants in the horticultural markets.
Here, visitors have unrestricted access to critical information: comprehensive commodity
profiles, market information, latest research and development (R&D), and directories
with contact information of industry experts.

Taking vertical integration of policies and pro-active measures into the discussion,
several efforts are being undertaken to disseminate information on environmental
requirements for international trade. There are already several widely known
international (global and regional) resources that clearly and comprehensively share
information on environmental standards. Examples of these are AccessGuide (CBI The
Netherlands), TRAINS from the UNCTAD, Market Access from the EU, and many
others22. These resources can be accessed primarily through the print media and
cyberspace. In the Philippines, there is a coordinated effort among sister-agencies or
horizontally integrated groups within the Department of Agriculture (DA) that make
pertinent data from these resources accessible to domestic participants of the horticultural
markets. It is partly in this regard that the Bureau of Plant Industries (BPI) was
created. The BPI enacts policies to implement and encourage compliance with Good
Agricultural Practice (GAP), which mainly sets limits on pesticide residues on food
products. These limits are calculated by the National Pesticide Analytical Lab
(NPAL), a constituent of the BPI. The BPI aligns its resources and standards with those
of the Codex Alimentarius23, which is a joint venture between the Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Under Philippine Executive Order 1016, all plant products which include fruits and
vegetables capable of harboring pests and insect specimens need export clearance from
the BPI through the issuance of a Phytosanitary Certificate24. This alignment of
standards smoothens the conformance and compliance of domestic horticultural
producers with these international standards.

Taken directly from Codex Alimentarius, “The Codex Alimentarius Commission was
created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts
such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The
main purposes of this Programme are protecting health of the consumers and ensuring
fair trade practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of all food standards

20
Annual Report. International Trade Centre. 2002
21
www.hortinet.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph
22
“Feasibility Study on a Clearinghouse on Environmental and Health
Requirements and International Trade
23
Bureau of Plant Industries (BPI), Department of Agriculture (DA), Republic
of the Philippines. August 2004.
24
Ibid.

Page 11 of 17

work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations25”.
The Philippine uses the Codex as the benchmark for national and international
standards26. The Codex implements and enforces specific, coded standards that affect:
• Vegetable protein products
• Vegetable juices
• Named vegetable oils
• Canned fruit and vegetable
• Dehydrated fruits and vegetables including edible fungi
• Packaging the transport of tropical fresh fruit and vegetables
• Utilization of vegetable protein products in foods
• Fruit preserves: jams and jellies
• Fruit nectars preserved
• Fruit juices preserved
• Dried Fruit

The SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) and TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade)
Agreements have awarded special status to the standards from Codex as official reference
points in determining food standards. And likewise due to the strict requirements on
sanitation, safety, and consequently fierce competition in the foreign markets, fruit
exporters are assisted and are given advice to comply with good practices and Hazard
Analysis Critical Point (HACCP).

Current Adjustment Approach

The Philippine government, which is presently headed by the Macapagal-Arroyo
Administration, has been striving to be proactive in developing the agricultural sector.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has established a mandate under her leadership to
improve farm productivity. To achieve this, she sought the expertise of Luis P. Lorenzo,
first appointed as Labor Secretary then successively as Secretary for the Department of
Agriculture (DA). Note here that job growth has been a concurrent objective of
Macapagal’s administration alongside agriculture modernization.

More specifically, Republic Act 8435 or the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization
Act (AFMA) was implemented. This law was further strengthened soon after in 2004
with RA 9281, which extends duty-free privileges to producers under AFMA who import
agricultural inputs and equipment. This enhancement also gave assurance of
uninterrupted funding assistance until year 2015.

The AFMA is actually a blueprint for the agricultural sector’s modernization and rural
development27. “It defines the need to transform the rural environment into one that is
more integrated into national and international markets28.” Absolutely key in the
realization of the objectives of the AFMA are the Key Commodity Roadmaps (onwards
referred to as Roadmap/s), which chart the DA’s course of action for each major
commodity: firstly in horticulture—vegetables, coconut, mango, banana, papaya, durian,
and calamansi; others include rice, corn, livestock, fisheries, and coffee29.

