Voluntary Certification Research Articles

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ДЕЙСТВИЯ СИСТЕМЫ ХААСП И ТРЕБОВАНИЙ ПО БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ ДЛЯ ЗЕРНОВЫХ ЭЛЕВАТОРОВ

The purpose of research is to update the legislative framework of the Russian Federation in the field of food safety and the specifics of standardization and certification using the principles of HACCP for grain elevators. The objects of research are the fundamental regulatory and technical documentation for the development and implementation of a food quality management system based on the principles of HACCP in food and processing enterprises. The analysis of legislation and regulatory documents related to ensuring the safety of products stored in grain elevators is given. The necessity of developing, implementing and maintaining a system based on the principles of HACCP for food and processing industries, including grain elevators, is substantiated. The requirements for the creation of a product safety system and the features of its management for grain elevators are determined. The main regulatory document on the quality and safety of products for enterprises engaged in the storage and primary processing of food grains is the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union (TR TS 021-2011) "On Food Safety". To ensure the safety of grain products at elevators, enterprises need to develop and implement a food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP, which is recognized as the best system in the world for food safety management and became mandatory in the Russian Federation 7 years ago in connection with the adopted and valid on territory of the Russian Federation TR CU 021-2011. The foundation of the HACCP system is, first of all, risk analysis, during which dangerous factors are identified, then a preventive system for their elimination and / or prevention is created to minimize losses and improve the quality of products. The introduction of the HACCP system and the passage of voluntary certification of products allow grain elevators to successfully pass control and supervision measures, reach a new level of production development and product sales.

Effect of Voluntary Certifications on Non-Traditional Agro-Exports in Peru

Effect of Voluntary Certifications on Non-Traditional Agro-Exports in Peru

Agro-input dealers' perspectives on the design of a certification scheme for pesticide risk reduction.

While pesticides are essential for crop protection and food security, they pose serious risks to human health and the environment. Agro-input dealers can play an important role in mitigating pesticide risks, given that they are a major source of pesticides and plant health information for many developing-country farmers. In this article, we assess the willingness of agro-input dealers to offer integrated pest management-based advisory services and promote pesticide risk reduction through a voluntary certification scheme. Using survey data from 557 agro-input dealers in Uganda and a discrete choice experiment, we find that the proposed certification scheme is significantly valued by agro-input dealers, particularly for its potential to provide training opportunities and ensure safety to human health and the environment. Agro-input dealers have a positive attitude towards a certification scheme that restricts the sale of high-risk pesticide products, especially if it stimulates additional income-generating opportunities. Further analysis shows that preferences for voluntary certification attributes are influenced by certification experience, agro-dealership experience, business ownership status and incidence of acute pesticide poisoning. The study findings demonstrate that agro-input dealers are conscious of pesticide risks to human and environmental health and are keen to participate in a certification scheme promoting safer plant protection products. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Do green certifications add value? Feedback from high-level stakeholders in the Spanish office market

The transition towards a decarbonized European economy by 2050 provides numerous opportunities for companies in the real estate sector to integrate sustainable actions into their assets. In the office industry, green certifications are designed to disclose how sustainable a building is and to enable comparison among peers. This paper uses semi-structured interviews with experts in real estate and sustainability to offer qualitative insights into the decision-making process behind the voluntary certification of office buildings with green certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design -LEED- or Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method -BREEAM-. It may shed light on emerging trends in the sustainable real estate market. The findings, separated into economic, social and technical dimensions, show deep, widespread implementation of green certifications in sustainability-sensitive demand and supply. They function as a discard or brown discount vector, rather than as a green premium. Expert commentary on how certifications influence asset values has been cautious, due to insufficient data. Furthermore, the benefits of green financing are disputed. Other vectors, such as carbon footprint and European taxonomy alignment, have gained relevance in investment and operational processes.

