Agenda Item 4.3 GF 01/5   

FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators
Marrakesh, Morocco, 28-30 January 2002

Food Safety Capacity Building

G.D. Orriss
Director, Bureau of Food Safety and Consumer Protection
Canadian Food Inspection Agency

I. INTRODUCTION

Need and challenge stand out as the two driving forces associated with capacity building and technical assistance: the need for developing countries to improve food safety and quality measures and the challenges of meeting this need. This paper discusses the need for improvement of food quality and safety systems in developing countries in the context of food security, public health protection and international trade and examines means of addressing the associated challenges through new approaches in capacity building and technical assistance.

II. FOOD SECURITY

It is important to place food safety and quality in the context of food security. In 2020, the world population will most likely reach 7.6 billion, an increase of 31% over the mid-1996 population of 5.8 billion1. Approximately 98% of the projected population growth over this period will take place in developing countries. It has also been estimated that between the years 1995 and 2020 the developing world's urban population will double, reaching 3.4 billion2. This overall increase in population and in the urban areas in particular, poses great challenges to food systems. Intensification of agriculture and animal husbandry practices; more efficient food handling, processing and distribution systems; and introduction of new technologies may all have to be exploited to increase food availability to meet the needs of growing populations. Some of these practices and technologies may also pose potential problems of food safety and nutritional quality and call for special attention in order to ensure consumer protection.

Rapid urbanization has led urban services to be stretched beyond their limits, resulting in inadequate supplies of potable water, sewage disposal and other necessary services in many countries. This scenario further stresses food distribution systems as greatly increased quantities of food must be transported from rural to urban locations in an environment that is not conducive to hygiene and sanitation. More than 800 million people are today hungry and malnourished with serious impact on growth and learning capacity of children and the ability of adults to lead fully productive lives. Moreover, most of these people are to be found in those parts of the world where such food as they have is often contaminated or adulterated, thus increasing the risk of foodborne illness.

The World Food Summit which took place from 13 to 17 November 1996 brought together close to 10,000 participants, and provided a forum for debate by world leaders on one of the most important issues facing world leaders in the new millennium - food security. The resulting Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action laid the foundations for diverse paths to a common objective - food security, at the individual, household, national, regional and global levels.

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. In this regard, concerted action at all levels is required. It is important that each nation adopt a strategy consistent with its resources and capacities to achieve its individual goals and, at the same time, cooperate regionally and internationally in order to organize collective solutions to global issues of food security. In a world of increasingly interlinked institutions, societies and economies, coordinated efforts and shared responsibilities are essential.

Coupled with the need to increase the food supply is the need to provide safe food. Food safety is receiving more attention worldwide with the increasing incidence of foodborne illness, concern over known and emerging hazards, and an increase in the international trade in food. Unsafe food is a significant contributor to the burden of disease, particularly in developing countries. Approaches to ensure safety and quality of food therefore form an integral part of food security.

III. PUBLIC HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

Food safety issues vary from country to country, from developed to developing countries, and within these groups of countries as well. Many of the reasons why food safety is becoming a more important issue worldwide are most compelling in developing countries. Increases in population, the growth in the number of immune compromised individuals, increased urbanization, poor sanitation and inadequate potable water supplies generally pose greater challenges in developing countries than in developed ones.

Food-borne diseases are a worldwide problem of great magnitude, both in terms of human suffering and economic costs. The task of estimating with any accuracy the occurrence of food-borne diseases globally is truly formidable as in many countries surveillance systems are inadequate and occurrences are poorly recorded. It is estimated that almost 70% of the estimated 1.5 billion episodes of diarrhoea that occur in the world annually are directly caused by biological or chemical contamination in foods.3 Even when such diseases are not fatal, they severely increase the effects of poor diet owing to reduced intake, nutrient losses and mal-absorption, which may lead to mental retardation and physical disabilities.4

Estimation of the economic consequences of unsafe or poor quality food is complex. It involves consideration of the value of crops and animal products lost as a result of such contamination, value of rejections in the export trade, medical treatment costs, and the loss of output or earnings resulting from morbidity, disability or premature death.

