Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Barriers to Trade and its Impact on the Environment

The report examines the shrimp industry in Bangladesh, focusing on the tension between international food safety standards (SPS/HACCP) and sustainable production. It finds that while processing plants have complied with these standards, small-scale farmers lack the resources to do so, creating a risk that the industry will shift toward environmentally damaging intensive farming to reduce costs and risks. The author suggests that improving management and training for extensive farmers is a more sustainable alternative to intensification.

• The shrimp sector is the second largest export industry in Bangladesh, employing 600,000 people and generating US$301 million annually, though it faces significant production inefficiencies and social and environmental risks.
• Compliance with WTO SPS agreements and HACCP standards has created a financial burden, with processing plants spending an average of US$232,492.97 to upgrade facilities and US$181,512.60 annually to maintain compliance.
• There is a significant gap in HACCP implementation; while processing plants have adopted the methods, small-scale shrimp farmers generally lack the capital, education, and awareness to implement these standards at the primary production level.
• The high cost of compliance and the risk of shipment rejection may drive the industry toward vertical integration and intensive shrimp farming, which poses severe risks to biodiversity and the environment through waste disposal and land degradation.
• Simulation results indicate that if processing plants aim to operate at 100% capacity using current extensive farming yields, they would require 53,762 acres of land per plant, potentially leading to further conversion of mangrove forests and agricultural land.
• A survey of shrimp farmers reveals high awareness of environmental degradation, with 93.5% agreeing that the availability of post-larvae from natural sources is diminishing and 63.3% agreeing that mangroves are being destroyed.
• The report proposes an alternative strategy to intensification: providing training and better management to extensive farmers to double yields, which would allow processors to reach 50% capacity without requiring additional land.

APA

Haque, A. K. E. (2004). Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Barriers to Trade and its Impact on the Environment. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_shrimp_bangladesh.pdf

Chicago

Haque, A. K. Enamul. Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Barriers to Trade and its Impact on the Environment. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2004. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_shrimp_bangladesh.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Haque |first1=A. K. Enamul |title=Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Barriers to Trade and its Impact on the Environment |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2004 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_shrimp_bangladesh.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{haque2004sanitary, author = {Haque, A. K. Enamul}, title = {{Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Barriers to Trade and its Impact on the Environment}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2004}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_shrimp_bangladesh.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }