The product obtained from an SQNBA certified farm "can certainly boast added value" .For Masaf (ICQRF) the application of "higher prices" is justified.
In relations between buyers and suppliers of products that make use of references to the SQNBA , " higher prices should be applied compared to products not included in the system in question , given the possible existence of illegal aspects deriving from the failure to recognise the higher value of the product".
Felice Assenza, Chief Inspector of the Fraud Inspectorate Department of Masaf , wrote this in a circular sent to the livestock sector.
Clarifications to the supply chain
The initiative responds to requests for clarification sent to the Department regarding the presence of any contractual clauses between entities in the livestock supply chain within the scope of SQNBA voluntary certification contracts.An added value to be distributed along the entire supply chain
"It is quite clear - explains the circular - that adhering to the system and respecting the requirements and obligations reported in the production specifications entail obligations for the breeders" .For this reason too, the product obtained "can certainly boast an "added value" compared to a product obtained from a farm that does not adhere to the quality system in question" .
An added value recognized by the consumer " who, therefore, is inclined to choose this product over others and is willing to pay a higher price".
It follows that " this greater value, recognized at the final purchasing stage of the finished product, must be equally distributed along the entire supply chain , with particular reference to the primary production stage and to the breeders who have had to bear higher costs or lower production yields in favor of the principles of sustainability and healthiness that the legislator wanted to promote and support".
Legislative sources
This is not a simple recommendation: the Ministry refers to Legislative Decree no. 198/2021 on unfair commercial practices.Failure to pay an adequate price for SQNBA certified products may constitute elements of unlawfulness pursuant to Article 5.
In other words, the economic valorization of certification cannot only benefit the final stages of the supply chain.
More sustainable production systems
With this intervention, MASAF reinforces the political and operational message in support of the transition towards more sustainable production systems: without fair remuneration, farmers' participation in voluntary systems risks remaining marginal .Finally, the note is a warning to associations, organizations, and companies in the supply chain: joining the SQNBA cannot result in increased requirements without adequate financial compensation, as this would constitute a violation of current legislation.
ICQRF's communication thus takes on a strategic role: it protects breeders, defines a more transparent contractual framework, and strengthens the credibility of voluntary quality systems in the Italian agri-food sector. (Source: https://www.anmvioggi.it /)