My first impression of the news in last week’s FPJ that the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) is in a huddle with the retail sector over the possibility of introducing a certification marque was that it sounds a bit like the curate’s egg - good in parts.

Not surprisingly, the ODI has come to the conclusion - which I am sure would be supported by many members of the public - that there are already too many labels appearing on produce packs.

The difficulty will begin when what may be regarded as a well-meaning initiative is put to the practical test of being adopted by the retail trade.

Doubtless the full details will appear at some point when more analysis is available, but I have a feeling that the concept, on the assumption that it will embrace fresh produce, may prove to be not quite as clear-cut, both in terms of its acceptance and its operation.

History reflects that retailers, although they have been at the forefront of developing certification schemes, have their own agendas designed not only to instil public confidence in their customers by their actions, but to enhance these disciplines by giving them a commercial value.

The classic case of this business-to-business branding within the fruit and vegetable sector is the development of Tesco’s Nature’s Choice, now Nurture, label. Those with longer memories will remember that the scheme started its life in parallel with - but independently from - the separate, broader scenario backed by other multiples, which led to the establishment of EurepGAP, now called GlobalGAP.

Since then, other retailers have followed, such as Marks & Spencer with Field to Fork, while as a response to consumer demand there has been the success of the Fairtrade brand - not forgetting Waitrose’s separate Foundation initiative, and the Soil Association’s organic label, which are all now well established in their own right.

And alongside this, there is the clutch of entirely separate initiatives that originated further back along the distribution chain, each striving to create their own identity and supporting almost everything and anything, from strengthening national awareness, such as the Red Tractor logo, to the wider environmental concerns embraced by LEAF.

In their own way I would argue that these marques, even if they are not all embraced by the entire industry, represent an already positive approach in supporting the core requirement for ongoing food safety.

So the key components for a successful transition will hinge on whether the retail trade is prepared to take on what appears to be an umbrella identity superimposed on its own activities, simply to make life easier for customers. The question also arises as to who will pay for the substantial funding which will be necessary to spread the message on its arrival, so it becomes understood?

Telling the public that everyone is doing a good job, however well intended, is what consumers automatically expect. If the trade itself is to be the ultimate arbiter, the ODI will have to come up with some pretty persuasive arguments.