Assessing the impacts of climate change related standards on access to agricultural export markets: the case of Tanzania
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Date
2015
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Concerns over climate change have stimulated interest in estimating the total amount of greenhouse gasses produced during the different stages in the “life cycle” of goods and services, i.e. their production, processing, transportation, sale, use and disposal. In addition to adapting to changing climatic conditions, agri-products exporters are increasingly being asked by consumers in developed and some developing countries to measure and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their products. This has resulted into proliferation of new market access requirements, mainly in the form of standards on ‘product carbon footprinting (PCFs) which poses limitations on Tanzania’s access to agricultural export markets abroad. The study covered line Ministries dealing with Climate Change related Standards in Tanzania. The ministries covered were: Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Cooperatives, Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Ministry of East African Cooperation. The study also covered both public and private sector organizations including: Tanzania Bureau of Standards, Tanzania Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture, Tanzania Exporters Association and Mohamed Enterprise Limited. Furthermore, the study covered the Network of Farmers Groups in Tanzania whose headquarters’ is based in Morogoro. A self-administered questionnaire, together with interviews with officials of the above institutions, were used to collect primary information while secondary data were obtained through library search, documentary reviews and also materials retrieved from the internet, were subjected to content analysis. The study has pinned down a number of challenges that small-holder farmers and SMEs face when attempting to meet export market requirements (both standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures). The farmers/agri-exporters inability to meet the market access/entry requirements is characterised by a general lack of technical know-how (skills and knowledge) on climate smart agriculture, low agri-technologies and the high costs involved in the process of communicating or displaying the environmental or climate change footprints of the agri-products they export to foreign markets through the use of environmental labelling (eco-labels). The conclusions drawn from this study have important policy recommendations that if adapted are believed that will make Tanzanian agri-products exporters to benefit under changing climatic conditions. In that regard, the study recommends for the government to raise awareness of farmers, agri-producers, processors and exporters on the existences of climate change related standards. The study further recommends that the government should improve and capacitate the existing agencies responsible with standards such as TBS to acquire acreditation or reliability status needed in international markets such as EU, USA and Asian markets
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF QC 981.8.C5T34J36)
Keywords
Climate change, Farm produce, Marketing, Tanzania
Citation
Japhet, C. (2015) Assessing the impacts of climate change related standards on access to agricultural export markets: the case of Tanzania, Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam