Adoption de référentiels de sécurité sanitaire dans la filière dattes en Tunisie
New Medit, Vol 15, n. 3, (September 2016), pp. 64-72
Language: FR
Jel classifications: Q17, Q18
The present study tries to examine the general trends in the Tunisian dates export industry. The analysis aims at showing the scopes and limits of access to foreign market in the case of adoption of food safety standards whose proliferation and strengthening continue to characterize the trade of agricultural and food products. The empirical analysis is based on the results of a field survey conducted with 42 dates processing and exporting units that are providing nearly 75% of total dates exports. The results revealed that the majority of interviewed firms (74%) have adopted the ISO 22000 standard, while only 14% have adopted, in addition, private standards (IFS, BRC, etc.). In view of the existence of organizational and strategic heterogeneity that characterizes these firms, some of them still consider these standards as a “passport” facilitating the access of their produce to foreign markets, especially for the most demanding ones, while others have shown a limited acceptability level to adopt food safety standards and revealed their concern to invest more in such private standards, particularly for less demanding markets.
food safety, standards, export, dates, Tunisia
