Participants will play the role of main actors in the chain - producer, conventional and specialized trader, consumer and supporting institutions - and define the concept of quality from their own perspective (Material 3.1.). During the brainstorming session the trainer will provide a better understanding of the notion and its components, assisted by a power point presentation (Presentation 3.1.) and draw the relevant conclusions (taking into account the concept subjectiveness and complexities and identifying the different components of quality).

Material 3.2. Reference reading to assist trainers.

Material 3.2. Reference reading for trainers. The concept of quality in the horticultural sector

Quality: What is it?

Richard J. Schonberger claims that quality is like art, "everybody praises it, everybody recognizes it, but each one has its own understanding of what it is". Objectively, quality is the aptitude of a good (product) or service to satisfy the needs of its users. ISO Standard 8402:1987 defines quality as "The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs".

This definition implies "consumers' satisfaction", fulfilling their needs and expectations, in an organization committed to continuous improvement and effectiveness. The five important words associated with quality are then:

It is therefore essential when producing quality products to know who will be the user(s) of the product and what are the specific and constantly changing needs to be addressed. For agrifood products, quality may be regarded as a complex characteristic of foods that determines its value and acceptability by consumers (22^nd Regional FAO Conference for Europe, Oporto, 2000).

Quality components for foods are related to:

Characteristics of the food:

• hygienic quality and safety
  
  
• nutritional quality
  
  
• organoleptic quality

Use or service quality:

• conveniece (easy to use)



• conservation

Psychosocial or subjective quality:

• satisfaction, pleasure

These characteristics define the options to satisfy implicit or explicit needs. According to Pons and Sirvardiére (2002), implicit needs are essential and evident, for example for improving health or the safety of a product. Explicit needs are those conforming to the declared needs of an objective user.

Explicit need is the right of a consumer to choose the product rewarding his senses (smell, taste, sight, touch and ear).

Quality attributes for a product that fulfils needs and expectations of consumers (and other actors in the chain) belong to two main categories: attributes relating directly to the product, called "product attributes", and attributes relating to production and processing, called "process attributes". The first include those relating to taste, appearance, texture, consistency, smell, safety and some functional characteristics, such as post-harvest life and convenience. "Process attributes", on the other hand, include among others, organic production, GMOs, environmental concerns and origin.

Therefore, as long as product quality is defined according to the needs of its user, it will remain strongly influenced by the principles, values, culture, ethics and religious values of individuals. All together, consumers may choose products not only by "product attributes", but also by "process attributes" involving the way in which they are produced and processed: origin, environmental impact of production practices, etc. Consumers may pay a higher price for products conforming to these requirements or attributes.

Some quality attributes may be grasped by the consumer through the senses, while others cannot be assessed directly. Organoleptics fall into the first, while the second involves process attributes and those having to do with nutrition and safety. Consumers may judge the attributes of the product they intend to buy by taste, smell, sometimes size, all used to judge texture and taste. Other quality attributes, such as microbiological and chemical contaminants or the nutritional value, are in general not grasped through the consumer's experience or perception of the product and can only be conveyed by external indications, such as certifications or quality labels. Likewise are other process attributes, such as environmental impact, which can only be identified with attached labels or marks.

To conclude, in the agrifood sector the general concept of quality is complex and global, as a result of the diversity in horticultural produce and the inter-relations between links in the chain. The concept includes all attributes, characteristics and values that the consumer or buyer would expect of the product according to its use. A good quality product would certainly fulfil the expectations of the consumer or of the end user.

Given the complexities and subtleties mentioned, there is a need for agreement between the different actors to specify objectively the quality criteria for a product or service, standards and normative documents fulfilling this need. These are public and voluntary documents (as opposed to mandatory regulations) produced by a recognized institution and results from the consensus of the different actors involved to facilitate trade as a consequence of common understanding.

Standards or agreements (codes of practices, etc.) are specifications for the quality attributes of products, for their production systems, adaptation processes, post-harvest technologies, etc., that take into account the different components of quality.

Codex Alimentarius is the international body for food standardization, recognized in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phitosanitary Measures (SPS) of the World Trade Organization to protect human, animal and plants through international standards, guidelines, codes of practice and other documents. Codex also covers issues belonging to the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), in particular labeling*.

The continuing concern for guaranteed quality has resulted in quality assurance and safety programs, addressed to assure and certify the attributes of a product, through normative documentation covering its production and processing. These programs include inspection procedures ensuring implementation, while the overall process may result in a label or certification proving the conformance of the attributes to the relevant documents.

Quality assurance programmes can be either compulsory, legislating on the safety requisites of products; or voluntary, through third party certification on quality management (ISO Standards 9000), environmental certification (Green Labels, ISO Standards 14000), ethical concerns (Basic Code/Social Auditing 8000), certifications of origin, certification of organic production and private certifications involving various quality, safety, ethical and environmental concerns.

Complying with these certifications, required by importing markets, exporting countries are making significant efforts to capture market openings, or often, just to remain in business. This results in developing and enforcing national codes of practice and in efforts to secure the recognition of these codes by the importing markets

Likewise, the whole scheme of quality certification, employed by the consumers and other actors, requires a system accrediting its conformance to the applicable documents (codes of practice, protocols, etc.). Efforts are also underway to implement the accreditation of quality certification systems.

The potential for developing countries' economies, resulting from production and trade in fruits and vegetables must be again stressed. Quality and safety assurance systems must take into account both financial objectives, for entrepreneurs or others associated to the business, and non-financial objectives allowing for the satisfaction of customers, producers, employees, social groups, ecologists, etc.

Often emphasis is placed, during the implementation phase of quality and safety assurance activities, in securing a certification of sorts by the end of the program. In an environment as dynamic as horticulture, just fulfilling quality standards as such may not ensure success. Therefore, the holistic approach to horticulture requires the satisfaction of the consumer, integrating operative and functional strategies, complying with legal frames, with the whole supported by innovation, learning, new knowledge, organizational agility and more competitiveness and skills on the part of the actors.

*For additional information, refer to "Improving the safety and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables: a training manual for trainers". University of Maryland, 2002