International Food and Agricultural Standards Development

The University: Experience and Qualifications

Since its founding in 1855 as the first land grant university in the U.S., Michigan State University has adhered to its original mission: to “strive to discover practical uses for theoretical knowledge, and to speed the diffusion of information to residents of the state, the nation, and the world.” In operational terms, MSU has concentrated on building its strengths in educating and training succeeding generations of researchers both from the U.S. and the world at large. It has sought to establish collaborative links with people and institutions worldwide, broadening its research, academic and service outreach.

MSU is recognized as a center of excellence in international development. The academic and professional community at Michigan State is highly diverse and responsive and augments the University’s international goals with a broad array of globally relevant skills and expertise. People from every county in Michigan, every state in the U.S. and 134 countries around the world contribute to the University’s success. Annually, more than 3500 international students and scholars enroll in MSU’s graduate and undergraduate and certificate programs. MSU plays host to hundreds of international visitors every year who come to view campus research facilities, participate in campus life as visiting scholars and specialists, or to meet with MSU colleagues. Hundreds of MSU faculty members are engaged in critical outreach programs in many countries throughout the world, teaching, conducting research or providing technical assistance.

For more than 50 years, Michigan State University has been a leader among U.S. universities in international development programs. MSU has had a broad and deepening involvement in conducting technical assistance and research in developing countries, assisting the development of new institutions, and providing training for development tasks. MSU, through its Departments and Institutes and Centers, has also managed projects throughout the world, providing short- and long-term in-country technical assistance, degree and non-degree training programs, and extensive backstopping support from the main campus. The Office of the Dean of International Studies and Programs has overall responsibility for the university’s international initiatives. While historically a majority of MSU’s international development and technical assistance projects have been conducted by faculty in various departments of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, international expertise is increasingly incorporated into all aspects of university life marking MSU as a global university.

The Office of Contract and Grant Administration (CGA) holds fiscal audit authority and responsibility for the MSU contractual portfolio with both domestic and international external donors. In fiscal 2006-2007 awards for sponsored projects reached $308 million. To ensure that MSU is aware of, and can comply with the various agency regulations, CGA is organized by funding agency. CGA has a separate group dedicated to administration of international projects.

MSU is home to six world-class centers, institutes and alliances whose purpose is solely or in large measure the provision of food industry development services, and products in the areas of food safety/SPS, grades and standards/TBT, and international food laws and regulations.

• National Food Safety and Toxicology Center (NFSTC) conducts research and outreach on chemical and microbial hazards in foods and natural products. [http://foodsafe.msu.edu/index.html]

• Institute for Food Laws and Regulations (IFLR) The Institute for Food Laws and Regulations (IFLR) administers the International Food Law Distance Education Certificate Program, which received the 2003 Excellence Award in College and University Distance Education from the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC). The program offers a series of semester-long international food law courses available to students throughout the world via the Internet.
  
  Region-specific courses include Food Regulation in the US, EU, Canada, Latin America and Asia along with an overview course in International Food Laws and Regulations. Subject-specific courses include Codex Alimentarius, OIE (World Organization for Animal Health), and IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention). The food law courses are taught by an international network of food science academic and legal professionals who understand the legal complexities of food laws and how they impact the flow of food and agricultural products across national boundaries. Further program information is available at: http://www.iflr.msu.edu/.

• Institute for Food and Agricultural Standards (IFAS) is an interdisciplinary teaching, research, and policy analysis institute that focuses on the social, economic, political, and ethical aspects of grades and standards in food and agriculture. [http://www.msu.edu/user/ifas/]

• Food Safety Policy Center (FSPC). The Food Safety Policy Center develops research and outreach programs to identify alternative policy and technology options for food and water safety. The focus of the FSPC's policy research and action falls in five key domains: (1) risk analysis and policy, (2) bio-security for food and water, (3) food and water laws, regulation and standards, (4) food and water safety research policy, and (5) emergent and alternative technologies.

