Standards Development

Scope

The main objective of this document is to provide guidelines for product characterization of native species. These practical guidelines establish and standardize minimum requirements for quality and performance of native species and their derived products, guiding national authorities, national standards bodies, national technical committees, and other stakeholders; including exporters or importers of products derived from native species, as well as consumers and users, in the development of standards on this matter so as to contribute to conservations efforts and the sustainable use of biodiversity resources.

This document considers the product characterization of products derived from native species that have been collected or harvested, and which results may enable the drafting of international standards. This document may be used by producers, importers, exporters, as well as consumers and users of products derived from native species as technical support for characterizing native species products.

Purpose

This guide proposal is developed with the objective of contributing to the sustainable use of biodiversity. Product characterization obtained from native species enables product commercialization, providing a market value and promoting the conservation of its ecosystem. This adds to strengthening the Quality Infrastructure services that support efforts in biodiversity conservation and compliance with obligations entered into as part of multilateral environmental agreements, related to biodiversity (https: //www.informea.org/en/treaties/biological-diversity).

Globally, consumers are demanding more and more products derived from native species due to their origin, nature and natural properties, which offer nutritional and aesthetic benefits. Native species products are considered in the production of foods and cosmetics, as well other goods.

Many products derived from native species are collected by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and their processing and transformation provide income and economic growth opportunities. Encouraging the participation of MSMEs in the process of developing and submitting technical standards for native species products to international organizations would enhance their supply chain and increase their share of the final product value. In this context, contributing through standardization to the creation of value chains for native species products would support efforts for reducing poverty rates.

The main objective of this proposal is to provide guidelines for product characterization of native species. These practical guidelines to establish and standardize minimum requirements for quality and performance of native species and their derived products would guide national authorities, national standards bodies, national technical committees, and other stakeholders; including exporters or importers of products derived from native species, as well as consumers and users, in the development of standards on this matter so as to contribute to conservations efforts and the sustainable use biodiversity resources.

This document considers the product characterization of products obtained from native species that have been collected or harvested, and which results may enable the drafting of international standards. This proposal may be used by producers, importers, exporters (which includes MSMEs), as well as consumers and users of products derived from native species.