Department of International Relations– THE QUALITY POLICY IN FRANCE

Department of International Relations– THE QUALITY POLICY The Definitions The Challenges The Principles The System

Department of International Relations– The Quality Concept … “the totality of the characteristics of an entity that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implicit needs” (International Standard ISO 8402)

Department of International Relations– The Quality Components Safety and Security Health Satisfaction Service Consistency

Department of International Relations– Identification of Quality Generic quality Specific quality

Department of International Relations– The Quality Policy meets three challenges concerning Consumers The growth of agriculture and agribusiness and the structural organisation of the agri-food networks The regions and rural development

Department of International Relations– As the record shows, a system built on three quality approaches

Department of International Relations– As the record shows, a system built on three quality approaches Quality rooted in the terroir (the local soil and microclimate) Quality rooted in know-how Quality linked to a production process respecting the balance of nature

Department of International Relations– As the record shows, a system built on three quality approaches Quality rooted in the terroir Quality rooted in know- how Quality linked to a production process respecting the balance of nature Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) (registered designation of origin) The Label and Certification of Conformity Organic Farming

Department of International Relations– In France, the Quality Policy is an approach: Rooted in over half a century’s experience Wedded to the people and the regions

Department of International Relations– The public authorities have rolled out a system of official quality guarantees: Implemented by the stakeholders of the agri- food networks through voluntary policies Controlled by independent organisations

Department of International Relations– Basic Principles: The Commitment of the operators and agri-food networks Validation of the specifications by the public authorities Control of the specifications by independent organisations

Department of International Relations– The Commitment of the Operators and Agri-food Networks Collective facilities (AOC defence syndicate, quality label group) Ensuring the representation of the professional partners In charge of setting up and monitoring quality and designation of origin policies Carrying out actions for the collective promotion of products

Department of International Relations– Validation of the Specifications by the Public Authorities For AOC: Institut national des appellations d’origine (INAO) (national institute for designation of origin) For labels, the Product Conformity Certificates (PCC) and organic farming: Commission nationale des labels et des certifications (CNLC) (national commission for labels and certification)

Department of International Relations– Control of the specifications by independent organisations INAO: approval and control of AOC production conditions Accredited certifying organisations (Standard EN ) that are approved by the public authorities for the certification of labels, PCC, and organic farming methods

Department of International Relations– The Involvement of the Public Authorities Validation of specifications and of their control requirements Product identification with logos that are State property Information on the quality and designation of origin labels guarantees Aid for the start-up of quality and designation of origin approaches

Department of International Relations– The July 9, 1999 Law on Agricultural Policy Recognition of the label identification system for quality and designation of origin

Department of International Relations– Official Identification Labels for Quality and Designation of Origin: Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC), registered designation of origin Label agricole (LR), agricultural label Agriculture biologique (AB), organic farming Certification de conformité produit (CCP), product conformity certificate (PCC)

Department of International Relations– Appellation d’origine contrôlée AOC - Registered Designation of Origin Wine-growing sector affected by a dramatic slump The first legislative measures:  Law of August 1, 1905 and of August 5, 1908 (administrative delimitation)  Law of May 6, 1919 (judicial delimitation according to local, fair and consistent practices) The set-up of the AOC system in the wine-growing sector  Creation of the Comité national des appellations d’origine (July 30, 1935 decree-law)

Department of International Relations– Appellation d’origine contrôlée AOC - Registered Designation of Origin “The geographic name of a country, region or locality for the designation of a product originating in said country, region or locality and whose quality or properties are exclusively or essentially attributable to the geographic environment, which includes natural and human factors” (Law of July 6, 1966)

Department of International Relations– Changes in France Unification of the designation of origin system:  Extension of INAO’s field of authority to include all agri-foodstuffs (Law of July 2, 1990)  Harmonisation of the requirements for access to AOC, and of the AOC recognition procedure Equivalence between AOC and AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) (Law of January 3, 1994)

Department of International Relations– The Agricultural Label Principle of the Agricultural Label recognised by the Agricultural Policy Law of August 5, 1960 Implementation Decree of January 13, 1965: “As part of qualitative promotion, the Agricultural Labels serve to improve consumer information and facilitate trading between producers, processors and users.” First poultry labels approved in (Landes and Loué) Creation of the collective ‘Red Label’ mark in 1973

Department of International Relations– The Agricultural Label “Certifies that the product possesses a distinct set of qualities and special properties that have first been defined in the specifications and that establish a premium level of quality.” (Art. L of the Rural Code) Assessment of Premium Quality: According to objective and relevant criteria pertaining to product life cycle and image Sensory profiles and hedonic tests Technical requirements fixing the minimum criteria

Department of International Relations– The Agricultural Label

Department of International Relations– Agriculture Biologique (AB) - Organic Farming The pioneers and different European trailblazing currents  Germany: biodynamic farming (Rudolf Steiner, Demeter, and others)  Switzerland: Dr. Muller’ organic-biological farming  England: organic farming (Albert Howard)  France: Raoul Lemaire and Jean Boucher, Nature et Progrès association

Department of International Relations– Agriculture Biologique (AB) - Organic Farming First official recognition of agriculture “that does not use synthetic chemical products” in the Agricultural Policy Law of July 1980  Public authorities’ approval of existing private specifications  A national commission for the approval of specifications is created  The collective mark AB is created

Department of International Relations– Agriculture Biologique (AB) - Organic Farming Recognised farming method since 1980  Certification system of an environmentally-friendly farming method respecting animal welfare

Department of International Relations– L’agriculture biologique (AB) Organic Farming

Department of International Relations– Product Conformity Certificate The most recent label (1988)  It certifies that the product is compliant with special properties or with previously set rules  Objective, measurable, controllable and relevant objectives listed in specifications

Department of International Relations– Product Conformity Certificate

Department of International Relations– What is the situation in the European Community?