Recent advancements in meat traceability, authenticity verification, and voluntary certification systems

The growing demand for transparency in the food industry has led to significant advancements in meat traceability. Ensuring the authenticity and origin of meat products is critical for consumer trust, public health, and compliance with regulations. This paper reviews recent innovations in meat traceability, with a focus on blockchain technology as a novel approach to ensuring traceability. Additionally, advanced methods for verifying meat authenticity and origin, such as isotope fingerprinting, DNA analysis, and spectroscopic methods, are discussed. The role of voluntary certification schemes in enhancing traceability and authenticity verification in the meat industry is also explored. The findings highlight the importance of integrating cutting-edge technologies and certification schemes to build a robust and transparent meat supply chain.

Navigating the complex policy landscape for carbon farming in The Netherlands and the EU

Background The EU carbon removal and carbon farming (CRCF) framework sets the quality requirements for voluntary greenhouse gas certification schemes for i) permanent removal, ii) temporary carbon storage in long-lasting products, iii) temporary carbon storage from carbon farming, and iv) soil emission reduction. The next step is to develop “tailored certification methodologies for different types of carbon removal activities.” Via CRCF compliant certification schemes, certificates can be issued and sold to generate extra funding for carbon farming via voluntary carbon markets or other (future) performance-based incentive schemes (e.g., Agri sector Emissions Trading Scheme). Method We provide a qualitative assessment of the complex landscape of carbon farming incentive schemes and their associated monitoring, reporting, verification, and certification (MRV-C) frameworks. To illustrate these complexities, we take the farmers’ perspective of a Dutch dairy farmer that wants to implement different carbon farming activities (i.e., a portfolio), while aiming to secure a decent farm-level income. We discuss the farmers’ challenge by analyzing different options and routes for the financial valorization for several carbon farming activities. Results We find that the incremental MRV-C and incentive schemes, like the EU CRCF and potential agri-ETS are likely to add to the existing administrative burden for (carbon) farmers in the EU. Proper alignment, integration and standardization of the EU CRCF with existing MRV-C infrastructure(s) is needed to limit the administrative burden and transaction costs. Also, there is a need to provide better ex-ante clarity to (carbon) farmers and investors on the complementarity of incentive schemes from different policy domains (e.g., agriculture, climate, energy, bioeconomy). Conclusion We argue that the complexity of the MRV-C and incentives landscape ads to the administrative burden and flag this a potential source of inertia for investments in carbon farming. We conclude with recommendations to simplify and streamline the policy mix and MRV-C processes.

Transformational Environmental Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility as Triggers of Competitive Advantage and Sustainable Performance in Environmentally Certified Companies in Mexico

This research proposes a model to assess the impacts of transformational environmental leadership and corporate social responsibility on sustainable performance with the mediating effect of competitive advantage in environmentally certified companies in Mexico. Based on a literature review, a measurement instrument was created to evaluate the variables in the model. The sample is composed of 150 certified companies from 29 states. We used factor analysis and path analysis for hypothesis testing. We observed that transformational environmental leadership facilitates the internal changes and decision-making necessary to implement corporate social responsibility practices, develop competitive advantages, and improve sustainable performance. We also observed a positive relationship between competitive advantage and sustainable performance. From a transformational environmental leadership perspective, this study is helpful for researchers, industry experts, policymakers, and managers interested in voluntary environmental certifications in emerging economies. The research model implies a way to strengthen companies’ competitive advantage and sustainable performance through transformational environmental leadership and corporate social responsibility.

Проблемні питання забезпечення якості дорожньо-будівельних матеріалів та виробів в контексті особливостей їх сертифікації в Україні відповідно до ДСТУ EN ISO/IEC 17065:2019 та закону України «Про надання будівельної продукції на ринку»

Introduction. The article examines the importance of certification of road construction materials as one of the main tools for ensuring their quality. Problems. The authors emphasize that the certificate of conformity is a key document that confirms that the products meet the established regulatory requirements. Product certification, which includes laboratory tests and control of the production process, ensures the objectivity of quality assessment. The article describes in detail the stages of the certification process, from submitting an application to technical supervision of certified products. The role of certification bodies, which must be accredited by the National Accreditation Agency of Ukraine (NAAU), is emphasized separately, and their responsibility for the safety and quality of certified road construction materials is also noted. The authors also draw attention to the problem of non-compliance with the quality standards of road construction products in Ukraine, which leads to road defects, such as cracks and subsidence, which can appear already a year after the road is put into operation. In this context, it is emphasized the need to strengthen the quality control of both produced in Ukraine and imported road construction materials. The article also considers the issue of voluntary certification of road construction products, which is carried out at the initiative of the manufacturer or supplier, which is becoming more and more important in the conditions of tender procurement. At the same time, the lack of quality control of products sold through retail networks and the lack of effective quality control of imported road construction materials are emphasized.

Experience of Implementing Internal Control over Quality and Safety of Medical Activities in Moscow Regional Clinical TB Dispensary

The article describes the experience of implementing control over quality and safety of medical activities and passing the stages of voluntary certification under System On Quality and Safety of Medical Activities in 2020-2022 in 3 clinics and 12 branches of Moscow Regional Clinical TB Dispensary. Obtaining a certificate of voluntary certification by National Institute of Quality confirms the leading position of Moscow Regional Clinical TB Dispensary and served as a basis for founding Regional Center for Organization of Internal Control of Quality and Safety of Medical Activities.

Valuation of Intangible Assets: The Value of Voluntary Certifications

Valuation of Intangible Assets: The Value of Voluntary Certifications

Capital Market Consequences of Information about Individual Auditors

Synopsis The research problem This study examines the capital market consequences of the voluntary disclosure of individual auditor information. Specifically, we examined whether and how the disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is associated with information asymmetry and investors’ responses to earnings. Motivation Regulators have recently started to focus on disclosing auditor information beyond their names such as in China, where it is increasingly important in practice. Although prior studies have demonstrated benefits associated with the mandatory disclosure of partners’ names, there is relatively little evidence of the usefulness of additional information about individual auditors that could be provided voluntarily. This study sheds light on the economic consequences of disclosing detailed information about individual auditors and extends the voluntary disclosure literature. The test hypotheses We tested the following hypotheses in this study: (a) voluntary disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is associated with lower information asymmetry and (b) voluntary disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is not associated with investors’ reactions to corporate earnings announcements. Target population Stakeholders of listed companies and audit firms, including company managers, investors, and accounting regulators. Adopted methodology Ordinary least squares regressions, archival data, interviews, and machine learning methods to obtain initial data. Analyses We first crawled the annual audit reports of listed companies in China and used machine learning methods to capture voluntary disclosure of auditor qualification certificates. In a sample of more than 14,000 Chinese company-years from 2012 to 2018, we identified 10.5% of the observations voluntarily disclosing auditor qualification certificates. We used the bid-ask spread as the proxy of information asymmetry, and the earnings response coefficient refers to the coefficient on unexpected earnings to the cumulative abnormal returns. Findings We found that the voluntary disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is associated with lower information asymmetry and stronger market reaction to earnings announcements. The main results hold through various robustness tests. Cross-sectional analyses show that this association is less pronounced when a company employs a larger audit firm or has higher analyst coverage. Further, the specific information conveyed by the auditor qualification certificate, such as the auditor’s facial trustworthiness, helps explain the economic consequences associated with voluntary auditor qualification certificate disclosure. Moreover, an initial disclosure of auditor qualification certificates is associated with greater effects.

Certification of food products

The article discusses the goals and objectives of food product certifi cation, types of conformity assessment (mandatory declaration, state registration, voluntary certifi cation), as well as the procedure for carrying out the procedure and other information.

