The Dominica Bureau of Standards (Bureau) was established under the Standards Act (#4) of 1999. The Standards Act gives the Bureau responsibility to facilitate the development and promotion of Standards and Codes of Practice for products and services. As a result, this provides protection of the health and safety of consumers and the environment as well as for industrial development in order to promote the enhancement of Dominica's economy.
The Bureau develops Standards through consultations with relevant interest groups. In accordance with the provisions of the Standards Act, public comment is invited on all draft Standards before they are declared as Dominica National Standards (DNS).
In light of this, the following draft CARICOM Regional documents are being issued for Public Comments:
| Reference # | Title | Scope | Documents used in Formulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCRCP 12: 202x |
Cocoa - Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
|
This draft CARICOM Regional Code of Practice focuses primarily on guidelines relating to site history and management of farms, selection of planting materials, soil and substrate management, application of agro-chemicals, fertilisers and soil additives, water quality and management, harvesting and post-harvesting handling practices, waste management, biodiversity protection, documentation of farming operations., traceability, and food fraud prevention and food authenticity of cocoa beans. |
Federation of Cocoa Commerce — Agricultural Practices - in Cocoa Production International Organization for Standardization — ISO 2451:2014 Cocoa beans – Specification and quality requirements International Organization for Standardization — ISO 34101-3:2019 Sustainable and traceable cocoa — Part 3: Requirements for traceability — ISO 34101-4:2019 Sustainable and traceable cocoa — Part 4: Requirements for certification schemes — ISO 22000: ISO 22000:2018:2018 – Food safety management systems — Requirements for any organization in the food chain Fairtrade International — Fairtrade Standard for Cocoa Fairtrade International — Standard for small-scale producers FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius, Codex Committee on Food Inspection and Certification Systems —Draft guidelines for the prevention and control of food fraud |
The period for Public Comments will run from July 01 to August 31, 2026.
Please be advised that the Dominica Bureau of Standards will simultaneously review and adopt this Draft CARICOM Regional Standard as National Standards.