EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 49 tional Codex, OIE and IPPC standards on food safety, animal and plant health. These standards are recognized as the bench- mark in the WTO SPS Agreement, which sets out the basic rules on SPS measures that impact agricultural production, trade and market access. Compliance not only facilitates safe trade but also helps in raising agriculture production levels and improving public health. Alongside meetings of the interna- tional standard setting bodies, the WTO SPS Committee is where members review compliance, look at trade impact and coop- erate with technical organizations. Here, both developing and developed countries need to get actively involved. Public and private sector stakeholders in countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, for example, joined forces several years ago to collect national SPS information and work on common regional SPS issues, thanks to STDF support. This led to greater regional harmonization, and more countries able to participate effectively and respond to issues and opportunities in the SPS Committee. Global public-private sector collabo- ration also plays a vital role in promoting harmonization. Across Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America, global pesticide manufacturers and plant science indus- try associations got involved in projects supported by STDF and other partners. The goal was to meet pesticide-related export requirements for minor-use crops. Global suppliers of crop protection prod- ucts (Dow, Syngenta and Sumitomo) and CropLife contributed expertise to residue trials. As a result, the private sector has registered new reduced-risk pesticides in 18 countries. At the 2017 WTO Ministerial Conference, 17 governments recognized STDF’s work and signed up to continue collaboration in this area. ES: HOW DOES THE STDF FACILITATE TRADE? MS: Compliance with international Codex, OIE and IPPC standards is really the starting point. At the same time, for many years the STDF has been advocating to cut SPS-related procedural obstacles at and behind borders. This has included urging SPS, customs and trade officials to streamline documents and control pro- cedures, improve transparency and use risk-based inspections. The latest STDF research in Africa and Southeast Asia, and a good practice training film in Latin America, show how developing coun- tries can reduce transaction costs, while maintaining and even reinforcing health protection. As a result, agricultural trade, including of seeds and crops, can flow faster, while pests and diseases among plants and animals do not spread, and food remains safe for consumers. STDF’s work on safe trade got an additional boost in 2017 when the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement came into force. The agree- ment aims to move goods across borders more efficiently, further cutting time and costs to trade. This in turn enhances com- petitiveness, which is critical in particular for developing countries. At the field level, identifying plant pests using the latest IT tools lets devel- oping countries tap into agricultural export opportunities and get regional trade flows moving, cutting the time for market access negotiations. With STDF support, in Southeast Asia and the Pacific for example, the P-tracker mobile app is taking off. Hand-held mobile devices installed with the app are helping National Plant Protection Organizations to collect surveillance data to report on pests. With a regionally harmonized, pest information framework countries can compile credible pest lists and map pest status, which in turn secures access to markets for crops. ES: WHERE DOES THE WORK ON E-CERTIFICATION COME IN? MS: E-certification or going paperless with automated SPS systems is gaining momentum. Governments and industry worldwide are lining up to show how paperless SPS systems improve tracea- bility across supply chains, reduce food wastage, cut trade times and costs, reduce fraudulent certificates, and build trust among trading partners. STDF is working with the public and private sector to support developing countries to leverage new technologies. STDF is shaping the global dia- logue on SPS e-certification through its exchange platform, running seminars and events for governments and busi- nesses, most recently holding a high-level session at the 2017 Aid for Trade Global Review, opened by the WTO Director- General. What’s clear is that transition- ing to paperless documentation is tied to public-private sector cooperation, so that data flows can be harmonized and rolled out seamlessly – between governments, from business to government and from business to business worldwide. To facilitate the safe trade of plants and plant products, an ePhyto project is helping developing countries to exchange phytosanitary certificates electronically through a generic national system. The STDF-backed project, led by the IPPC and a wide range of other organizations, is setting up a harmonized exchange tool or "hub" to facilitate electronic exchange based on a single communication proto- col. By the end of 2017, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Samoa, were getting ready to roll out the generic version of the ePhyto tool and Moredetailsandhowtoapplyforgrantscan be found on: standardsfacility.org eight countries were at various stages of connecting to the ePhyto hub. Industry partners, led by the International Grain Trade Coalition, have been providing insights on the project’s business model and financing options, and will pilot the hub to exchange ePhytos and measure the trade impact. It’s an encouraging sign of future trends. ES: HOW DOES THE STDF INVOLVE THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN ITS WORK? FOR EXAMPLE, CAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ALSO APPLY FOR GRANTS AND IF SO, WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? MS: From Nigeria to Nicaragua, sesame seed farmers were facing a big problem. At production level, seeds were being blocked from reaching international markets due to not being able to meet international stand- ards. Livelihoods of small-scale producers were at risk. The STDF solution brought on board public-private sector cooperation to support training in production and control along the supply chain and improve prod- uct safety and quality. In Nigeria, industry including the Sesame Seed Association joined govern- ment efforts. Sites with modern process- ing equipment to clean sesame seeds were set up via a cost-sharing partner- ship between the private sector, cooper- atives and the Nigeria Export Promotion Council. In Nicaragua, private sector partners, including Walmart, worked with government and NGOs to raise aware- ness and run farmer field schools. As a result, trade volumes of sesame seeds saw a 48.5% growth in volume and 16.5% increase in price (2013-2015). The private sector is the leading actor in food and agricultural produc- tion and trade and has a vital role to play for developing countries to meet SPS requirements and access markets. Across STDF work, the private sector is closely involved – providing finance, expertise or other resources, linking to small-scale producers on the ground and implement- ing projects. The STDF encourages the creation of public-private partnerships through its projects. Farmers’ organiza- tions, trade and industry associations and small and medium enterprises in develop- ing countries can apply for support from STDF, in cooperation with the relevant government agencies. Successful projects use innovative, replicable, regional and collaborative approaches in food safety, animal and plant health.