Throwing light on the relationship between voluntary environmental certification and corporates’ financial performance: a meta-analysis-based study

Throwing light on the relationship between voluntary environmental certification and corporates’ financial performance: a meta-analysis-based study

Flexibility through bundles of capital: The capabilities of Indonesian small-scale handline tuna fishers under voluntary sustainability certification

As key tuna producers and exporters globally, developing countries are exposed to voluntary sustainability certification to respond to market and consumer demands. Only recently, small-scale fisheries have received attention in this respect. Despite small volumes traded, fishing activities are essential for maintaining the livelihoods of small-scale fishers. Their environmental footprint is lower than large-scale fisheries, yet lack of capital, capabilities, and conflicting interests along the value chain have hindered their participation in certification schemes. This study employs Sen’s capability approach to understand the extent to which a voluntary standard develops the capabilities of small-scale tuna fishers. We use a case study of the Fair Trade USA Capture Fisheries Standard (CFS) in the province of Maluku, Indonesia, established in collaboration with an Indonesian non-governmental organization, Yayasan Masyarakat dan Perikanan Indonesia. We show that fishers use a bundle of different kinds of capitals to develop their capabilities for compliance with the certification standard. This bundle of capitals consists of a combination of prescribed capitals (the capitals necessary to comply with the certification standard) and alternative capitals that fishers use to develop their abilities for their compliance. Instead of using human capital as emphasized by the certification standard, in this study, we found that fishers use social capital as their main capital to comply with the standard, which makes it the primary source for improving their capabilities. In conclusion, we found support for the need to strengthen flexibility in the implementation of sustainability standards to increase their effectiveness as a sustainability governance mechanism.

Assessing the Impact of Voluntary Certification Schemes on Future Sustainable Coffee Production

Coffee production faces major sustainability issues and consumers increasingly look to choose certified coffee as awareness grows. While consumers’ understanding of sustainability issues is limited, independent voluntary certification schemes such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and certified organic—three high-profile schemes—can play a role in future-proofing coffee production through standard-setting. These schemes can also inform consumers about sustainability issues from economic, environmental, and social perspectives, thus driving up demand for sustainably grown coffee, and supporting an enabling environment for farmers and coffee-producing countries to improve the status quo. Sustainably grown coffee ensures that farmers sustain production while protecting the environment and the income that farmers rely on to maintain their livelihood. Based on a thematic analysis and synthesis of previous studies, this paper examines the social, economic, and environmental effects of voluntary certification schemes for coffee production. It evaluates the current state of coffee production and explores how certification schemes can be effective in encouraging more sustainable practices among producers. Three major voluntary certification schemes are evaluated to identify the impacts on producers, including key barriers and enablers to comply with sustainability standards and to determine how fit-for-purpose certification schemes are in assuring future sustainable coffee production.

Procedure for Certification of Stomatologists (Dentists) and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Ukraine as of 2024: Analysis of General Provisions and Provisions on Certification Commissions

Each country has different legislative features of continuing professional development (CPD) of doctors and corresponding state сertification. The purpose of this paper is to highlight and to make the quick analysis of two aspects of the Procedure for Certification of Stomatologists and Maxillofacial Surgeons of the Order of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine dated February 22, 2019, No. 446 (as amended by the Order of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine dated August 18, 2021, No. 1753). First aspect is General Provisions of the Procedure for Certification of Doctors and second ascpect is Provision on Certification Commissions. The General Provisions include seven clauses, and the Provisions on Certification Commissions include 11 detailed clauses. Clauses of the General Provisions include such topics as (1) the mechanism for the сertification of doctors, (2) tasks of conducting certification, (3) terminology, (4) types of certifications, (5) the List of medical positions in health care institutions, according to which certification is carried out, (6) the main place of work and part-time work during the certification, and (7) deadlines for submitting documents for the next voluntary certification. Clauses of the Provisions on Certification Commissions include information about (1) state bodies under which certification commissions are created, (2) the procedure for approving the personal composition of the certification commission, (3) composition of the Central Certification Commission, (4) composition of the certification commissions and its subcommittees, (5) the periodicity of renewal is not less than 1/3 of the composition of certification commissions, (6) quantitative composition of certification commissions at their meetings, (7) frequency of meetings of certification commissions, (8) the decision-making mechanism of commissions, (9) functions of the Central Certification Commission, (10) list of doctors certified by the Central Certification Commission, and (11) places of certification of doctors working in health care institutions that are part of the management of central executive bodies, other bodies where relevant certification commissions have been established. This certification procedure in Ukraine applies to doctors of all eight stomatological (dental) specialties, namely (1) doctors-stomatologists, (2)pediatric doctors-stomatologists, (3) doctors-stomatologists-orthodontists, (4) doctors-stomatologists-prosthodontists, (5) doctors-stomatologists-periodontists, (6) doctors-stomatologists-therapists, (7) doctors-stomatologists-surgeons, and (8) maxillofacial surgeons (also known as maxillofacial doctors-stomatologists). Certificate of assignment of a higher qualification category to a doctor-stomatologist-surgeon in the specialty “Surgical Stomatology” (also known as “Oral Surgery”) has been added to the article for clarity. This article provides a detailed analysis of the translation of the General Provisions and the Provisions on Certification Commissions as two basic parts of the Procedure for the certification of doctors in Ukraine.