Some studies have been carried out to assess the total costs incurred by society as a consequence of food-borne illnesses. In the USA alone, costs for loss in productivity due to seven specific pathogens have been estimated to range between US$ 6.5 billion to US$ 13.3 billion annually. 5

Developing an effective strategy to reduce foodborne disease requires accurate reporting, epidemiological surveillance and information related to the potential hazards in the food supply. The absence of this information inhibits the implementation of effective food safety control measures and contributes to the failure of governments to commit the necessary resources to address the problems.

Food is also a good indicator of the state of the environment in which it is produced. Monitoring of environmental contaminants in food therefore not only assists in establishing appropriate food safety control measures, but can also give early warnings about the state of the environment, such as level of heavy metal contamination, to enable appropriate action for maintaining its productivity.

Food supply systems in developing countries are often fragmented involving a multitude of middlemen. This exposes it to various types of contamination and fraudulent practices. Besides the public health implications, adulteration and fraud are of significant concern. Considering that in developing countries, people spend almost 50% of their earnings on food, and among lower-income households this figure may rise to above 70%, the impact of such fraudulent practices can be quite devastating.6

Developing countries have many competing priorities in their health agendas, and food safety has not, in the past, been recognized as a vital public health issue. However, it is becoming clear that foodborne disease has a significant impact on health. The globalization of the food trade and the development of international food standards have also raised awareness of food safety in developing countries. Placing it on the political agenda is the first vital step in reducing foodborne illness.7

IV. INTERNATIONAL FOOD TRADE CONSIDERATIONS

The value of the world food trade in 1997 was about $ 458 billion8, and is increasing every year, thanks to the expanding world economy, liberalization in food trade, growing consumer demand and developments in food science, technology, transport and communication sectors. International trade in food is also playing an increasingly important role in achieving food security for many countries. The benefits of international trade include the introduction of a wider variety of foods into markets thereby contributing to the availability of a broader choice of nutritious foods. It also provides food exporting countries with foreign exchange contributing to the economic development of those countries, and thus an improvement in the standard of living.

Access by developing countries to food export markets in general, and of the developed world in particular, will depend on their capacity to meet the regulatory requirements of importing countries. The long-term solution for developing countries to sustain or expand the demand for their products in world markets lies in building up the trust and confidence of importing countries in the quality and safety of the exported foods.

An examination of the recent food detentions of imported foods by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicates that many of the problems faced by developing countries are not related to highly technical or sophisticated requirements. At the top of the list are food hygiene problems represented by contamination of food with insects and rodent filth. Microbiological contamination comes next, followed by failure to comply with US low acid canned food registration requirements, and then labelling. Over 50% of the rejections are attributable to lack of basic food hygiene, and failure to meet labelling requirements. Dealing with these is well within the means of most developing countries and would go a long way in promoting export trade.

V. WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations was concluded in April 1994 by the signing of the Marrakesh Agreement and it gave birth to a number of multilateral trade agreements to which all Members of the World Trade Organization, established in 1995, are committed. The Uruguay Round has been described as a turning point in the evolution of agricultural policy. For the first time, a large majority of countries agreed to a set of principles and disciplines that will help to harmonize both national and international agricultural policies. The Uruguay Round achievement is contained in a series of agreements and ministerial decisions and declarations annexed to the Marrakesh Agreement, which established the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Two WTO Agreements are of particular interest from the perspective of food quality and safety as they introduce a measure of discipline to these areas in international trade. These are the Agreement on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement).

The SPS Agreement reaffirms that no Member should be prevented from adopting or enforcing measures necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health, subject to the requirements that these measures are applied only to the extent necessary, are based on scientific principles and are not applied in a manner which would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between Members where the same conditions prevail or as a disguised restriction on international trade. The SPS Agreement encourages Members to base their sanitary and phytosanitary measures on international standards, guidelines and recommendations, where they exist.

The TBT Agreement also recognizes international standards where they exist. It requires that technical regulations on traditional quality factors, fraudulent practices, packaging, labelling etc. (other than standards covered by the SPS Agreement) imposed by countries will not be more restrictive on imported products than they are on products produced domestically. Technical measures applied should not create unnecessary barriers in international trade, should have a legitimate purpose and the cost of their implementation should be proportional to the purpose of the measure. If the proposed measure is considered to violate the provisions of any of the two Agreements, it can be challenged and brought before the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.

There are significant challenges for developing countries related to the implementation of the SPS and TBT Agreements. To fully benefit from the Agreements, developing countries must improve their understanding of the Agreements and develop the necessary capacities to maintain their rights and meet their obligations .

The following is an overview of considerations related to capacity and technical assistance needs of developing countries related to their implementation of specific articles of the SPS Agreement:

Article 2 - Basic Rights and Obligations

Many developing countries face resource and capacity challenges to meet their rights and obligations under the SPS Agreement. The right to protect human, animal, or plant life or health goes beyond the potential trade benefits associated with adherence to the SPS Agreement. This right is consistent with the Rome Declaration on World Food Security which reaffirms the right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger.

Article 3 - Harmonization

Article 3(1) encourages WTO Members to harmonize sanitary and phytosanitary measures on as wide a basis as possible with international standards, guidelines or recommendations developed by international organizations, where they exist. These organizations include for food safety, the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission; for animal health, the Office International des Epizooties; and for plant health, the International Plant Protection Convention.

Article 3(2) states that sanitary or phytosanitary measures which conform to international standards, guidelines and recommendations are deemed to be necessary to protect human, animal, or plant life or health and are presumed to be consistent with the relevant provisions of this Agreement. However, even when developing countries base their standards and legislation on international standards, they frequently do not have the necessary capacities to ensure adherence to these requirements. They may, therefore, be unable to meet the sanitary measures and level of protection required by developed Member countries.

Article 3(3) allows Members to introduce or maintain sanitary or phytosanitary measures which result in a higher level of protection than would be achieved by measures based on relevant international standards, guidelines or recommendations if there is scientific justification, or as a consequence of the level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection that a Member determines to be appropriate in accordance with the relevant provisions of Article 5 (Assessment of Risk and Determination of the Appropriate Level of Sanitary or Phytosanitary Protection).

The lack of scientific and technical expertise in some developing countries, particularly least developed countries, however sometimes limit their ability to justify their measures based on an assessment of risk and to fully understand or challenge sanitary requirements introduced by other Members.

Article 3.4 instructs Members to play a full part, within the limits of their resources, in the relevant international organizations and their subsidiary bodies, in particular the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the International Office of Epizooties, and the international and regional organizations operating within the framework of the International Plant Protection Convention.

Again, developing countries may be at a disadvantage in that they often lack the resources and/or expertise necessary to participate effectively in the work of the international organizations. This can result in their limited input into the development of standards and a lack of ownership in the process. It can also inhibit harmonization with and implementation of the adopted standards, guidelines and recommendations in these countries.

Article 4 - Equivalence

Article 4(1) directs Members to accept the sanitary and phytosanitary measures of other Members as equivalent, even if these measures differ from their own or from those used by other Members trading in the same product, if the exporting Member objectively demonstrates to the importing Member that its measures achieve the importing Member's appropriate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection.

Article 4(2) directs Members to, upon request, enter into consultations with the aim of achieving bilateral and multilateral agreements on the recognition of the equivalence of the specified sanitary or phytosanitary measures.

The development of equivalence agreements is facilitated where countries have the technical expertise, technical infrastructure and resources necessary to establish, implement and evaluate sanitary measures. This generally favours developed countries where such conditions exist and may result in less restriction for trade between these countries. Although limited in number, where such agreements have been developed, they can result in a shift of countries' import controls to foods from those developing countries that are unable to demonstrate equivalence. These situations may result in further marginalization of developing countries.

Article 5 - Assessment of Risk and Determination of the Appropriate Level of Sanitary or Phytosanitary Protection

Article 5 (1) directs Members to ensure that their sanitary and phytosanitary measures are based on an assessment, as appropriate to the circumstances, of the risks to human, animal or plant life or health, taking into account risk assessment techniques developed by the relevant international organizations.

Many developing countries lack the technical expertise and/or resources to carry out an adequate assessment of risks. However, if their sanitary or phytosanitary measures are based on international standards, guidelines or recommendations, a risk assessment may not be necessary (Article 3.2). The inability to conduct risk assessments, however, prevents many developing countries from benefitting from the provisions of Article 3(3) and may impair their ability to challenge measures imposed by other countries or the consistency requirements related to those measures.

