This Committee was established in November 2022 (to replace the SQC Technical Committee).
The key purpose of the Committee is to oversee the SQC Standards review process (please refer to process flowchart as below).
Membership of the Committee is as follows:
- Fiona Burnett - SQC Technical Director
- John Hutcheson - SQC Chair
- Mark McCallum - SQC Vice Chair
- Teresa Dougall - SQC Managing Director
- FIA representative(s)
- Scottish Agronomy representative
As a minimum, the Committee will meet once a year to undertake a full review of the quarterly/annual benchmarking reports as provided via FIA.
The quarterly review and report of crop assurance schemes will include developments within marketing and communications, standards consultations exercises and revisions to Scheme governance and processes. Whilst the annual review and report will provide more detailed analysis.
This will be sent - along with a summarised version - to the Standards Review Committee who will undertake the following:
- A review of the quarterly / annual report
- To recommend changes to the standards / HACCP
- To discuss how recommended changes may impact growers
- To discuss any mitigation measures which may be required to protect the integrity of the SQC Assurance Scheme (in line with proposed changes)
- To agree actions to be taken forward in line with proposed scheme changes
- To agree adoption of consultation and communication measures to growers and stakeholders in terms of proposed changes