Kenyan Exports of Nile Perch: The Impact of Food Safety Standards on an Export-OrientedSupply Chain

Henson, Spencer ; Mitullah Winnie

World Bank, Washington, D.C.

关键词: AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS;    AGRICULTURE;    ANIMAL HEALTH;    AQUACULTURE;    BEACHES;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-3349
RP-ID  :  WPS3349

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Over the past decade, exports of fishand fishery products from developing countries haveincreased rapidly. However, one of the major challengesfacing developing countries in seeking to maintain andexpand their share of global markets is stricter food safetyrequirements in industrialized countries. Kenyan exports ofNile perch to the European Union provide a notable exampleof efforts to comply with such requirements, overlaid withthe necessity to overcome restrictions on trade relating toimmediate food safety concerns. Although food safetyrequirements were evolving in their major markets, mostnotably the European Union, most Kenyan exporters had madelittle attempts to upgrade their hygiene standards.Likewise, the legislative framework of food safety controlsand facilities at landing sites remained largely unchanged.Both exporters and the Kenyan government were forced to takeaction when a series of restrictions were applied to exportsby the European Union over the period 1997 to 2000.Processors responded by upgrading their hygiene controls,although a number of facilities closed, reflectingsignificant costs of compliance within the context of excesscapacity in the sector. Remaining facilities upgraded theirhygiene controls and made efforts to diversify their exportbase away from the European. Legislation and controlmechanisms were also enhanced. Hygiene facilities at landingbeaches were improved, but remain the major area ofweakness. The Kenyan case illustrates the significant impactthat stricter food safety requirements can have onexport-oriented supply chains. It also demonstrates how suchrequirements can exacerbate existing pressures forrestructuring and reform, while prevailing supply andcapacity issues constrain the manner in which the supplychain is able to respond. In Kenya most of the concertedeffort to comply with these requirements was stimulated bythe sudden loss of market access in very much a crisismanagement mode of operation, illustrating the importance ofresponding to emerging food safety requirements in aproactive and effective manner.