It is important that developing countries develop the capacity to assess risks and have access to the information on risk assessments of countries that impose sanitary or phytosanitary measures which are not covered by, or are more stringent than, international standards, guidelines or recommendations.

Article 7 - Transparency

Article 7 requires that Members notify changes in their sanitary or phytosanitary measures and shall provide information on their sanitary or phytosanitary measures in accordance with the provisions of Annex B to the Agreement.

For transparency, Members are required to notify SPS enquiry points and national notification authorities. However, many Members have still not notified any SPS or TBT measures, and have not identified enquiry points. In addition, Members who notify do not always provide all the information necessary to judge whether the measure in question could affect other Members' exports. Enquiry points need to be able to follow the activities of all the government agencies involved in SPS or TBT measures, and provide information to Members upon request. They can also serve as important sources of information for their domestic industry on changes in the regulations of important export markets.

Developing countries frequently face challenges in meeting their obligations related to the publication of regulations, the establishment of enquiry points, and the notification procedures required. Again, this relates to inadequate infrastructures, resource constraints and the lack of modern information technologies.

Article 9 - Technical Assistance

Under Article 9 (1), Members have agreed to facilitate the provision of technical assistance to other Members, especially developing country Members, either bilaterally or through the appropriate international organizations. Such assistance may be, inter alia, in the areas of processing technologies, research and infrastructure, including in the establishment of regulatory bodies. This assistance may take the form of advice, credits, donations, and grants, including for the purpose of seeking technical expertise, training and equipment to all such countries to adjust to, and comply with sanitary or phytosanitary measures necessary to achieve the appropriate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection in their export markets.

Article 9(2) states that where substantial investments are required in order for an exporting developing country Member to fulfil the sanitary or phytosanitary requirements of an importing Member, the latter shall consider providing such technical assistance as will permit the developing country Member to maintain and expand its market access opportunities for the product involved.

A number of problems exist with respect to the implementation of technical assistance to developing countries. The first is that many developing countries are not fully aware of the agreement of Members to provide technical assistance under the SPS Agreement and therefore do not request the assistance. The second is that many developed country Members do not take adequate initiatives in providing the necessary technical assistance.

Technical assistance provided to date has in many cases been inadequate to permit developing country Members to meet their obligations and accrue the benefits of the SPS Agreement. Substantial investment and a coordinated and concerted effort among developed country Members and the appropriate international organizations, international banks and other potential partners is needed if the real challenges faced by developing countries are to be addressed.

Article 10 - Special and Differential Treatment

As with other agreements from the Uruguay Round, the SPS Agreement contains provisions for special and differential treatment of developing country Members. Article 10(1) directs Members in the preparation and application of sanitary or phytosanitary measures, to take into account the special needs of developing country Members, and in particular of the least-developed country Members.

Article 10(2) provides for phased introduction of new sanitary or phytosanitary measures with longer time-frames for compliance by developing country Members so as to maintain opportunities for their exports.

Article 10(3) enables the SPS Committee upon request to grant developing member countries specified, time-limited exceptions in whole or in part from obligations under the Agreement, taking into account their financial trade and development needs.

Article 10(4) states that Members should encourage and facilitate the active participation of developing country Members in the relevant international organizations. While some support has been provided in the past, substantial financial commitments are necessary if developing country Members are to be able to fully prepare for and participate in the work of the relevant international organizations.

While many developing countries have successfully used international trade as a vehicle for development, many others have been left behind. The WTO Ministerial Declarations of 1996 and 1998 expressed concern over the marginalization of least-developed countries and certain small economies and asked the international community to make a particular effort to help them to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the international trading system.

For a number of countries, food safety considerations continue to be a top public concern to be addressed at the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha this November.

VI. CAPACITY AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDS

The food quality and safety systems and institutions of many developing and least developed countries suffer from a number of weaknesses which make them vulnerable in addressing food safety and quality issues. The weaknesses include all the basic elements of an effective national food control system including: basic infrastructure; national food safety and quality strategies and policies: food legislation; food inspection services; food control laboratories; effective participation in the work of international standard setting and trade related organizations; implementing quality and safety assurance systems throughout the food chain; collaboration and cooperation of national and sub-national agencies; and scientific and technical expertise.