25
www.codexalimentarius.net
26
Supply and Demand Survey Report on Agro-Products & Processed Foods. Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI). Republic of the Philippines. November 2001.
27
Department of Agriculture. “Philippine Agriculture: Breaking the boom-and-
bust cycle.” Business, Philippine Daily Inquirer. Manila: 28 July 2004.
28
Ibid.
29
Ibid.

Page 12 of 17

A common denominator among all the Roadmaps is the outline of three major objectives
to achieve industry growth. First, post harvest losses have to be significantly and
ultimately reduced. Second, improved prices should be valued from assured product
quality. Third, product exports should be enhanced30. Each roadmap takes each
respective commodity into analysis. It substantially presents updated and relevant
information on current conditions such as: supply and demand assessment, prices,
geographical flows, and marketing channels. From these analyses, the Roadmap resolves
to recommend and/or implement a bundle of key strategies.

Certainly a major component of the AFMA is the tackling of the accessibility of credit,
particularly toward the countryside and rural areas. Though the Land Bank of the
Philippines was long-since established in 1963 as an institution to specifically render this
kind of financial service, Quedan and Rural Credit and Guarantee Corporation
(Quedancor) has been spearheading such efforts. Quedancor has bolstered lending and
organizing acitivities, and it has more definitively ensured the continuous flow of
affordable credit.

It is also worth mentioning that the country recognizes that it currently exports organic
products, such as muscovado sugar, fresh bananas, coconut oil and chips31. By
definition, organic refers to products whereby their farming takes the following into
account:
• Minimum reliance on artificial inputs
• Feeding of the soil and not the plant
• Food safety practices (GMP, HACCP, non-use of hazardous chemicals from
farm, to distribution, to marketing)
• Certification of the entire production/distribution chain, and not the end product
• Non-use of genetically-modified organisms (GMO's)

It has been observed that the Philippine market enjoys several advantages:
• Low labor cost among rural households
• Proximity to major markets
• Year-round tropical climate makes organic agriculture suitable
• Rich biodiversity
• Trainable workforce (farmers, farm technicians, agriculture extension workers,
processors)
• There are exporters willing to invest and convert into organic since premium
price (20-30% higher than conventional products)

The table below illustrates key players in the Philippine market for organic produce:

Key Players
Companies Products

Organic/Natural Foods

Celebes Agricultural Corporation certified organic coconut oil, coco chips, banana chips

Basic Fruits Worldwide Corp. certified organic banana chips

Marsman Dysdale Organic Farms Inc. organic fresh bananas (not yet cert)

30
2nd Publication of the Key Commodity Roadmaps. Department of
Agriculture. April 2003.
31
Ibid.

Page 13 of 17

Tri-Star Group/JVA Group green Cavendish bananas

Lapanday Agri. Corp. green Cavendish bananas

Twin Rivers/Hijo Plantation green Cavendish bananas

Alter Trade Corporation certified organic muscovado sugar, fresh oragnic Bongalon bananas

Herbals

Use-Techno Corporation herbal teas (not org. cert.)

Altermed Corporation herbal teas (not org. cert.)

International Pharmaceuticals Inc. herbal teas (not org. cert.)

The subsequent table displays the current level of exports:

Current Level of Exports
Cert. Org. Products Quantity Value (US$)

coconut oil (crude) 111.34 mt 50,103

coconut chips 2,200 ctns 17,160

banana chips 104,150 kgs 35,102

fresh banana 1,001,178

muscovado sugar 242,342

There have also been instances of public-private partnership of groups from several
countries to enhance vegetable production. For example, a project funded by the INCO-
DC program of the European Commission has been jointly executed by institutions from
the following32:
• Lehrstuhl für Gemüsebau, Technische Universität München-Weihenstephan
(TUM), Freising, Germany (project coordination, plant nutrition and water
management)
• Center for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research (CIRAD),
Montpellier, France (crop protection)
• Xavier University, College of Agriculture, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
(socioeconomic surveys, plant nutrition)
• Bukidnon Seed Corporation (BUSECORP), Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon,
Philippines (crop improvement)
• Institute for Agricultural Science of South Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
(crop protection)
• Hat Dokkeo Agricultural Station (HDK), Vientiane, Laos (water management)

