Abstract: In order to ensure and improve quality in the agro-food sector, quality systems have to undergo constant change: simple end of the pipe monitoring is being replaced by management-oriented regimes (Enneking et al., 2007). Increasing, farmers, too, are required to implement quality systems. A variety of quality assurance systems has been developed for use at the primary production level over the last few years. They differ widely, however, with respect to their requirement levels, regional scope of application, degree of integration into the supply chain or their institutional supports.