Improving the food safety and quality systems in developing countries requires a well coordinated and integrated set of actions. Capacity building and technical assistance needs include inter alia the following:

  • Basic Infrastructure

Strengthening food control systems requires considerable development in infrastructure. The setting up, equipping and maintaining of food control services, administration and laboratories requires investment. In many developing and least developed countries, investment in basic infrastructure including sanitation, potable water supplies and power supplies may be a prerequisite for addressing food safety and quality problems. In addition, substantial investment in information technologies is important to improve communication and access to relevant information.

  • National Food Control Strategy

Food control is by essence a multi-disciplinary activity that involves a number of government agencies as well as the food industry, consumers and academic/research institutions. It requires a method of close collaboration among all these participants with clearly defined responsibilities for each in order to make effective use of all existing resources. It should have clear objectives with a well designed plan and with operational responsibilities defined for all components of the system. It should have a monitoring provision that enables the evaluation of the effectiveness of the strategy on a continuing basis so that adjustments can be made as necessary.

Quality and safety of food have to be addressed throughout the food production, processing, storage and distribution chain. This is a multi-sectorial activity and its objectives cannot be reached without the active cooperation of producers, traders, industry and government and also the involvement of the scientific community. This can be achieved through a well-conceived national food control strategy developed with the support of the various participants. The strategy clearly lays down the role of governmental agencies, the food industry, and consumers and establishes mechanisms for cooperation and the means of dealing with existing or emerging food safety and quality challenges. It also ensures that available manpower and financial resources are utilized in a co-ordinated manner to achieve optimal results.

Leadership is essential to promote the development of a comprehensive food safety policy. Leaders must be able to convince government, industry at all segments of the food chain, and consumers of the need for support and the benefits that will accrue from improvements to food safety and quality systems.

  • Food Legislation

In many developing countries adequate food legislation does not exist . The establishment or updating of food laws and regulations is a necessary first step in establishing an effective food control system. This work should be carried out by a competent team of experts in food legislation and food regulatory requirements and should take into account, in particular, the obligations under the WTO, SPS and TBT Agreements. Attempts should be made, where possible, to base food safety and quality requirements on the standards, guidelines and recommendations adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. There are further, specific needs of consumers and food producers, local sanitary constraints, cultural habits and other considerations, which should also be considered. Legislation should be flexible enough to allow it to deal with developments in technology, emerging hazards, changing consumer demands, and new requirements for trade.

  • Food Inspection Services

Even when adequate food safety and quality legislation exists, the shortage of trained and adequately equipped inspection officials may compromise effective enforcement of the legislation. In order to be effective, food inspection officials should have well planned food inspection programmes, should understand their duties and responsibilities, and should maintain close collaboration with other food control services. This requires adequate management, training and equipment.

  • Food Control Laboratories

A sufficient number of adequately equipped food control laboratories, and trained analysts using acceptable analytical methodologies are required to support the monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities of the food inspection services. The overall quality of the work of the laboratory should be addressed by implementation of an analytical quality assurance system that meets international standards.

  • Participation in the work of international organizations

In order to input to and benefit from the work of international organizations such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission, many developing countries must strengthen their ability to participate effectively in these organizations. This frequently requires capacity building in the public, private and consumer sectors and may also involve coalitions around issues of mutual regional interest. This can be accomplished by establishing national Codex committees that are able to prepare national positions related to the work of the Commission and that can consult regionally.

  • Implementing Quality and Safety Assurance Systems in the food industry

In all countries the food industry bears the responsibility of meeting food quality and safety regulatory requirements and all segments of the food chain have responsibility for establishing food safety and quality controls. The industry needs to be trained on the application of good agricultural, hygienic and manufacturing practices and the use of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System. There is a concurrent need to train official food control inspectors in these approaches and in systems of inspection and audit. Interaction and cooperation between industry and government on food control matters frequently needs to be strengthened to address food safety and quality throughout the food chain.

As a first step in addressing food safety and quality issues, there is a need to develop good agricultural and on farm food safety practices. Establishing controls for production practices, the application of pesticides and veterinary drugs at the production level, and prevention of contamination of crops by contaminated water or environmental contaminants should be included in these practices.