Through analysis of the economic, sociological, and anthropological situation, this
project aims to evaluate and prioritize the potential for vegetable production. The various
research institutes noted above will cooperate to introduce production technologies that
address this primary objective, while simultaneously being compatible with the socio-
economic and anthropological situation in the respective communities. In particular, the
project plans to introduce the following technologies33:

32
Holmer, Dr. Robert J.. Urban and Periurban Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development for
Sustainable Vegetable Production and Marketing Systems
33
Ibid.

Page 14 of 17

• Production of organic fertilizer from city waste and its application on vegetable
cultivars,
• Suitable plant protection methods using beneficial organisms, bio-pesticides,
and aromatic plants as insect repellants,
• Appropriate water management technologies for dry and rainy season,
particularly use of drip irrigation and high bed systems.
• A private Philippine plant breeding company will contribute seeds of the
following crops which are adapted to the climate of the tropical lowland and
have resistance or tolerance to the prevalent diseases:
o Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), sweet pepper (Capsicum annum),
eggplant (Solanum melongena), bush bean (Vigna sesquipedalis),
cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), vegetable soybean (Glycine max), head
cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), cauliflower (Bassica oleracea
var. botrytis), and papaya (Carica papaya).
• These vegetable cultivars will be evaluated at the different project sites. Seed
collection and breeding will be done to further increase the quality of the plant
germplasm.

Subsequently, the expected result of the project is to facilitate SMEs with market access
by developing socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable vegetable production
systems. Further, the project will contribute to:
• Strengthening the social and economic livelihood situation of small urban and
periurban vegetable growers and their families,
• Improving the management, structures and functioning of urban agro-
ecosystems by reduced soil erosion, maintenance of soil fertility, limited
pollution of soil and water and increased water use efficiency. In combination
with the availability of appropriate plant material this will result in a better and
more sustainable utilization of urban and periurban agricultural production
resources.
• Increasing and ensuring the year-round supply of clean and affordable
vegetables rich in vitamins and micronutrients for the urban population,
• Improving the quantity and quality of raw material for the local food processing
industry,
• Availing baseline date for consideration of (peri-)urban vegetable production in
local, national and international government policy programs and on the
curriculum of the academe,
• Creating or increasing markets for local small and medium-sized entrepreneurs
producing organic fertilizers and/or rearing beneficial insects,
• Promoting household garbage segregation in urban areas of developing
countries. This can stimulate SME development for junk dealers (glass, paper,
metal) and provide them a healthier working environment than presently done
by sorting out junk from urban dumping areas.

In comparison, large multinationals such as Dole Philippines, Del Monte Philippines, and
California Manufacturing Corporation employ the operational capabilities of whole
plants and factories for the processing of fruits. Medium scale enterprises utilize semi-
mechanized equipment, though gearing towards full automation, while taking advantage
of the country’s large pool of skilled labor. The production capabilities used by small-
sized enterprises are similar to an expanded kitchen, where processes are largely
manually driven and employ low technology. As this comparison would imply weak
leverage for the smaller producers, the Food Development Center (FDC) under the
Department of Agriculture (DA), is a government-owned corporation which provides

Page 15 of 17

technical advice, services, technologies, and training to food exporters to assist in
compliance with international requirements34. The investment to establish this company
was donated by the Japanese government in 1989. The following details the services of
the FDC to the food industry as a whole:
• Food testing and evaluation of the quality of food products for specific markets;
o The FDC conducts the various tests required by the international
market for food products. This includes chemical, microbiological,
micro-analytical (micro-filth), physical and sensory testing, package
testing (cans, bottles and flexible packages), shelf-life testing, label
evaluation, process establishment (Fo) and tests for heat distribution in
retorts.
• Product development and pilot production of products for market testing;
o This involves development of products in laboratory and pilot scale to
establish technical and market feasibility.
• Plant and process inspection, provision of quality assurance services and
shipment certification;
o This involves inspection of plants to determine compliance with
international standards for good manufacturing practices and
certification by lot, of products produced under agreed quality control
procedures.
• Training on food testing, plant inspections, Good Manufacturing Practices
(GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP);
o FDC conducts training courses for industries in general or for specific
companies in areas related to food testing, processing and quality
control.
• R&D on industry related problems and on the development of needed
technologies;
o This involves short term studies on specific industry problems as
causes of product spoilage and development of food testing methods.

