G/SPS/GEN/2072  
 
21 October 2022 
(22-7913) 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 20 October 2022, 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 eighty -fourth  regular meeting of the Committee 
on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, summarising key activities and providing updates on 
CARICOM SPS work programme.  
2  ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE  
2.1.  CAHFSA is pleased to announce the appointment of two recruits to its staff complement. 
The new Plant Health Programme Officer  and RPPO Technical Secretary  will support the work of the 
Plant Health Unit, particularly as it relates to the activities of the Regional Plant Protection 
Organization.  
2.2.  As the agricultural landscape within the CARICOM region grows and adapts to meet various 
SPS challenges and opportu nities, CAHFSA recognizes the need to continuously assess its position 
and strategies. Therefore, in July 2022, the Board of Directors organized a retreat to discuss and 
agree on strategies to reposition the Agency to serve the Community better. As a resul t, the Board 
of Directors agreed to develop a new service portfolio that contributes to CAHFSA's financial and 
operational sustainability and improves the regional SPS environment.  
2.3.  On 29 July 2021, CAHFSA held its second annual symposium on the institution 's mandate to 
"establish an effective regime of SPS measures" in the CARICOM region. This year the Symposium, 
CAHFSA – Continuing the Way Forward , provided an update on CAHFSA's activities since the last 
symposium and sensitized stakeholders on the Agency' s vision for the foreseeable future and its 
relevance in the region.  
2.4.  On 19 September 2022. CAHFSA launched the Regional Food Safety Task Force. This task force 
is established as a Technical Advisory Committee to CAHFSA and will serve as a technical mechani sm 
to coordinate agricultural food safety activities in the Caribbean.  
3  HARMONIZATION OF REGIONAL SPS POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK  
3.1.  CAHFSA is very happy to announce that the CARICOM Council on Trade and Economic 
Development (COTED) has endorsed 19 Commod ity-Specific SPS Guidelines developed to facilitate G/SPS/GEN/2072  
 
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  intra-regional trade in agricultural commodities among member countries. The guidelines cover 
14 plant and five animal products and provide information on regionally regulated pests and diseases 
and optio ns for SPS measures. These commodity guidelines are available at 
https://cahfsa.org/guidelines/ . 
3.2.   The COTED has also approved a Regional Policy on the Movement of Animal and Animal 
Products. The Policy, prepar ed with support from the Inter -American Institute for Cooperation on 
Agriculture (IICA), is intended to provide an enabling and effectively regulated environment for the 
trade and importation of animals and animal products in the Community. https://cahfsa.org/wp -
content/uploads/2022/10/CARICOM -Policy -on-Trade -In-Animals -and-Animal -Products.pdf . 
3.3.  At the 104th Special Meeting of the COTED (J uly 2022), the CARICOM region adopted a 
non-binding procedure to facilitate a rapid, science -based resolution to specific sanitary and 
phytosanitary (SPS) trade concerns among the member States. The procedure, which CAHFSA 
developed, aims primarily to eval uate the technical aspects of SPS trade concerns. It applies to any 
dispute regarding the interpretation or application of the WTO SPS Agreement or where a 
member  State considers that any action by another member conflicts with the obligations of this 
Agreement.  
3.4.  Also, under the 11th EDF project, CAHFSA is collaborating with IICA to support improvements 
of the SPS regulatory framework in the CARIFORUM member States. This project component aims 
to upgrade select SPS legislation to meet international standard s, improve coordination that 
contributes to effective and efficient SPS control systems, and strengthen the policy framework that 
guides processes and plans for harmonising AHFS systems across the Caribbean Region.  
4  CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITI ES 
4.1.  On Thursday, 29 September 2022, CAHFSA, in collaboration with the Inter -American Institute 
for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), hosted a webinar on "Strengthening Food Safety in the 
Caribbean". The webinar sought to promote the engagement and particip ation of Caribbean 
countries in the Codex Alimentarius and to launch the Regional Food Safety Task Force.  
5  COLLABORATION WITH INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE 
AREA OF AGRICULTURAL HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY  
5.1.  On 16-18 August 2022, CAHFSA collaborat ed with the IPPC, IICA and the FAO Sub -Regional 
Office for the Caribbean to organize and deliver the 2022 IPPC Regional Workshop for the Caribbean. 
As usual, the purpose of this workshop was to develop capacity in a range of areas related to the 
IPPC. In a ddition, the workshop serves to analyze draft International Standards for Phytosanitary 
Measures (ISPMs) and to formulate constructive comments on these drafts.  
5.1  Collaboration with the GICSV and the TC -RPPO  
5.2.  CAHFSA actively supports the international and hem ispheric phytosanitary Community in 
coordinated activities to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests. The Agency continues 
collaborating with the Inter -American Coordinating Group in Plant Health (GICSV) and the Technical 
Cooperation on Regiona l Plant Protection Organization (TC -RPPO).  
 
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