  • Collaboration and Cooperation of Control Agencies

Frequently, a number of different agencies have responsibilities for aspects of food safety and quality. It is important that all agencies involved in food safety and quality, including all national and sub-national government agencies, work in an integrated and coordinated manner to ensure adequate control of all aspects of food safety and quality throughout the food chain and to maximize the impact of limited resources.

Food safety systems may differ in focus from that of animal and plant health systems; however, there are important opportunities for cooperation as there are strong linkages among the three systems. First, some animal diseases are zoonotic and can be transmitted to humans, so improving animal health is frequently linked to food safety. In addition, the use of veterinary drugs, if not adequately controlled, can have implications for food safety as the residues may be present in food. Similarly, some plant diseases or inadequate control measures involving the regulation and application of pesticides may result in unacceptable residues in food. Second, similar regulatory approaches may be used to reduce risks is all three areas, so developing food control systems to address all three has some economies of scope. Third, improvement in all three areas may be a prerequisite for entering international trade, and thus need to occur simultaneously. Fourth, all three areas fall under the SPS Agreement and thus are addressed in the same way in terms of the requirements for measures, dispute settlement, notifications, and enquiry points.

Developing an effective strategy to reduce foodborne disease is also facilitated through accurate reporting of foodborne illness, epidemiological surveillance and information related to the potential hazards in the food supply. This frequently requires investment of resources and strengthening of collaboration between health and agriculture ministries at both the national and sub-national levels.

Lack of coherence among different governmental activities concerning agriculture, food, fish, trade, industry and health does not achieve optimal results. Significant opportunities may exist for sharing of expertise, inspection resources, laboratory facilities and administrative support. This is important from the perspective of optimal utilization of limited expertise and resources.

  • Scientific and Technical Expertise

There is a need to develop capacity in most developing countries related to scientific and technical expertise. The development of risk analysis capacity is needed to meet the obligations of the SPS Agreement and to identify and prioritize food safety issues within these countries. Food safety measures introduced should be based on an assessment of risk and managed based on priorities both from a human health and economic perspective.

The need for scientific and technical expertise is particularly relevant with respect to the assessment of agricultural products derived through modern biotechnology. All new living modified organisms and their products should be subjected to a rigorous environmental, livestock feed and food safety assessment before they move into the marketplace. In addition, other obligations related to ratification of the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol will need to be addressed.

VII. NEW OR STRENGTHENED APPROACHES TO CAPACITY BUILDING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

  • Building Alliances

Recognizing the need to assist developing countries in improving their food safety and quality systems, many international organizations, national governments, international and regional banks, and NGOs have undertaken various capacity building and technical assistance activities. While many of these activities have contributed to strengthening specific elements of food safety and quality systems, they frequently have not been coordinated or placed in the context of an overall food safety and quality strategy or development plan. As a result, many of these activities have been ineffective or inadequate in achieving optimal or sustainable results. In addition, many of the specific needs have yet to be addressed.

It is apparent that there is a need to improve the collaboration and coordination among various agencies involved in capacity building and technical assistance activities and where possible to develop alliances among the organizations to provide such assistance.

A number of collaboration and coordination efforts are presently underway at the international level. One such effort is the WTO Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries. This Framework is aimed at improving the overall capacity of least-developed countries to respond to the challenges and opportunities offered by the trading system. The WTO, UNCTAD, ITC IMF, World Bank and UNDP have established an Integrated Framework for the provision of trade-related technical assistance, including human and institutional capacity-building, for supporting trade and trade-related activities of the least-developed countries.

The Framework is intended to enable each agency involved to increase its efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of trade-related technical assistance activities. The Framework will permit each agency to design and tailor its individual efforts to meet the needs of least-developed countries in the light of full information about the specific needs of each country and about current and projected activities being undertaken by other agencies in the area of trade-related technical assistance. It will allow the trade-related technical assistance activities of all the agencies to be properly coordinated, sequenced and synchronized.

This Framework could serve as a valuable model to consider in building more specific alliances related to capacity building and technical assistance in the area of food safety and quality systems.

