Certificering af biofuels fører til indirekte handelsbarrierer

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Ifølge ny rapport fra FAO er certificeringsordninger indenfor biobrændstoffer overvejende målrettet storstilet landbrug. Mangel på kapacitet til at leve op til de komplicerede krav i ordningerne gør det svært for de mindre landbrug at få andel i markedet.

ROME, 26 February 2013:
 The report ‘Biofuels and the Sustainability Challenge’, finds that current certification schemes, which are voluntary and largely privately-operated, might exclude small-scale farmers because they are dominantly designed for large-scale agro-industry.

Many certification schemes are data- or information-intensive and require costs and capacities that are often out of reach for most smallholders. 



“As structured, these schemes would tend to favour big players and provide incentives for scaling up production to absorb certification costs,” the report says. 



But certification can have some positive impacts on business, including “improved efficiency within a supply chain … decreased risk, higher transparency and increased awareness about problems in the supply chain.”

Market access

At the same time, however, the schemes, ” to the extent that they are established to control imports, can hinder trade and reduce market access – especially for developing countries with comparative advantages in business production, and which see in this industry a real opportunity for development and for overcoming rural poverty and high unemployment”. 


“Many developing countries express concern that certification schemes can become indirect trade barriers when not managed properly,” the report continues.

Læs pressemeddelelsen her: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/170536/icode/

Læs videre fra: ”For example, while it is easy for producers in industrialized countries to comply with the demand for education opportunities….”

Se den fulde rapport fra FAO her: http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/i3126e/i3126e.pdf