First Sustainable Production Agreement Signed in Dominican Republic

First Sustainable Production Agreement Signed in Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 11/30/2011

With the objective of improving competitiveness and environmental efforts on the part of organic banana producers from the Northeast Line and as a result of a reduction in environmental impact on their part, the first Sustainable Production Agreement in Dominican Republic was signed.

The signing of this agreement seeks to increase competitiveness and environmental performance of the banana production sector through evaluation and implementation of activities that increase production while preventing and minimizing the negative environmental impact and…

The agreement was signed by Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Ernesto Reyna; the Agriculture Ministry, represented by its Minister Salvador Jiménez, the  National Council on Competitiveness, represented by Andrés Van Der Horst and Association of Organic Banana Producers of the North-East Line (BANELINO in Spanish), represented by its president, Víctor Mercado García. This agreement has the support of the USAID’s Program for Environmental Protection.

The signing of this agreement seeks to increase competitiveness and environmental performance of the banana production sector through evaluation and implementation of activities that increase production while preventing and minimizing the negative environmental impact and by reducing the risks associated with the cultivation and commercialization of bananas.

Other objectives of the agreement include establishing and consolidating mechanisms for dialogue between the productive sector and state authorities in an effort to fulfill the environmental and health agreements, to promote and apply cleaner production measures that will raise environmental standards, reduce costs and increase competitiveness levels while establishing incentives to facilitate and motivate the application of cleaner production measures.

The agreement will be in effect for one year. Producers who adhere to the agreement will receive the following incentives: training in Cleaner Production applied to the production process and supply chain; support for scientific research in innovative information on prevention of contamination and optimization of processes; coordination with state authorities for inspections that fall under the framework of the agreement; coordination for national and international support for the application of measures that reduce costs and increase productivity and all analyses of the national and international situation in order to receive economic incentives and/or fiscal benefits for signatories of the agreement.

Sustainable Production Agreements as Voluntary Implementation Mechanisms.

Sustainable Production Agreements are defined as environmental policy instruments based on established accords between a private productive sector and relevant state institutions which seek to achieve concrete environmental objectives. This type of accord originated in Holland where authorities and the Dutch population have a long history and ample experience in enacting these types of agreements.

Among the various objectives to be achieved are: preventing contamination as a priority, increase competitiveness, establish and consolidate mechanisms for dialogue between the productive sector and state authorities in order to fulfill environmental and health standards, establish incentive mechanisms that facilitate and motivate the application of cleaner production measures.

The main principles and orientation that fall under this agreement include but are not limited to: public and private cooperation, proper crop rotation, self-control and monitoring, responsibility on the part of producers for proper disposal of their residue and waste and the use of good practices.