USDA Contributes $250,000 to Global Effort Aimed at Enhancing the Flow of Trade

Funds Will Help Raise International Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards


WASHINGTON, Nov. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has donated $250,000 to the Standards and Trade Development Facility, in a global effort which is aimed at enhancing the flow of trade by helping developing countries establish and implement sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS).

“Internationally accepted SPS systems allow trade to flow smoothly, which contributes to countries’ economic development,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “When countries improve their SPS capabilities, they also improve their own food security by supporting the safety of food consumed domestically, by protecting their agricultural production from losses due to pests and diseases and by promoting economic growth through new access to agricultural export markets. A predictable regulatory environment also helps U.S. exporters sell their products in overseas markets.”

Since 2003, USDA has donated $700,000 to Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), helping developing countries to strengthen their food safety and animal and plant health systems, and enhance their ability to meet international SPS standards. The funds donated to STDF assist developing countries in a variety of areas, including the creation of national strategies on food safety, and animal and plant health; strengthening countries’ SPS-related laws, regulations and regulatory infrastructure; and improving their inspection, monitoring and certification capabilities.

The STDF was established in 2001 by the World Trade Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, and the World Bank, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Since its inception, 54 percent of STDF grants to developing countries have gone to Sub-Saharan Africa, 15 percent to Latin America and the Caribbean, 12 percent to Asia, and 14 percent to global efforts.

For more information on how the STDF funds help developing countries, please visit: http://www.standardsfacility.org/ .