Post on 05-Apr-2018
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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