Global partnership releases video showing how trade, market access, simplified border controls and food standards can help avoid 100 million people entering into extreme poverty

©STDF/José Carlos Alexandre

STDF logo

IGTC welcomes a new video by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) global partnership, showing parts of the global food supply chain that will be largely unseen by the general public, as well as pitching a three step “call to action” that could help avoid 100 million people entering into extreme poverty because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The video includes scenes of farm production, grain inspection, implementation of food safety standards, processing, packaging, storage and transportation by water and land, and use of digitalized documents at border controls.

The spotlight shines on what people on the ground are already doing to facilitate safe trade for a better future across the globe including in Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Laos, Nepal, Peru, Senegal, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.

Given that “unsafe food leads to productivity losses of US$95 billion a year”, the video emphasises the need for the facilitation of both imports and exports, to and from developing countries, where “food security and livelihoods are already under pressure”.

Streamlined procedures, joint inspections and controls, and automation technology at borders are also highlighted as crucial for importers and exporters, one example being truck driver “Milton” in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, stating “we’ve gone down from days to hours, it’s improving fast.”

Call to action
Against the warning of increased poverty and a disproportionate impact of coronavirus on developing countries and the world’s most vulnerable populations, a three-step action plan is recommended:

  1. Investment into international animal and plant health food safety standards, to protect public health and access markets. Capacity checks should be conducted with OIE, IPPC and FAO/WHO tools.
  2. Public-private partnerships, mobilizing sector expertise and resources for good agricultural, hygiene and manufacturing practices from farms to business.
  3. Joint up border controls, simplified processes, increased transparency and use of new technology to cut down on trade costs by going paperless with electronic certification.

The video ends by stating “the return on investment benefits us all: economic resilience against future shocks, levelling the playing field for all countries and shoring up sustainable development. Together we can shape the future of a safer world today”.

The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is a global partnership to facilitate safe trade, founded by FAO, WHO, OIE, WTO and the World Bank, including Codex and the IPPC Secretariats. Donors, developing country experts and diverse other public and private sector partners also participate.

The link to the video “Shaping a Safer World” is here: www.standardsfacility.org/shaping-safer-world