Integrated tools for quality promotion and project control

Public administrations, called upon to integrate the principles and criteria of Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) and Environmental Socia, Governance (ESG) in the planning, design and production of their investments, now find themselves operating within new decision-making scenerios and models, in the very broad framework of standards, including specialised ones, certification protocols and framework levels for sustainability assessment and reporting. This paper reports on a research experience aimed at defining tools and guidelines to incentivise and assess the environmental and social quality of projects and works (a collaboration between Agenzia del Demanio and Politecnico di Milano). It documents the challenges, limits and opportunities arising from overlapping compulsory regulations, standards and voluntary certification protocols for the qualification of public works.

The problem of psychologist certification: A comparative analysis of international experience

As the war in Ukraine poses a significant threat to national mental health, professional psychological support has become more crucial than ever for Ukrainians. The need to regulate the profession and establish a safe environment for consumers of psychological services has led to the implementation of psychologist licensing and certification. In Ukraine, this system is imperfect and requires optimisation, one of the ways to achieve which is to study and adapt the best international experience. In light of this, the aim of this article was to examine the characteristics of psychologist certification in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and China to identify prospects for developing the psychologist certification system in Ukraine. The methodological tools used included the dialectical method, as well as systemic, informational, theological, and functional approaches, which allowed for the presentation of the features of certification in the current conditions of professionalisation of psychological activities. It has been established that certification has historically been one of the methods for measuring competence in professional psychology. For this purpose, professional associations create voluntary certification systems. The features of the most developed psychologist certification systems (USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom) were examined, and an attempt was made to compare them with similar certification models in the European Union and China. Common requirements for psychologist certification in these countries were identified, including requirements for the content and duration of specialised education; requirements for supervised psychological practice; requirements for professional development in both practical and research areas; and requirements for the moral and ethical qualities of the psychologist. Conceptualising and measuring psychologist competence is an ongoing dynamic process as the field of psychological practice continues to evolve. The practical value of the results lies in their potential use to identify ways to improve the national psychologist certification system and the possibilities for transitioning from voluntary certification to mandatory certification

Assessment of products of anaerobic fermentation of organic raw material from poultry last by microbiological indicators