Elements of a Pro-active Approach and the Need for Institutional Capacity Building

When it comes to designing an effective approach and evaluating institutional capacity
building for compliance or conformance with international environmental and health
standards, I propose the need to effectively execute coordinated vertical and horizontal
integration of policies and action-taking, in national, regional, and international scopes.
This resolution is presented in a broad perspective, and as with any, certainly operates on
a number of assumptions if it is to be effectual, useful, and beneficial.

Firstly, one of paramount importance35 is the availability and transparency of
information. Certainly, institutional efforts from the UN and other regional—private
and/or public—associations should continue to strengthen and further the development
and creation of valuable knowledge. This should be fundamentally achieved as substance
should always precede any measure of disseminating information. Going forward, as we
can already observe in various forms of media, creative and innovative means of paving
access to information should be formed. For example, with such rich information
resources in the form of websites and other online databases, innovation should provide
accessibility and ease of use to even the marginally sophisticated participants of relevant

34
Ibid.
35
Ibid.

Page 16 of 17

markets. Moving horizontally on this level, concerned parties in this development should
collectively adhere to practices of transparency of information. Progress on this front can
already be seen from higher institutions like the WTO, which issues timely publications
that outline procedures for transparency. To illustrate, the Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Agreement (SPS) of the WTO obligates member-states to notify the organization of
changes in their SPS measures. Moreover, substantial information should be provided to
support such amendments, so as to ensure viability and that these were effected through
scientific experiment and rational basis36.

Let us move vertically downward, onto the national level. Here, concerted endeavors that
power the stream of information between policy-makers and producers are extremely
important. It becomes apparent that the bodies in the most tactical position to put such
capabilities into effect are the government and its affiliated agencies. In the present case
of the Philippines, the AFMA of the DA, I should conclude, is certainly in the right
direction. However, upon deeper examination, we can see that the objectives this
programme intends to accomplish are still too broad. This is perhaps the natural
circumstance for a nation still considered to be developing. But such a classification, I
firmly believe, should not serve as an impediment toward designing customized and
specialized solutions aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of traded goods. In fact,
international requirements themselves, such as environmental and/or health legislation,
should actually be the impetus for conformance. Compliance with these environmental
laws enhances exports, therefore giving leverage to producers and the nation’s trade
balance. More focus should be drawn on these programmes that more accurately aim for
alignment with international standards.

Finally, on the level of the producers and other participants from the supply-side of the
market, awareness should be alleviated. Up until a few years ago, many producers were
reluctant to match international environment requirements because, aside from additional
investment that compliance would entail, they simply weren’t knowledgeable of the
potential benefits or at times even of the laws themselves37. And it certainly should be
known that particular attention should be given to small- to medium-sized enterprises
(SME). Horizontally at this level, an effective strategy comes in the form of industry
alliances and organizations. In the Philippines for example, organizations have been
created for various commodity types, which create a collaborative capacity for
cooperation. These associations can help realize internal and external benefits from
environmental compliance, such as improved market share, ideally with increased
exports, and improved financial conditions, generated by improved cost-efficiency,
continuous access to capital38, and reduced insurance premiums39. ►

36
“Dimensions of Transparency In Pre-Standard Setting Policy and Practise—A
Study of Public and Private Sector Consultative Practice. UNCTAD,
INMETRO. Brazil: June 2004.
37
Ibid.
38
Ibid.
39
Morella, Grace. “Environmental Management Systems: What’s in it for
Business?.” Voice of Business. Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(PCCI). Manila, Philippines: June 2004.

Page 17 of 17

Alex F. Favila - UNCTAD Research - 2004

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