The World Bank has a very important role in capacity building and technical assistance as it has expertise and experience in project design and management and thus is an obvious complement to the specific technical assistance expertise and experience of the international community. The Bank already has under way substantial programs to support developing country participation in upcoming WTO negotiations and has initiated a program to build implementation of WTO standards into regular development projects. Bank projects supporting SPS systems have typically placed these measures in a general development context of ensuring food security, increasing agricultural productivity and protecting health, rather that focusing on the narrower objective of meeting stringent requirements in export markets.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have extensive specific expertise and experience regarding the development of international standards through the Codex Alimentarius Commission and in providing technical assistance related to various food safety and quality measures. They also provide expert advice on food safety and quality matters through the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives and the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues and through expert consultations on other related food safety and quality matters. Both FAO and WHO have also produced manuals on numerous elements of food safety and quality and have developed and delivered associated training programmes. Other international organizations and national governments involved in capacity building and technical assistance activities would benefit through closer cooperation and collaboration with both FAO and WHO in the planning and implementation of these activities.

FAO has recently proposed the establishment of a "Food Safety and Quality Facility for LDCs" to address food safety and quality concerns and to improve the competitiveness of their products in international markets. The Facility will require the establishment of a trust fund to support the rapid and sustainable upgrading of the food safety and quality assurance capabilities of LDCs. The trust fund would support projects to develop, rehabilitate, upgrade and sustain national food safety and quality assurance systems in the 49 LDCs, their compliance with international food safety and quality requirements and their participation in the international standard setting bodies. The resources of the Facility would consist of voluntary contributions from interested bilateral and multilateral donors. It is estimated that the implementation of projects to achieve the objective of the Facility within three to five years would require, on average US$ 2 million per country, or US$ 98 million for the 49 LDCs.

Another interesting approach to capacity building is the Inter-American Institute on the Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)/Ceres Executive Leadership Seminar in Food Safety: A Programme Designed to Promote Leadership for the Development of Comprehensive Food Safety Policy. This two year seminar program recognizes that leadership is essential to promote development of comprehensive food safety policy. The programme is designed to develop professionals in agriculture, health, and food safety systems (both public and private) into food safety leaders by providing critical information and expertise. The objective is to provide more effective management and improved food safety policies in the countries involved.

Numerous other capacity building and technical assistance initiatives continue to be undertaken by other international and regional organizations and bilaterally by individual countries and NGOs. Unfortunately, very often information available is not shared and activities are not coordinated. It is clearly apparent that improved coordination and collaboration is necessary in order to bring the resources, approaches and collections of expertise together in a way that maximizes the positive impact of the resources applied.

Capacity building and technical assistance related to food safety and quality are costly and therefore would benefit from the coordinated investment and collaboration of all agencies involved. To enable each agency to increase its efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of technical assistance activities, specific mechanisms should be developed to improve communication, coordination and cooperation among these agencies. These mechanisms are needed to permit each agency to design and tailor its individual efforts to meet the needs of developing countries in the light of full information about the specific needs of each country and about current and projected activities being undertaken by other agencies. This could result in more focused assistance, improved coordination and sequencing, and synergism of activities.

There is a need for a regular review and evaluation of the technical assistance provided to individual developing countries. This review should involve all of the agencies involved and officials of the developing countries concerned. The purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of the assistance provided in meeting its objectives and, if needed, to make any necessary adjustments in the approach.

  • Communication and Exchange of Information

One of the first steps in building alliance is the establishment of clear lines of communication between interested agencies to provide for the regular exchange of information related to technical assistance activities provided or under consideration. This communication would enable the agencies to avoid overlap and duplication and allow them to properly sequence and synchronize technical assistance in specific countries. This communication could take the form of regular meetings of involved agencies, an inventory of technical assistance needed, an inventory of technical assistance provided, a rosters of experts in various subject areas, compilation of resource or reference materials, information on training, workshops, seminars etc. Each agency involved could contribute to the information by establishing and maintaining a database, by country, of the technical assistance activities they undertake.

International organizations such as FAO and WHO would be well placed to coordinate this work and to develop the appropriate data bases to which each agency could input and access. The technical cooperation programs of all organizations involved could benefit from the information provided. The information would also be useful to the SPS Committee in reviewing the technical assistance needs and related activities of Member countries and international organizations.

  • Needs Assessment and Country Profiles

Capacity building should start with an assessment to identify the specific needs and to develop an optimal approach to meeting these needs. To enhance ownership and to ensure that the overall process is properly demand-driven, the needs assessment should be carried out by developing countries themselves. However, frequently developing countries may require assistance in completing their needs assessment and this could be provided by the appropriate international organizations. When preparing its needs assessment a developing country should actively involve all appropriate government departments, its private sector and appropriate non-governmental organizations.