The product of anaerobic microbiological transformation of bird droppings is a liquid suspended product (digestate), the composition of which is characterized by new chemical features acquired due to the activity of anaerobic microorganisms. This process takes place in biogas plants, and as a result of methane fermentation of bird droppings, biogas and residues of organic raw materials are formed, which are used as fertilizer. The international practice of using digestate as an organic fertilizer or soil improver for the farm’s own needs is similar to classic composts and does not require sanitary and microbiological certification, but there are voluntary certification standards, as well as various industry guidelines on the quality of organic fertilizers. The work analyzes international and national sanitary microbiological standards regarding digestates, products of processing by-products of animal husbandry and organic substances for application to the soil, in particular Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and the Council of June 5, 2019 «On establishing rules for placing fertilizers on the market EU», DSTU 7527:2014 «Poultry droppings. Technologies of biological processing. General requirements», DSTU 7938:2015 «Organic fertilizers. Agronomic requirements for the quality of fertilizers for use in organic production». Information from scientific articles, standards of individual countries and guidelines of international voluntary certification bodies regarding the assessment of digestate applied to the soil as an organic fertilizer or soil improver is summarized. It has been established that mandatory sanitary microbiological characteristics for such substances are Salmonella bacteria (Salmonellas spp.) and Escherichia spp. bacteria, as well as the standards of some countries and scientific literature recommend determining Coliform bacteria and Streptococ-cus faecalis bacteria, the presence of which indicates the possible presence of potentially dangerous strains of microorganisms. With the use of laboratory equipment, the granulation conditions of the solid fraction of the digestate were optimized to obtain granulated organic fertilizer from the sludge of the biogas plant. A microbiological analysis of granulated digestate from a biogas plant on bird droppings was carried out in order to establish its compliance with the sanitarybacteriological requirements for organic fertilizers. The presence of pathogens of infectious diseases in poultry droppings and the presence of phytopathogens in grain, which is used for the preparation of premixes, increases their probable migration into the composition of organic fertilizer in case of improper methane fermentation with violation of temperature and exposure conditions. Microbiological analysis of granulated digestate showed the absence of Salmonellas spp. and Escherichia spp. bacteria in the studied samples, but a high number of mold fungi 1.2·104±7.25·102 CFU/g was found, which may be a consequence of storage wet raw materials. In order to prevent microbiological contamination during the storage and transportation of raw materials and organic fertilizers, a necessary condition is compliance with sanitary requirements for all technological processes, starting from the conditions of keeping and feeding animals to the conditions of storage of finished products and application to the soil. The content of harmful microorganisms in the digestate of biogas plants operating on bird droppings or animal manure without litter or the addition of plant residues and chemicals depends mainly on the quality of the droppings and water. The quality of raw materials affects the quality of the digestate and is determined by the sanitary-epidemiological condition of animals and premises, microbiological contamination of feed, pre-treatment of raw materials for loading to the biogas plant. It was established that the granular digestate from bird droppings meets the requirements of Ukrainian standards DSTU 7527:2014 regarding organic fertilizers from poultry droppings and DSTU 7938:2015 regarding organic farming, which allows for further substantiation of optimal application technologies. To control the secondary bacterial contamination of organic raw materials during the storage process, the effectiveness of the use of commercial biological preparations was evaluated. The perspective of using commercial microbial preparations, in particular MycoHelp, to control mold fungi of the genus Penicillum spp. in the technologies of processing by-products of agriculture into organic fertilizers and preventing spoilage of finished products during storage.

Fat quality, sensory properties and consumers preference towards different commercial labels for bovine milk from retail market

SummaryIn the modern large‐scale retail trade, voluntary quality schemes play a fundamental role to communicate specific quality attributes of processes and products, from farms to the market. However, consumers are not always able to recognise such an added value for milk certifications. In this paper, we evaluated the differences in the lipid quality and sensory properties of four different commercial labels for retail milk by means of gas‐chromatographic analysis of fatty acids (FAs) and sensory assessment performed by a trained sensory panel. Meanwhile, we tested the effects of the four selected milk labels and information on consumers perception by means of an online experimental survey. Our results emphasised a different FAs composition of retail milk labelled under voluntary certifications. Polyunsaturated FAs of the n‐3 and n‐6 series (along with their ratios), branched chain FAs, trans isomers of C18:1 and conjugated isomers of linoleic acid were found at different concentrations in different milk labels, with the TSG Haymilk (HM) displaying the most favourable profile followed by the mountain product (MP) and then by High‐Quality fresh milk (HQ) and Extended Shelf‐Life milk (ESL) with no voluntary quality marks. Being strictly related to the farm production system, milk FAs revealed as natural markers of production system for certified milk. Quite no difference was found for the sensory properties, excepting for the overall aroma intensity, which was lower in MP. At the same time, we evidenced that the added value given by the distinct quality of fat for HM and MP is still not recognised by consumers, which perceived these milk labels as healthy, as tasty, as natural and as nutrient as HQ. This result highlighted that there is still room for producers aligned with the voluntary certifications HQ and MP to promote their products on the market and to raise consumer awareness about their quality attributes.