Interview with MSc. Klajdi Çeka, Inspector – auditor, Albinspekt

Klajdi is a 28-year-old food technologist who works at Albinspekt Ltd as an Inspector an Auditor since July 2017. Albinspekt is an agricultural inspection and certification company that operates in Albania and Kosova as part of the bio inspecta company in Switzerland. Klajdi was involved in building the company’s capacity to audit and certify companies that apply the group GlobalG.A.P standard, and in launching Agroquality, an online one-stop-shop that provides information about certification requirements that received support from RisiAlbania, a project of Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC). Klajdi is committed to increasing young people’s interest in agribusiness in Albania, and to seeing the sector reach its full potential through adherence to international standards.

You are one of the first auditors of the “Global G.A.P.” group certification in Albania, what has your experience as an inspector and auditor been like?

It was a new and challenging experience. I began my training as an inspector in 2017. You become an auditor through training and passing examinations. The implementation of the “Global G.A.P.” standard in Albania is a new experience, especially the group certification, and it is a novel experience for companies to set up and manage the quality system. It has been a great, interesting and intense experience for Albinspekt, too. Beforehand, I participated in several trainings by Sativa, the Portuguese certification body, afterwards moved on to trainings on conducting audits, and then took the exam in Germany, alongside candidates from different countries. The requirements are knowledge on agriculture and 2-3 years of experience in this field.  An auditor must have information on ISO, especially ISO 19011 and ISO 22000, because the training and information they receive allows them to properly manage the audit process.

What are the main challenges you face as a group GlobalG.A.P auditor based on your experience so far?

In Albania farmers have limited information about food safety standards and other requirements of GlobalG.A.P. The farmers are not directly linked with international markets which makes it difficult for them to understand the requirements of foreign buyers. From the other side the exporters who know better the markets do not have the right information about the implementation of GlobalG.A.P, especially the group certification – and how cost-effective it can be. Many exporters do not have qualified staff and do not have access to qualified consultants or expertise who can support them to obtain the group GlobalG.A.P certification.

Do you think young people are interested in joining the staff of companies that implement the GlobalG.A.P standard?

From the inspections and audits we have conducted, the positive thing is the participation and inclusiveness of the youth. In our experience of last year with a certified company, which certifies around 60 farmers, aside from being part of the production line, young people were also included in the quality management system. We also see there are qualified young people, as well as those who have returned from immigration to build models for the production units. But the engagement of youth in agribusiness remains a challenge. Agribusiness in general is not highly attractive for youth because they perceive just the hard work in agriculture – but there are opportunities in more attractive and financially rewarding areas, such as food standards and certification. This is the career I chose. I think private business (exporters, agroprocessors, consolidators, big farms) should be more connected with the Agricultural University of Tirana because the potential of  graduate students is high.

What is the advantage of Global G.A.P. group certification?

Global G.A.P. is a standard related to implementing the best agricultural practices for a safer product. Aside from the challenge of production, there is also a requirement for the safety and quality of production as well as an emphasis on decent labor conditions, the slogan of GLOBALG.A.P. The whole point is food safety and quality, which is also the challenge we face. The good news is that efforts are being made to address this matter. Of course, there are problems, but we have seen interest by farmers and warehouses in meeting this standard.

Are other companies interested in receiving the Global G.A.P. group certification?

I am optimistic. Global G.A.P. certification started in Albania with individual certifications: farmers produced in limited quantities and could not reach international markets. Now with the support of RisiAlbania there is a new dynamic in spreading the GlobalG.A.P in Albania. The exporters who manage the groups of farmers are connected with outside markets and have more information about the benefits of group certification compared with individual certification. They have an interest in food safety to enter EU markets and they understand the key is to cooperate and support farmers for the implementation of the standard.  Global G.A.P. group certification is still in its first steps, but it is a growing trend in our country. The exporters, big farmers and consultants have the opportunity to access free information about the GlobalG.A.P in Albanian language on Agroquality.