Standards and certification
Standards decide whether a product can be sold. They matter for competitiveness at home and for getting into foreign markets. These agencies and schemes are the places to start.
Agencies in Sierra Leone
Produce Monitoring Board
An agency of the Ministry of Trade and Industry that regulates the produce sector and checks the quality of produce before it is shipped. 10 Lightfoot Boston Street, Delco House, Freetown. Telephone +232 78 762040. info@producemonitoringboard.sl.
Sierra Leone Standards Bureau
An agency of the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for national standards and the quality of goods. Wahman Abu Compound, Kelsey Road, Kissy Ferry Junction, Freetown. Telephone +232 78 334134.
Competent Authority
Responsible for EU market certification of fish products, processing plants and fishing vessels. It sits in the Food Unit of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
Voluntary and international certification
Fair trade
Several schemes use the term, with different standards. In general, they aim at fairer trading relationships between consumers in rich countries and producers in developing ones. Certifying bodies include the Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa, Ecocert, Fairtrade International and the Institute for Market Ecology.
UTZ Kapeh
A programme that lets coffee producers grow coffee sustainably. It was founded in 1997 by Guatemalan producers and a Dutch coffee roaster, and its code of conduct draws on EurepGap and ILO conventions.
Rainforest Alliance
A seal for products grown and harvested by environmentally and socially responsible methods, awarded to farms and forests that meet the standards of the Sustainable Agriculture Network or the Forest Stewardship Council.
Organic
Organic farming builds soil fertility and avoids non-renewable resources, synthetic fertiliser and pesticides. Products must be produced to organic standards and certified by a recognised body, such as Ecocert, IMO, QAI or the Soil Association.
GLOBALG.A.P.
A private body that sets voluntary standards for how food is produced on farms, to reduce environmental harm and protect workers and animals. Certifying bodies include Argencert, Africert and SGS.
ISO quality management
The ISO 9000 family sets requirements for quality management systems, including procedures for all key processes. Certifying bodies include Bureau Veritas, DNV, Lloyd's Register and TÜV.
This list is not exhaustive.