Germany donates €150,000 to boost food safety in developing countries

11-Jul-2017 - Last updated on 12-Jul-2017 at 07:41 GMT

Picture: WTO. Nthisana Phillips and Walter Werner

Germany has donated €150,000 to support food safety, animal/plant health standards and trade.

Funding for the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) will help developing countries comply with international food safety, animal and plant health standards and access agricultural markets easier.

The STDF is managed by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The platform brings together trade, health and agriculture experts to share knowledge, tools and good practice and strengthen effectiveness of SPS technical assistance to developing countries.

Nthisana Phillips, director of the WTO’s administration and general services division, said: “Germany’s donation will be very important in helping developing and least-developed countries improve their sanitary and phytosanitary capacity to better access global markets.”

Germany has donated €2m (CHF 2.2m) to the STDF in the past 10 years.

Walter Werner, Germany’s alternate ambassador to the WTO, said: “High standards are important for ensuring food safety, food security and poverty reduction.

“Not only do they help to prevent the spread of animal and plant diseases, they also enhance the export capacities of developing countries.”