U.S. donates to sanitary standards program

U.S. donates to sanitary standards program    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has donated $250,000 to the Standards and Trade Development Facility to help developing countries implement sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS).
   “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,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a statement Monday. “A predictable regulatory environment also helps U.S. exporters sell their products in overseas markets.”
   Since 2003, the USDA has donated $700,000 to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF). The funds help developing countries in a variety areas, including creating national strategies for food safety, and animal and plant health; strengthening countries’ SPS-related laws, regulations and regulatory infrastructure; and improving inspection, monitoring and certification capabilities.
   The Geneva-based STDF was created 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.
   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.