Certification in the value chain for fresh fruits The example of banana industry FAO Commodities studies Series, Vol. 4

Certification is a written guarantee by an independent certification agency that a product meets the criteria or requirements contained in a certain standard. An increasing proportion of the bananas that are traded internationally are certified to voluntary standards. This report describes the main patterns of international trade in certified bananas, and examines the market situation and prospects of certified organic and fair-trade bananas. Export prices for certified bananas are analysed and compared to those of conventional fruit for a selection of developing countries.