The majority of exports come from countries with preferred trade status under the Lomé Convention. For instance, in 2000, Kenya was the single largest supplier of green beans to the European Union, followed by Ethiopia, South Africa, and Switzerland. Kenya captured 53% of the total traded value. Côte d’Ivoire was the second largest supplier of green onions and shallots to the European Union, after New Zealand, capturing 16% of the total traded value . Although within this same period, many world governments have increased the levels of protectionism against imported produce or at least have slowed down the opening of their markets to increased exposure to imports. Still, compared to overall exports of agricultural products, the importance of vegetable exports remains minor, comprising less than 10% of the total value. However,nft hydroponic system in recent years the share has been rising and it is projected to continue to rise faster than other agricultural products.
During the 1990s, the value of fresh and processed vegetables imported by the European Union surpassed all other categories.In this situation many vegetable growers are eager to produce value-added horticultural crops as compared to field crops, and to obtain higher yields of high-quality products. International supermarket chains and large processors are becoming the main buyers of exported fresh vegetables and small-scale growers worldwide need to be trained and organized to meet the challenge of sup-plying these international players. The major constraints to the participation of small-scale growers in international vegetable exports are the increased awareness that food quality and safety is receiving in the food trade and as well, an expansion in the number of non-tariff measures that developed countries apply to vegetable products . Sanitary issues refer to ensuring a safe food supply for consumers, while phytosanitary issues concern the protection of domestic crops from imported pests and diseases. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement of the World Trade Organization specifies that countries can pursue their own levels of food safety standards.
However SPS issues are sometimes used as a protectionist tool against imports since multilateral trade agreements have reduced the ability to protect domestic production with tariffs and quotas.Thus exporters from less developed countries must be provided with training opportunities and information access on how to produce and supply safe products to developed countries. Traceability, phytosanitary, infrastructure, and productivity issues will continue to be a barrier for participation in the vegetable trade for most of the developing world. Application of agricultural chemicals is often poorly regulated, and industrial pollutants are common hazards in the soil, water, and air of developing countries. In the future, hydroponic nft system the inability of these countries to meet increasingly strict phytosanitary and traceability requirements for food products will constrict exports to developed countries . Small- scale growers and processors in developing countries will thus have to learn to supply safe products with traceability labels, if their participation in global trade is to continue and to expand. Technologies for safe and environmentally friendly vegetable production as well as capacity building should therefore gain particular attention for training to enable small-scale growers to partici-pate in vegetable production for international markets .
Food and nutritional security involves securing the whole food chain from production through to consumption. Horticulturists traditionally have focused on production, but issues such as equitable access to food and ensuring a balanced diet increasingly demand attention. Those with the least power and already substantially imbalanced diets are most affected by climate change and limited resources.We are all concerned by what we eat, and securing the food chain to provide a balanced diet , can point us toward an alternative way of viewing the role of horticulturists in a warming world. Vegetable breeding has to address and satisfy the needs of both the consumer and the grower. The general objectives for growers are good yield, disease and pest resistance, uniformity, and abiotic stress resistance. Objectives for consumers are quality, appearance, shelf life, taste, and nutritional value. Quality in vegetable crops, in contrast to field crops, is often more important than yield. For growers to survive, cultivars must be accepted by the market. Thus, color, appearance, taste, and shape are usually more important than productivity. For example, tomatoes to be used either fresh or in processing must have distinct quality characteristics.