The needs assessment process is facilitated by the development of a country profile that includes a review of existing legislation and regulations, food inspection activities and agencies involved, laboratory capacities, public health concerns, priorities for export access etc. The objective of the country profile is to obtain an overall appreciation of the needs for capacity building and technical cooperation broadly defined to include technical assistance and human and institutional capacity building, both in the immediate and longer term.

The results of this needs assessment would provide useful information on which to design a coherent and integrated approach for internal actions and external assistance to meet the specific needs of individual countries. Capacity building and technical assistance activities could then be based on the needs assessment and these activities could be prioritized, designed and sequenced to meet the specific needs most efficiently and effectively. The specific assistance provided should be coordinated by the international agencies and all other parties involved, taking into consideration the agencies' respective mandates, resources and expertise.

  • Financing

Each of the agencies involved should finance from its existing resources - or, as necessary, should seek additional finance from the international and regional development banks and donors with the active support of the developing country concerned, to implement the capacity building and technical assistance activities. Where resources additional to those currently available for technical assistance activities are required, they may be mobilized through bilateral and multilateral channels, including from both traditional and non-traditional sources. Where needs are broader in nature than the specific technical assistance activity, these could be submitted collectively for financing to the development banks and donor community.

  • Technical Cooperation Between Countries

Specific bilateral technical assistance has been provided by developed countries to developing countries in response to the technical assistance provisions of the SPS Agreement or in response to specific market access or developmental needs. Also many developed countries have specific agencies and programs for capacity building and technical assistance.

There have also been successes where the strength of one developing country has been matched with the needs of another with mutual benefit for both. The UN system has been encouraging this approach of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC). Food control can benefit from this approach, particularly in manpower development and capacity building. Emergence of a number of regional economic groupings, growing food security needs, and trading interests of many developing countries, have improved the scope for TCDC.

Such assistance, however, should be considered in terms of the broader framework of the developing country's overall needs. This assistance would also benefit by interaction and coordination with capacity building and technical assistance activities provided by other organizations.

Opportunities may exist to further develop this type of assistance through institutional cooperation programs between specific agencies, inspection services, laboratory networks, research centers, universities and other appropriate institutions of developed and developing countries. Under this arrangement, the institution of a developed country would be coupled with the institution in a developing country to assist in strengthening their capacities.

  • Regional Approaches

Whenever needs common to developing countries in a particular region can be identified, interested agencies should collaborate in providing appropriate technical assistance activities to meet these needs.

Opportunities for regional cooperation could include the establishment of regional training centers and programs, laboratories networks, risk analysis units, regional food safety and quality information repositories etc.

VIII. CONCLUSIONS

Many developing countries, especially the least developed, presently have neither the capacity nor the resources to fully face the challenges or take advantage of the opportunities flowing from the Uruguay Round. Strengthening the food safety and quality capacities of these countries is urgently needed in terms of improving food security, public health and international trade opportunities.

A concerted effort is required to meet the capacity building and technical assistance needs of developing countries. Action is required to improve cooperation and collaboration between the various organizations involved and to build alliances so that the available resources are optimally applied. International organizations such as FAO and WHO are well positioned to take leadership in building alliances, establishing frameworks for exchange of information, and coordinating capacity building and technical assistance activities related to food safety and quality.

 

 

1 United Nations Population Division 1998. World Population Prospects: The 1996 Revision. New York.

2 United Nations Population Division 1998. World Urbanization Prospects - The 1996 Revision. New York.

3 WHO, 1998. Food Safety- A world-wide public health issue. Internet WHO Homepage http//www.who.ch/

4 FAO/WHO 1984. "The role of food safety in health and development"- A Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Safety.

5 Buzby J.C.,and Roberts T. 1996. ERS Updates US Foodborne Disease Costs for Seven Pathogens. Food Review, 19:3 20-25.

6 Malik R.K. 1981. "Food a priority for consumer protection in Asia and the Pacific region." Food and Nutrition, 7:2.

7 "A Global WHO Food Safety Strategy: Safer food for better health" 8 WTO 1998. WTO Annual Report 1998.