Ireland and Canada donate to the Safe Food Trade program

Ireland and Canada have donated thousands to support food safety and agriculture trade efforts.

Ireland’s donation of €200,000 ($223,000) will support Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) projects and programs that improve access to global and regional markets for developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs).

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, said: “Small-scale farmers and producers in developing and least-developed countries often face significant hurdles in accessing global food markets, particularly in meeting sanitary and phytosanitary standards.

“Through the work of the STDF, made possible by contributions like Ireland’s, these challenges are being overcome, helping people in developing countries raise their incomes through trade while enhancing global food safety and security.”

The STDF has funded over 250 projects helping LDCs and other developing economies.

Sean Fleming, Ireland’s Minister of State responsible for International Development and Diaspora, said: “This donation underscores Ireland’s long-standing commitment to the Standards and Trade Development Facility’s mission, bringing its total contributions to over €2.9 million ($3.2 million) since 2007.”

Canadian support
Canada will contribute CAD 250,000 (U.S. $184,000) to the STDF in 2024 to help improve food security, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable economic growth.

Okonjo-Iweala said the money will allow the STDF to advance agricultural innovation, facilitate safe trade, and promote global food security.

Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said: “This investment will create opportunities for developing countries to enhance their trading relationships and competitiveness while supporting a safe and secure global food system.”

Canada has given the U.S. $8.7 million to STDF programs since 2001.

STDF was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank Group, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the WTO. 

To mark the 30th anniversary of the SPS Agreement and the SPS Committee, several events will surround the November 2024 SPS Committee meeting. The STDF will host another event in mid-November for its 20th anniversary.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)