Compliancy With Eu Food Law and Changes in the Philippines' Shrimp Aquaculture Chain

Abstract only.Following a ban to export seafood products to EU in 2004, the Philippines\ud started a very active process of compliancy with European Food Law,\ud which achievement was successful since the country has been found to be\ud capable of ensuring the required level of food safety in 2006, after an\ud inspection by the European Food and Veterinary Office.\ud In 2007, the CIRAD, in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and\ud Aquatic Resources (Philippines), the University of Stirling (UK) and the\ud Centre de Sociologie des Organisations (CNRS-Science Po Paris) launched\ud a research program in order to better understand the process and its\ud implications for sustainable development. Unlike other countries,\ud innovation in Philippine aquaculture is generally a bottom-up led process.\ud However, during the process of compliance with EU food law, innovation\ud has clearly been a top-down process that helped the country to catch up at\ud all levels, from the government food safety enforcement units up to\ud industry.\ud The process can now be overviewed as having been beneficial to the\ud country, because the exclusion of small operators did not lead to any\ud income reduction in practice. In the case of the Philippines, the study\ud showed that the main strength of the country has been to demonstrate its\ud capacity to easily and efficiently shift from one development paradigm to\ud another. Without this temporary change, the Philippines wouldnt have been\ud in the condition to ensure the dramatic but sustainable changes in its\ud aquaculture chain that it achieved