PRESS/ 919 
 
23 February 2023  
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PRESS RELEASE  
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
The Netherlands gives CHF 1.3 million to boost developing 
countries' access to food markets  
The Netherlands is extending its partnership with the Standards and Trade Development Facility 
(STDF), committing CHF 1.3 million to help agricultural producers in developing and 
least developed countries (LDCs) seize new trade opportunities by complying with international 
food safety, animal and plant health standards. This con tribution will be distributed over two 
years, starting in 2023.  
 
WTO Director -General Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala said: "Complying with international health and safety 
standards is an ongoing challenge for farmers in developing countries. This limits their 
opportu nities to benefit from trade. Climate change is making compliance even harder, as rising 
temperatures increase food safety risks and expand the spread of animal diseases and plant pests. 
This donation from the Netherlands will help developing countries imp rove their sanitary and 
phytosanitary (SPS) capacity and facilitate safe trade."  
 
The Netherlands' Deputy Permanent Representative to the WTO, Marcel Vernooij, said: "We are 
pleased to extend our partnership with the WTO. As an agricultural and a trading n ation, the 
Netherlands is committed to strengthening food security and building sustainable food systems 
worldwide. The Standards and Trade Development Facility is increasingly recognized as providing 
unique and excellent support to strengthening the food safety systems of developing countries and 
to enhancing cross -border trade of agricultural and food products. Especially at this current time, 
strengthening regional food systems is essential. " 
 
The STDF will use the contribution from the Netherlands to pi lot innovative SPS capacity 
development projects across Africa, Asia -Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and to build SPS 
expertise that contributes to safeguarding local public health and facilitating safe trade.  
 
The support will enable the STDF's g lobal partnership to deliver results and achieve SPS 
improvements in the remaining two years of the current strategy. For instance, in 2023 the STDF 
will commission an external assessment to learn how the environment, biodiversity and climate 
change are ad dressed in SPS compliance projects with the aim of improving future work.  
 
Overall, the Netherlands has contributed close to CHF 4.1 million to the STDF since 2018, including 
this latest contribution.  
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  Developing and least developed countries are encouraged to apply to the STDF for SPS project and 
project preparation grants. The next deadline for submission of funding proposals is 24 February 
2023. Information on how to apply is available here. 
 
To date, the STDF has funded more than 240 projects benefiting LDCs and other developing 
countries.  
 
The STDF is a global multi -stakeholder partnership to facilitate safe and inclusive trade, 
established by the  Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World 
Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), 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' 
Sustainable Development Goals.  
 
 
END