Assuring sustainable practice

Andrew Mahon of Bord Bia’s quality division frames The Sustainable Horticulture Assurance Scheme (SHAS), the revised quality assurance program being launched through the edibles sector and extending into the ornamental and mushroom production in the coming months

Many studies and reports have been published relating to the rise of socially conscious
consumers and the opportunities that this trend presents. These consumers tend to make
their purchasing decisions based on how their own beliefs align with the product’s impact in areas such as environment, ethical values and methods of production.

Bord Bia sets one of its strategic priorities as enhancing the reputation of Irish food, drink and horticulture, among consumer and trade buyers in the marketplace, based on the principles of sustainable development. One of the key pillars underpinning this is the Origin Green programme. Origin Green is a strategic plan to implement a sustainability programme for the entire Irish food, drink and horticulture industry. The programme is designed to bring sustainability from farm to fork. (Further information on Origin Green can
be found online at www.origingreen.ie)

In line with this strategy, Bord Bia is expanding the Origin Green programme to the supply chain at producer level through the well-established Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes for primary producers. The measurement of farm performance against a measurable sustainability matrix was first introduced through the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme and will now be implemented across the range of Bord Bia Quality Assurance Standards for horticulture. The first horticulture standard to be revised is the Producer and Pre-Packer  Standard which was launched in January 2009. The new standard will reflect changes in legislation and best practice that have occurred in the intervening eight years.

The Sustainable Horticulture Assurance Scheme (SHAS) will provide a framework for the development of management practices that will help develop the long-term economic, social and environmental viability of the Irish horticulture sector appealing to the socially aware consumer. The revised requirements of the standard will be benchmarked to other
leading standards internationally. Certification to the new standard will mean that produce carrying the Bord Bia Quality Mark not only meets the highest levels of safety and quality
but has also been produced on a farm that is embracing sustainable practices in line with the Origin Green promise.

The rollout of the new SHAS will commence with the introduction of a revised standard applicable to producers currently certified to the Horticulture Producer Pre-packer Standard. The structure of the SHAS will see the introduction of a modular standard. Module 1 namely “M1-Grower” is applicable for producers who are involved in the growing
of fresh produce, Produce handling and packing is now a separate module and will be covered by “M2-Produce Handling and Packing”. The requirements of the new modules have been written more concisely than the previous standards and will be supported by the provision of a full range of templates for records procedures and policies where relevant, and additional support materials for scheme participants on the SHAS.

The new standard will focus on a risk management based approach to food production, with risk assessments for hygiene, environmental impact and water use required. Producers will be able to avail of online risk assessment tools via the Bord Bia database to complete risk assessments, or a hard copy version can be downloaded where required. The revised scheme also places greater emphasis on traceability throughout the food chain. Based on the new modules the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) has decided that compliance with the SHAS will be taken into account by the DAFM risk assessment, which determines the frequency of DAFM inspections. Therefore, compliance with the SHAS may result in a lower frequency of farm inspections/audits by DAFM for SHAS members.

The SHAS modules for growers (M1) and packers (M2) of fresh produce will be introduced in early 2017. The launch will coincide with a number of workshops and training seminars
for scheme participants and industry representatives. All participants will receive correspondence in the coming months including invitations to attend workshops and seminars, along with copies of the new standard and further information on implementation plans for the new standard.

The workshops will focus on the key developments in the scheme and the producer support tools that have been developed to assist in achieving and maintaining certification.
The workshops and seminars will also provide details as to how the rollout will be managed and the implementation of a transition period to phase out the current producer/prepacker
standard in 2018. It is intended that from the launch of the new standard, producers will be assessed against the requirements of the new modules which are applicable to them, at their next renewal audit. For the duration of the transition period, at the end of the renewal audit the producer will be able to discuss their performance against the requirements of the new standard, and determine whether they would like to proceed with certification to the new SHAS or if they will seek certification to the existing HQAS Producer Pre-Packer Standard for the next certification cycle while working to meet the requirements of the SHAS modules before the next renewal audit.

Work is progressing in relation to the development of SHAS modules to cover ornamental producers, distributors, mushroom casing production, mushroom substrate production, and prepared fruit and vegetables. It is hoped that a number of these will be introduced in 2017. ✽

Andrew Mahon is a Quality Assurance Sector Manager with Bord Bia. He can be reached via his email at andrew.mahon@bordbia.ie.