PRESS/896  
 
13 January 2022 
(22-0309) Page: 1/2 
    
 
 
PRESS RELEASE  
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
Norway pledges NOK 25 million to back developing countries' 
growth through safe food  
The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) is pledging NOK 25 million 
(approximately CHF 2.5 million) from 2021 to 2023 to the Standards and Trade Development 
Facility (STDF). The grant will be used to strengthen the capacity of developing and least -
developed countries (LDCs) to comply with international food safety, animal and plant health 
standards, produce safe, quality food and increase their access to global and regional markets.  
 
WTO Director -General Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala said: "I welcome Norway's continued generosity. This 
new pledge will support developing countries to implement international SPS standards, including 
using science -based approaches to protect plant, animal and human health. These efforts 
strengthen the safety and stability of a developing country’s food supply, so thousands of farmers 
can sell goods in ne w markets, improving livelihoods. " 
 
Norad Director -General Bård Vegar Solhjell stated: "Food security and enabling viable food 
systems is a priority for Norwegian development assistance. Norad is proud to support the STDF in 
its work to ensure that LDCs bu ild capacity and can engage in safe trade, which is one of the keys 
to economic growth and poverty reduction. The global pandemic emphasizes that we must 
continue to invest in and scale up safe trading systems."  
 
The signing of this agreement marks the fir st time Norad, a directorate under the Norwegian 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is directly contributing to the  STDF. Norad's main purpose  is "to en sure 
that Norwegian development aid funds are spent in the best possible way, and to report on what 
works and what does not work".  
 
The partnership will support developing countries' efforts to comply with the WTO Agreement on 
the Application of Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  (SPS Agreement ). The STDF will use 
Norad's contribution to support the development and implementation of collaborative and 
innovative SPS projects that make s afe trade a reality on the ground.  
 
Not including this latest disbursement, Norway has provided CHF 5.2 million to the STDF through 
multiple agreements since 2007. Overall, Norway has contributed about CHF 41 million to various 
WTO trust funds over the past 20 years.  
 
To date, the STDF has funded more than 230 projects benefiting LDCs and other developing 
countries. The contribution by Norway will also strengthen the STDF's coordination platform, 
connecting diverse stakeholders across agriculture, health , trade and development to share PRESS/896  
 
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  experiences, find opportunities for collaboration and promote a more coherent approach to SPS 
capacity development.  
 
The STDF was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, 
the World O rganisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Bank Group, the World Health 
Organization (WHO) and the WTO, which houses and manages the partnership. The STDF 
responds to evolving needs, drives inclusive trade and contributes to sustainable economic growth , 
food security and poverty reduction, in support of the United Nations' Global Goals.  
 
 
END