• The National Alliance for Food Safety and Security (NAFSS) is a consortium of 23 universities and the USDA Agricultural Research Service; MSU is a founding member and co-leader of NAFSS. NAFSS addresses global issues in food safety – international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and the safety of foods imported into the U.S. [http://www.nafssfoodsafety.org/]

The Institute of International Agriculture (IIA). International Food Safety and Food Industry Development together constitute one of IIA’s core thematic areas of interdisciplinary training, institution building, technical assistance, research, and extension. Examples of IIA’s priority food safety programs in IIA are:

• Partnership for Food Industry Development – Fruits and Vegetables (PFID-F&V). PFID is a highly successful partnership of training institutions, NGOs and private companies in the food industry that has assisted small and medium producers around the world to become more competitive and to expand their exports of fruits, vegetables, and specialty coffee. Competitiveness is improved through enhanced market-led information and increased numbers of producer-buyer linkages, and capacity building of producers to meet grades and standards for food safety and quality throughout the value chain. Private sector alliances that have helped drive the program and directly link producers to the market include: Melissa's, Royal Ahold, Hortifruti, Lafragua, Shop-Rite, Pick 'n Pay, and many others.

• International Short Course in Food Safety. Offered annually as a one-week course to international professionals this course addresses the emerging needs of food safety with a focus on food safety policy development, risk analysis, SPS, and program implementation. Some components of this course are international food trade, regulatory issues, microbial/chemical hazards, food preservation, antibiotic resistance, HACCP and information and training resources in food safety.

• Trade Capacity Building in Relation to the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (RAISE/SPS). The RAISE/SPS program assists farmers, processors and exporters to enhance their competitiveness through achievement of international market stan­dards for food safety and quality. RAISE/SPS also assists developing country regula­tory, scientific and technical institutions that ensure safe domestic food supplies, to protect agricultural plant and animal health, and preserve natural ecosys­tems. Countries and regions in which MSU has conducted RAISE/SPS activities include: Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ecuador, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Croatia, Armenia, Philippines and Indonesia.

Recent/current initiatives under the RAISE/SPS umbrella include the following. 1) Supermarkets and Private standards – This project studies the impact of private standards on small farmers and global supermarkets. It has expanded into Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Central/Eastern Europe. 2) Third-party certification – This study characterizes and clarifies the role of third party certifiers and their accreditors in developing nations. The overall objective of this analysis is to enhance the ability of smallholders, agribusinesses and government agencies to succeed in meeting the challenges of private standards imposed by the supermarket sector. 3) Traceability – Due to new interest in tracing food products to their source, this study aims to evaluate the governmental regulations and industry standards related to traceability as they affect sectors of the supply chain from producers to retailers. 4) SPS Short Course – This training program addresses the strategic use of standards to promote agricultural development regarding SPS issues. It will also act as a tool for constant updating as standards are modified and new issues arise. 5) Benchmarking SPS Management Capacity in Five Central American Countries – This assessment identified critical needs for technical assistance in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua and recommended strategies for USAID to meet those needs. Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures may prevent these countries from capitalizing on current trade agreements. Three major areas affecting SPS measures were globalization, concern for human, animal and plant health along with the environment and increasing information technology.

• China Food Safety and Food Laws Program. Ever since their accession in the World Trade Organization, China has tackled many challenges in competing in the international market of agricultural goods. MSU has worked in collaboration with Chinese partners, the DRC and CAAS, to develop a comprehensive program proposal that aims to: 1) Provide consultation to the Chinese Central Government on the formulation of Chinese food safety laws and the development of the National Food Safety Strategic Plan through applied policy research; 2) Improve the capacity of Chinese regulatory agencies that implement and reinforce food safety laws and regulations through cooperative research and training programs; 3) Improve China’s capacity in risk analysis, management and communication through technical cooperation and assistance programs; 4) Provide strategic planning for public health infrastructure development (surveillance, lab capacity, inspection); 5) Enhance awareness and understanding of food safety and GMO issues through public education of Chinese consumers, producers, and small agriculture businesses; 6) Through applied policy research assist smallholder producers to adapt to the changing environment emerging from China’s entry into the WTO; and 7) Enhance China’s ability to actively engage in the international discussions and negotiations pertaining to food safety, food laws, standards and grades through cooperative applied research and training.

• Armenia Food Traceability Initiative. This initiative has focused on building capacity for food traceability within Armenian agribusiness firms that export goods to the EU and US markets. Participating firms have learned how to establish systems for internal documentation to track the products they ship from the raw material stage to the final product. Compliance with the US Bioterrorism Legislation and other international standards has been the driving force behind the demand for this training. A handbook that details the requirements, forms and checklists of the US and EU regarding traceability has also been prepared for Armenian producers. Four agribusiness firms received one-on-one assistance in developing their traceability programs.