However, the views expressed are those of the authors and in no way reflect the views and policies of ECLAC.” * The authors are Professor, and Post-doctoral research fellow, Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Guelph + Contact author: Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON. [...] In this hierarchy, the foundation of any food safety management system is awareness and recognition, in both the public and private sectors and from the level of decision-makers to implementers and operatives, of the importance of effective food safety controls to export competitiveness and recognition by each party of their own role in this system. [...] Further, through increased attention to the spread and adoption of ‘good practices’ in the supply of agricultural and food products, there may be spillovers into domestic food safety systems, to the benefit of the local population and domestic producers. [...] The notion of ‘strategic options’ is quite novel in the context of food safety standards and trade, especially in the context of developing countries (Jaffee and Henson, 2004; Henson and Jaffee, 2007). [...] Initiated in 1991 under the administration of the Ministry of Agriculture but in close collaboration with AGEXPORT, PIPAA3 aimed to implement an integrated and comprehensive programme of upgrading that cut across the public and private sectors in order to address the snow pea pesticide residue problem.