b. wood - overcoming barriers to trade through a modern agricultural health and food control system...

8/2/2019 B. Wood - Overcoming Barriers to Trade Through a Modern Agricultural Health and Food Control System [Bdos AHFCS]

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Overcoming Barriers to Trade

through a Modern Agricultural

Health and Food Control System

Presented by

Beverley P. Wood


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Presentation addresses

Introduction

Components of an Agricultural Health and

Food Control System (AHFCS)

Requirements for export to EU and USA

Shortcomings of Barbados AHFCS

Way Forward


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Introduction

What is the WTO SPS Agreement?

An agreement that gives countries the right tomaintain sanitary and phytosanitary measures

to protect their animal, plant and humanhealth

Why is it necessary?

Ensures that food is safe for consumers,prevent the spread of pests or diseases amonganimals and plants


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What is a sanitary and phytosanitary

measure?

Any measure applied to:

Protect human or animal life from risks arising

from additives, contaminants, toxins or disease-causing organisms in food or beverage;

Protect human life from plant or animal carrieddiseases (zoonoses);


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Protect animal or plant life from pests, diseases,

or disease-causing organisms;

Prevent or limit other damages to a country from

the entry, establishment or spread of pests


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The three sisters of the WTO-SPS

Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) for

food safety;

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE);

International Plant Protection Convention(IPPC) for plant health.


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What role do the 3 sisters play in AHFCS?

Provide international standards or guidelines

on which countries base their national

standards, and which are referred to in trade

disputes


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What is an AHFCS?

A system which embraces a farm to fork

approach to food production and food safety

and which focuses on prevention rather than

end product testing.


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In such a system all persons such as, suppliers

of agricultural inputs, producers, processors,

importers, transporters, vendors and

consumers all have a responsibility to adopt

best practices for the control of food safety

hazards.


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Components of an AHFCS

Preventative approaches such as Good

Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Hygiene

Practices (GHP) and Hazard Analysis Critical

Control Point (HACCP);

Surveillance and monitoring programmes at

all aspects of the food chain, from farm to fork

or boat to throat ;


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An appropriate legislative framework;

Inspection services;

Laboratory services.


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EU requirements for imports from third

countries

The national authority must be able to

demonstrate before approval is considered:

The animal health situation of the country;

Provide rapid and regular information on certain

infectious or contagious animal diseases;

Effective legislation on the use of veterinary

medical products;


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EU requirements cont

An acceptable programme for the presence of

certain substances and the residues thereof in

live animals or animal products for export;

Veterinary Services are capable of enforcing

the necessary health controls;


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Effective measures exist to prevent and controlcertain infectious and contagious diseases;

Processing establishments satisfy EUrequirements;

Competent Authority which is responsible forofficial control throughout the production chain

from farm to fork;


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Competent Authority must have the power,structure and resources to implement

effective legislation and guarantee credible

certification of hygiene conditions throughout

the production chain;

Country must satisfy an on spot inspection by

the Food and Veterinary Office.


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USA requirements

Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA)

Onus on importer

The importer must verify that the food is

produced in compliance with USA requirements;

Food facilities registered biannually in the USA;


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The importer must know the safety risks of the

country and the food;

The importer must ensure the food safetyprogrammes, systems and standards of thecountry of origin of the food are adequate toensure food safety;

Registered facilities must conduct hazard analysesand develop and implement written preventativecontrol plans;


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Registered food facilities must maintain recordsincluding copies of hazard analyses and

preventative control plans, and other records to

assist in tracking and tracing high risk foods;

Food testing to be conducted in accredited

laboratories


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Shortcomings of Barbados AHFCS

System is fragmented resulting in gaps andoverlaps;

Legislation is dated, has several gaps and in somecases not in line with international norms; No legislation that provides the Senior Veterinary

officer with regulatory oversight for meat inspection

Responsibilities are vested in many Ministrieswith no formal mechanisms for collaboration;


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No regulatory requirements for the

implementation of food safety management

systems (for example GHP, GMP)

Inspection programmes need to be improved; No written protocols that ensure consistent and

accurate inspection decisions;

Monitoring and surveillance programmes are

inadequate;


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No comprehensive and consistent monitoring of

food at all aspects of the food chain;

AHFCP not risk based;

Laboratory services not accredited for the

tests they conduct.


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The Way Forward

The AHFCP is geared to address many of the

shortcomings;

The Programme includes:

Identification of gaps and weaknesses in the

system;

The development of a revised AHFCS;


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Preparation of manuals and protocols for the

implementation of food safety managementsystems including GAPs;

Legislative and regulatory framework;

Construction of laboratory complex;

The assistance and cooperation of ALL

stakeholders


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Thank You


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