Certification and Labeling in the Development and Promotion of Nepal’s High-Value Agricultural Products
摘要
Nepal has enormous commercial potential for development in the agricultural sector by virtue of its diversity in topography, altitude, climatic conditions, and the heterogenous multi-ethnical fabric of Nepalese society. Despite the endowed benefits, the country’s agriculture and high-value commodities have floundered to achieve a substantial position in the global market landscape due to quality control issues and inadequate systematic and institutional arrangements. In this context, the chapter aims to discuss the importance of quality standards and certifications for promotion and marketing of unique Nepalese agricultural products, providing a comprehensive overview of the role of certification and branding in the expansion of development and promotion of Nepalese agricultural products. Additionally, it also sheds light on action plan strategies for facilitating certification processes and capacity building for institutions through regulated policy interventions. It also explores how to support the marketing of high-value agricultural products and recognition of quality standards and certifications such as geographical indications (GI), organic, mountain products, fair trade certification, rainforest alliances, NepalGAP, ISO22000. The chapter defines the certifications and quality assurances that are applicable to high-value agricultural products atypical to the production zone in Nepal. Similarly, it emphasizes potential areas for improvement and innovation to enhance the competitiveness of Nepal’s agricultural sector in the global marketplace. Finally, it calls out for policy-level improvements to develop and align policies in the agrifood sector in harmony with international standards.