Whole dried rosehip is traded as whole fruit or in pieces in several countries in the Central Asian region, used to make tea and infusions. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients, and reported to have several health benefits, including for lowering inflammation, improving skin health, and digestion.

The adoption of a UNECE recommendation (standard on trial) for whole dried rosehip this week is expected to open new trade opportunities for producers worldwide by reducing barriers for export to high-value markets, enabling producers to tap into growing consumer demand for natural, high-quality nutritional products.

The standard defines quality requirements for whole dried rosehip produced from the Rosaceae Juss Rosa L. plant family, covering rosehip intended for direct consumption without further processing. It was adopted at the 79th session of the UNECE Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards (WP.7) on 11-13 November 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland.

The standard was proposed by the Central Asian Working Group to Promote Exports of Agricultural Produce (CAWG), a collaborative platform between the business community and state bodies in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan working to increase exports of agricultural produce from the region, including by implementing UNECE standards. Over the past years, CAWG has also proposed and facilitated the development of several new UNECE standards for produce from the region, including for dried melon, dried persimmons, and sweet apricot kernels, as well as over 30 explanatory materials in local languages for Central Asian producers.

The development of the standard reflects UNECE’s commitment to support agricultural trade in the region. Central Asian producers can now leverage these standards to enhance product quality, expand market access, and support economic growth in the region. Through standardization, UNECE seeks to improve quality and facilitate international trade, fostering economic resilience in Central Asia and beyond.

The 79th session of the Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards also adopted one new UNECE standard on sweet potatoes, as well as revised UNECE standards for courgettes, headed cabbages, leafy vegetables, almond kernels, blanched almond kernels, inshell almonds, dates, and dried tomatoes.

The session also hosted a roundtable on digitalization of agricultural trade processes, a high-level panel on benefiting from agricultural trade - capacity building needs and initiatives, discussions on food loss and waste, as well as a lunch-time reception and exhibition of fresh and dried fruit and nuts, showcasing produce from France, Italy, Sweden, Tajikistan, United States, as well as from Besana Group, a member of the International Nuts and Dried Fruit Council.

Note to editors 

UNECE has developed over 100 agricultural quality standards for fresh fruit and vegetables, dry and dried produce, meat, seed potatoes, cut flowers, eggs and egg products.  The standards are used internationally by governments, producers, traders, importers and exporters. The use of their common terminology and harmonized requirements helps buyers and sellers understand the quality of the products being marketed, thus reducing transaction costs and risk, while also enabling price differentiation for higher quality produce. The standards are thus an important component of a broader system of quality assurance and control supporting international trade. 

UNECE standards also form the basis for agricultural quality legislation in a number of countries. For example, in the EU, trade in the 10 most traded types of fresh fruit and vegetables (apples, citrus fruit, kiwi, lettuce, peaches and nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes and tomatoes) have to comply with specific marketing standards of the EU, which are harmonized with UNECE standards. 

Recommendations imply that the standard is on trial for a period of up to two years. To help ensure that the standards are applied consistently, UNECE collaborates with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which publishes explanatory colour brochures for producers, traders, and inspectors. UNECE also collaborates with the Secretariat of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in its standard-setting work.