IMPACT OF THE FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS IMPLEMENTATION ON THE SMALL BUSINESS

Food safety certification programs seem to become the rule for major retailers in the industrialized countries (at least in Europe). Since these retailers have the power to dictate their conditions, suppliers have to be certified and bear the associated costs. It is thus highly likely that small-scale and poor suppliers who cannot afford the certification programs costs, will have limited access to markets in those countries. The proliferation of standards with different requirements further limits market access by small producers too. Thus the private standards imposed by retailers from industrialized countries represent a de facto barrier for small producers to global trade At the same time in most countries, the small business sector accounts for a substantial part of the food industry and is an important source of local economy employment. It is therefore important that a national policy is adopted to increase levels of food safety in this sector. The role of governments goes beyond adopting and monitoring compliance with national food legislation - they should actively promote food safety measures through the adoption of food safety management systems. All national governments aim for indigenous small food businesses to thrive, but they must at the same time protect public health. That is why there is a need to identify the obstacles that small business is facing when implementing food safety standards. Not all barriers apply in all countries and their relative importance also differs