Department of International Relations– Quality, the challenge for agriculture and agribusiness as of the late eighties The first reform of the CAP (1992) The implementation of the European Single Market (1993) The above fostered a new approach to market segmentation per identified quality products, meeting consumer expectations and enhancing agricultural products and know-how

Department of International Relations– The European Labels Three basic Community Regulations  Regulation 2092/91: organic farming method  Regulation 2081/92: PDO/PGI  Regulation 2082/92: Certificate of Specific Character (CSC) or Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG)

Department of International Relations– The European Labels Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) (or Certificate of Specific Character)

Department of International Relations– The rollout of European tools protecting specific products Organic farming method Reg. (CE) 2092/91 of the Council of June 24, 1991 on plant products Completed on July 19, 1999 to include animal products (with possibility of national rules) Protection of the qualifying terms ‘biological’, ‘ecological’ or ‘organic’ Establishment of production and processing rules for organic products and for their control methods Creation of a European logo

Department of International Relations–

Department of International Relations– The rollout of European tools protecting specific products Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographic Indication (PDO/PGI) Reg. (CE) 2081/92 of the Council of July 14, 1992 organised a registration system for geographic names of products that protects them within the EU It distinguishes two concepts:  Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)  Protected Geographic Indication (PGI)

Department of International Relations– Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) covers the name of region designating a product that: Comes from the region AND Whose properties are mainly due to the geographic environment AND Whose production, processing or preparation take place only in said region

Department of International Relations–

Department of International Relations– Protected Geographic Indication is the name of a region designating a product that: Comes from the region Has one property that may be attributed to its regional origin Whose production and/or processing and/or preparation take place in the region Has a qualitative level recognised by a label or certification

Department of International Relations–

Department of International Relations– The rollout out of European tools for protecting specific products Certificate of Specific Character Reg. (CE) 2092/92 of the Council of July 14, 1992 on certificates of specific character helps protect names of products with a traditional character but not (or no longer) resulting from the foodstuff’s geographic origin

Department of International Relations– Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (or Certificate of Specific Character) is the recognition of a foodstuff: Made from traditional raw materials Or with traditional ingredients Or from a traditional production method

Department of International Relations–

Department of International Relations– Linkage between European tools and French identification labels: Law of January 3, 1994 Only the foodstuffs with a label or a certificate of conformity may apply for PGI or CSC status The geographic origin may be among the features on the label or on the CSC only if the foodstuff is PGI registered Full equivalence between the PDO and AOC

Department of International Relations– The Bodies in Charge of the Identification Labels

Department of International Relations– The Bodies in charge of the Identification Labels The Institut national des appellations d’origine (INAO) (the national institution for registered designation of origin) The Commission nationale des labels et des certifications de produits agricoles et alimentaires (CNLC) (the national commission for agri-foodstuff labels and certification)

Department of International Relations– The Institut national des appellations d’origine: An administrative public body under the authority of the French Ministry in charge of Agriculture. It includes : Deliberative bodies: the National Committees and the Permanent Council (with professionals, qualified experts and representatives of the administration) Administrative and technical departments working out of the Paris head office and the local branches

Department of International Relations– The National Committees National Committee for Wines and Spirits (AOC) National Committee for Dairy Products (AOC) National Committee for agri-foodstuffs (AOC for products other than wine and dairy products) National Committee for Protected Geographic Indications

Department of International Relations– C. N. L. C. PERMANENT COMMISSION PRODUCT REFERENTIAL REVIEW SECTION CERTIFYING ORGANISATION APPROVAL SECTION ORGANIC FARMING SECTION

Department of International Relations– The Procedures

Department of International Relations– AOC Recognition

Department of International Relations– Label Registration

Department of International Relations– Validation Procedure for Product Conformity Certificates (PCC) (without PGI)

Department of International Relations– The Content of Specifications (product referential) Foodstuff properties communicated to consumers Technical requirements Control methods Labelling

Department of International Relations– Some Figures

Department of International Relations– AOC 120,000 farms producing AOC foodstuffs (18%) and accounting for 29% of the agri-food turnover Preponderance of wine and spirits:  Yearly turnover at 16.5 billion euros  More than 450 recognised AOC  Yearly production: 26 million hectolitres 43 recognised AOC for dairy products  Yearly turnover at 2 billion euros  Yearly production at 180,000 tons 22 recognised AOC for other foodstuffs  Yearly turnover at 0.15 billion euros

Department of International Relations– The Labels 40,000 producers 1.1 billion euros turnover Steady rise of the number of registered labels: 420

Department of International Relations– The Certificate of Conformity 218 enterprises have CC for their products (cooperative farms, agricultural groups, SME, industries, and distributors) 274 validated specifications Yearly turnover at 1.95 billion euros

Department of International Relations– Organic Farming Yearly turnover at 6 billion euros (9.5%) 9,000 farms practising organic farming (1.4%) 370,000 hectares, i.e., 1.3 % of the usable farm area CAB: Converting to organic farming Bio: Organic farming areas Organic farming areas

Department of International Relations–

Department of International Relations– Presentation by:  Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'alimentation, de la pêche et des affaires rurales, the French Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Rural Affairs 78 rue de Varenne Paris 07 SP Phone: With the help of:  L’Association pour de Développement des Echanges Internationaux de Produits et Techniques Agro-alimentaires (ADEPTA, Association for the Development of the International Trade of Foodstuff Products and Technologies) 41 rue de Bourgogne Paris Phone: