Barbados Agritourism Policy Setting Workshop 2019 Policy setting for improved linkages between agriculture, trade and tourism: Strengthening the local agrifood sector and promoting healthy food in agritourism. Workshop organised by the Government of Barbados In collaboration with CABA, CTA, IICA, CTO, CHTA, CDB Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Barbados, 27 & 28 March 2019

1. Linking Farmers to Agribusiness for
Wholesome and Safe Products: The role
of sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures
Presented by: Beverley P. Wood, Ph.D.

2. Areas of Presentation
 Background – WTO-SPS Agreement
 Overview of AHFCS
 What is a AHFCS
 Responsibility of Stakeholders
 Components of AHFCS
 The Work of Barbados’ NAHFCP

3. Background
What is the WTO SPS Agreement?
 An agreement that gives countries the right to
maintain sanitary and phyto-sanitary
measures to protect their animal, plant and
human health
Why is it necessary?
 Ensures that food is safe for consumers,
prevents the spread of pests or diseases
among animals and plants

4. What is a sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS)
measure?
Any measure applied to:
 Protect human or animal life from risks
arising from additives, contaminants, toxins or
disease-causing organisms in food or
beverage;
 Protect human life from plant or animal
carried diseases (zoonoses);

5. SPS Measure Con’t
 Protect animal or plant life from pests,
diseases, or disease-causing organisms;
 Prevent or limit other damages to a country
from the entry, establishment or spread of
pests.

6. The “three sisters” of the WTO-SPS
 Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)
for food safety;
 World Organisation for Animal Health
(OIE) for animal and veterinary public
health;
 International Plant Protection Convention
(IPPC) for plant health.

7. What role does the 3 sisters play in AHFCS?
 Provide international standards, guidelines
and codes of practice on which countries
base their national standards, and which are
referred to in trade disputes
 For example Codex Alimentarius:
 Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene
 Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products
 Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruit and
Vegetables

8. International Plant Protection Convention:
ISPM 6: Guidelines for surveillance
ISPM 7: Export certification system
ISPM 15: Guidelines for regulating wood packaging
material in international trade
World Organisation for Animal Health:
Terrestrial Animal Health Code
Aquatic Animal health Code

9. What is an AHFCS?
 A system which embraces an integrated farm
to fork approach to food production and food
safety;
 Risk Based, that is, focuses on preventative
measures at all stages of the food production
and distribution chain rather than inspection
and rejection at the end, that is, end product
testing.

10. What is the responsibility of the manufacturing and
farming community in a AHFCS ?
 To adopt best practices for the control of
food safety hazards;
 Apply robust sanitary and phytosanitary
measures;
 Meet the requirements established by
competent authorities for AHFC

11. On Farm practices
 Adhere to good agricultural practices:
 Use clean water to wash and irrigate produce;
 Store produce in clean containers and in
warehouses not accessible to rodents, birds
and other pests;
 Keep records of pesticides used and adhere to
the days to harvest stated;
 If using organic fertiliser then ensure that it is
properly cured and incorporate into soil

12. What is the role of the Government?
To establish and maintain monitoring,
verification, certification and control
programmes to verify:
 the ongoing effectiveness of food safety
efforts by producers; and
 trading partners’ regulatory systems

13. What is the objective of the AHFCS?
 Ensures that food grown, harvested,
processed, marketed and consumed in
Barbados is safe and wholesome;
 Protects and safeguard the health of plants,
animals, especially food crops and
livestock;

14. Components of an AHFCS
 An appropriate legislative framework (Acts
and Regulations);
 Regulatory services for plant health, animal
health and food safety inclusive of:
 Inspection and enforcement services;

15. Components of an AHFCS
 Quarantine services;
 Surveillance and monitoring programmes as
well as sampling and detection at all aspects
of the food chain, from farm to fork or boat to
throat;
 Risk assessment procedures;

16. Components of an AHFCS
 Standards and operational guidelines such
as those based on Food Safety
Management Systems and preventative
approaches to AHFC such as:
 Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good
Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Hazard
Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP);
and SOPs and SSOPs

17. Components of an AHFCS
 Laboratory services.
 Monitoring and Evaluation;
 Training;
 Communication

18. The work of the Barbados NAHFCP
 Reviewed the Barbados AHFCS;
 Conducted a Phytosanitary Capacity
Evaluation (PCE) for Plant protection;
 Conducted Performance of Veterinary
Services (PVS) Evaluation
 Conducted PVS Gap Analysis
 Conducted Veterinary Legislation
Identification Mission

19. The work of the Barbados NAHFCP Con’t
 Reviewed and prepared draft modern
legislation for:
 Animal and Veterinary Public Health;
 Food Safety and Quality
 Reviewed and amended the 2007 Plant
Protection Act;

20.  Drafted the following Regulations:
 Plant protection (Import and Transit) Regulation;
 Plant Protection (Export) Regulation;
 Food Safety and Quality (Fishery Products
Inspection and Control) Regulation.

21.  Drafted a Risked Based Food Inspection
Manual and Sampling Plan;
 Assessed the Fisheries infrastructure and
fisheries supply chain
 Prepared SSOP and SOPs for all public
markets, fish markets, fish landing/handling
sites and vending operations;
 Provided improved infrastructure at the
Bridgetown Fisheries Complex

22.  Monitoring and surveillance programmes
for selected pests and diseases;
 Camylobacter and Salmonella spp.
programme
 Inspection systems;
 Joint on-farm milk inspection programme;
 On-farm poultry inspection programme;

23.  Development and piloting of a traceability
system for selected sectors;
 Development of QA/QC system at GAS and
VSL;
 Training and Development of analytical
techniques at GAS and VSL
 Histamine determination;
 Molecular Diagnostic technique using PCR for
microbiological determinations

24.  Development of a Monitoring and
Evaluation System and Plan

25. Thank you