G/SPS/GEN/1833  
 
14 October 20 20 
(20-7062) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
SPS ACTIVITIES OF THE CARIBBEAN AGRICULTURAL HEALTH  
AND FOOD SAFETY AGENCY  (CAHFSA)  
REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
The following communication, received on 9 October  2020, is being c irculated at the request of  
CAHFSA . 
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  The Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) was established by the 
Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to perform a coordinating and 
organizing role in the establ ishment of an effective and efficient regional sanitary and phytosanitary 
(SPS) regime and to execute on behalf of member  States such SPS actions and activities that can 
be more effectively and efficiently executed through a regional mechanism.  
1.2.  CAHFSA is p leased to provide this report to the seventy -eighth regular meeting of the 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, summarising key activities and providing 
updates on CARICOM SPS work programme.  
1.3.  As with most organizations, the COVID 19 pandemic h as adversely affected the CAHFSA 2020 
work programme, forcing an adjustment in the approach to execution. The Agency has however 
managed to implement most of its activities using the remote platform.  
2  COLLABORATION WITH INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATI ONS IN THE 
AREA OF AGRICULTURAL HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY  
2.1.  CAHFSA continues its engagement with the OIE, IPPC and the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
through meeting participation and regional coordination of activities.  
2.2.  As the Regional Plant Protection Organization for the Caribbean, CAHFSA led the organization 
of the 2020 IPPC Regional Workshop for the Caribbean. Fifty -six participants from 17 member States 
and eight regional/ international institutions attended the three -day workshop, which was held by 
videoconference on 1 -2 September 2020. The regional workshop was followed on 8 -9 September by 
a two -day working on national reporting obligations.  
2.3.  CAHFSA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CAB International  to 
strengthen relations through cooperative activities aimed at improving national plant health systems 
among the CAHFSA member States. 
2.4.  Under the 11th EDF project and the support of IICA (the executing agency), CAHFSA will lead 
the development of a Regional Policy and Action Plan for Agricultural Health and Food Safety  (AHFS) . 
The project seeks to develop a Regional Agricultural Health and Food Safety Policy and Action Plan 
and a National AHFS Policy Framework that will allow the Caribbean to have a more strategic and 
focused approach for addressing important AHFS regional and national issues such as meeting 
SPS requirements for regional and international market access. This intervention will ultimately 
serve to provide the region and countries with a  coherent, coordinated and focused approach to 
addressing AHFS issues.  G/SPS/GEN/1833  
 
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  3  CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES   
3.1.  CAHFSA has signed a new Letter of Agreement (LOA) with the Food and Agricultural 
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Sub -Regional Offi ce for the Caribbean to provide technical 
support for conducting Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluations (PCE) in four Caribbean countries . Like  all 
projects being executed by CAHFSA, realization of the outputs from this project has been affected 
by the pandemi c as no face to face interaction is possible. While the countries are at various stages 
of project implementation, all four are successfully conducting the PCE remotely.  
3.2.  The institution has continued its engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agen cy 
(IAEA) through support to the implementation of the Regional Project to facilitate the development 
of human resource and capacity building in member States in the use of nuclear technology for 
application in agriculture . The IAEA Board of Directors appr oved the project in October 2019, and 
although the global pandemic has delayed implementation of some activities, others are being 
executed remotely.  
3.3.  CAHFSA submitted a request to the STDF for a Project Preparation Grant on piloting the use of 
Prioritizing  Investments for Market Access (P -IMA) in the CARICOM region. The grant proposal was 
approved, and implementation has begun.  
3.4.  CAHFSA continues to provide training in pest risk analysis to CARICOM member States; towards 
improving the competence of analysts i n the region and to build a cadre of risk assessment 
professionals.  
4  TRADE FACILITATION  
4.1.  CAHFSA has received support from the Caribbean Development Bank to support the 
development of guidelines for intra -regional trade in animal and plant products which will  enhance 
the framework for intra -regional trade in agricultural commodities among member countries . 
Specifically, the project involves the development of regional commodity -specific sanitary and 
phytosanitary guidelines for five animal and fourteen plant p roducts. The duration of the assignment 
is expected to be for nine months.  
5  TECHNICAL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE  
5.1.  The Information Portal  developed on CAHFSA 's website continues to provide a weekly update 
on WTO notifications as well as agricultural h ealth and food safety alerts.  
 
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