Antigua and Barbuda improves entry to protected and wholesome meals

Recognizing the significance of getting a robust coverage framework to modernize their Agricultural Well being and Meals Security (AHFS) programs, Antigua and Barbuda efficiently validated a Nationwide AHFS Coverage and Motion Plan beneath the European Union-funded 11th European Improvement Fund Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Challenge (11th EDF SPS Measures  Challenge). 

The coverage is predicted to contribute to the attainment of the suitable degree of human, plant, and animal well being safety, in addition to entry to protected and nutritious meals and optimum commerce facilitation of agricultural and meals merchandise. 

It is going to additionally bolster the Authorities of Antigua and Barbuda’s methods in direction of additional creating the home agricultural sector and exporting meals merchandise. 

On Might 23, 2023, the Nationwide AHFS Coverage Validation Workshop which came about in St John’s in Antigua and  Barbuda, commenced with a gap ceremony throughout which key companions supplied remarks.  

The consultant from the European Union, Mariana Arias, ProgramManager, European Union  Delegation to Barbados, the Jap Caribbean States, the OECS, and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, acknowledged on the  Workshop’s Opening Session that part of the European Union’s mandate is to extend commerce with Antigua and Barbuda and with your entire Caribbean.

 Arias indicated that the EU desires extra enterprise relationships, extra financial and people-to-people exchanges, and, equally vital, more healthy folks within the Caribbean and a more healthy surroundings for animals and vegetation, which is why the EU is funding the 11th EDF SPS Measures Challenge. She additional acknowledged that the surroundings and local weather change are world considerations for everybody. This will even assist in attaining the regional goal of lowering meals imports by 25% by  2025. 

The consultant from IICA, Dr. Janet Lawrence, Agricultural Well being, Meals Security & High quality Specialist – Caribbean/11th EDF SPS Measures Challenge Supervisor, acknowledged {that a} “essential element of the mission is strengthening the SPS regulatory surroundings. By way of this element, what we have now completed is supported international locations within the Caribbean to replace their laws in animal well being, plant well being and meals security. Now we have additionally educated public sector professionals to coordinate SPS providers successfully and effectively. In collaboration with the Caribbean Agricultural Well being and Meals Security Company, CAHFSA, we have now developed  a regional agricultural well being and meals security coverage analysis plan and a nationwide coverage framework.” 

She acknowledged that the coverage ought to change into an actionable doc to see the advantages of implementation. 

Weighing in, Dr. Gavin Peters, Chief Government Officer, CAHFSA, acknowledged, “This can be a main accomplishment for  Antigua and Barbuda as they’re the primary to have their nationwide AHFS coverage developed as a part of the 11th EDF SPS Measures Challenge. This is a crucial milestone and step in constructing an environment friendly and efficient SPS  regime within the Caribbean area. We’ll take the teachings realized from this improvement as we transfer the method ahead so that each nation within the area may have their nationwide agricultural well being and meals  security coverage developed and applied.” 

All of us have a job to play in nationwide meals safety in line with Gregory Bailey, Director of Agriculture,  Ministry of Overseas Affairs, Agriculture, Commerce & Barbuda Affairs, “As a matter of truth, many occasions in small societies like ours we discover ourselves taking part in a number of roles alongside the worth chain. For instance, some  farmers and fishers could also be processors themselves, who can also be concerned within the provide of inputs, in  eventualities equivalent to this it turns into paramount that we perceive our relative place inside the associated  worth chains and the potential results our actions and inactions could have on nationwide meals security whether or not  it’s on the nationwide degree, neighborhood degree or the family degree.” 

The Hon. E.P. Chet Greene, Minister, Ministry of Overseas Affairs, Agriculture, Commerce and Barbuda Affairs,  by means of his video message, indicated that contaminated meals is accountable for roughly 600 million circumstances of food-borne diseases and about 420,000 deaths worldwide every year. 

“Meals could be contaminated resulting from quite a lot of components, together with micro organism, viruses, parasites, chemical contaminants, and toxins produced by micro-organisms. Along with the influence on human well being, the recall of contaminated meals can have vital financial penalties for crop and livestock farmers, in addition to those that market their produce,” he added.

 Minister Greene acknowledged that it’s important to have sturdy insurance policies and laws in place to forestall and reply to food-borne diseases so as to defend the well being and well-being of customers and the livelihoods of these concerned within the meals manufacturing and advertising and marketing chains. 

“A coverage on  Agricultural Well being and Meals Security might help to guard the well being of customers, livestock and crops.”