The United States has contributed USD 180,000 to support food, animal, and plant health standards in developing countries. This funding aims to help these nations tackle sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) challenges that hinder their agricultural producers from accessing global markets.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed gratitude for the U.S. contribution, stating: "I thank the United States for its generous support of developing countries and LDCs in tackling sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) related challenges keeping agricultural producers out of global agricultural markets." She highlighted that this contribution is part of the U.S.'s long-term commitment to enhancing SPS capacities through science-based approaches, enabling better participation in regional and global value chains.
H.E. Ms. María Pagán, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, noted: "The United States has a long-term commitment to helping WTO members strengthen their ability to implement the SPS Agreement." She emphasized the importance of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) in assisting members with adopting SPS standards to expand trade opportunities.
The FDA acknowledges the STDF's role in supporting developing economies by building their capacity to implement international SPS standards. These efforts aim to improve human, animal, and plant health status while enhancing market access for developing economies.
Kelly McCormick from FDA remarked on the collaborative nature of STDF's work: "FDA appreciates the amplification role that the STDF serves. With all of the donor countries and member organizations pooling resources, expertise, and funds — the reach of what we are collectively able to do to build SPS capacity goes far beyond the sum of what we would have been able to accomplish as individual countries, agencies, or organizations."
Engagement with STDF allows FDA to gain insights from international counterparts and share science-based food safety practices globally. The STDF partnership includes organizations such as FAO, OIE, World Bank Group, WHO, and WTO. It focuses on facilitating safe trade while contributing to sustainable economic growth aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.