CABI has agreed with the African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) to collaborate on increasing intra/interregional and international trade while complying with Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) requirements.
Dr Morris Akiri, CABI’s Senior Regional Director, Africa, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dr Huyam Ahmed Mohammed Elamin Salih, Director and Head of Mission at AU-IBAR, to work on SPS interventions in the African Union.
The partnership will see both parties collaborating on research, development, capacity strengthening, SPS master plans, feed assessment, policy and strategy development and implementation linked to SPS, food safety, and animal health.
This includes the Pest des Petits Ruminants (PPR) – a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease affecting sheep, goats, and some wild small ruminants – feed/fodder quality, and One Health for African countries.
Implementation of the Food Safety Strategy for Africa (FSSA) 2022-2036
The MoU is in alignment with AU-IBAR’s partnership with AU Member States and other stakeholders in leading the implementation of the Food Safety Strategy for Africa (FSSA) 2022-2036.
The FSSA 2022-2036 strategy is developed as a tool for the implementation of the Continental SPS Policy Framework for Africa endorsed by AU policy organs in 2020.
The overarching objective of AU-IBAR is to collaborate with CABI to implement projects/programmes of mutual interest aligned with these strategies.
Meanwhile, the agreement will also adhere to the principles of CABI’s SPS Strategy 2024-2034 ‘Supporting Countries, Facilitating Fair and Safer Trade.’ This strategy aims to protect plant and animal health, ensuring food safety, and enhancing intra-regional and global trade.
Mutually agreed objectives aligned with these priorities
Dr Akiri said, “CABI recognizes AU-IBAR’s important role and leadership in developing and overseeing FSSA and SPS policy framework, animal resource and health policies and strategies that address these issues in Africa and seeks to collaborate with AU-IBAR to achieve mutually agreed objectives aligned with these priorities.
“The purpose of this MoU is to establish a formal framework for cooperation between the Parties within their respective mandates and competencies, and subject to their respective rules and regulations. This framework is intended to enable the parties to pursue their shared interests and objectives more effectively.”
He added that the MoU will identify core priority areas of intervention across food safety, animal health, plant health, climate variabilities and change effect on SPS, early warning systems for pests and diseases, and youth and women in agribusiness.
It will also address feed and fodder safety and quality, One Health, participation in the International Standards Setting Bodies (ISSB) processes, inspection and certification, data generation, knowledge dissemination and information sharing.
Better equipped to face sustainable food security challenges
Dr Huyam Ahmed Mohammed Elamin Salih said, “CABI brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and extensive global network of researchers, scientists and partnerships that may be leveraged to fair and safer trade.
“By collaborating even more closely, we can together be better equipped to face sustainable food security challenges that also includes all aspects of animal resources, including livestock, fisheries and wildlife, across the entire African continent.”
Part of the MoU will also see CABI and AU-IBAR supporting tertiary education related to SPS in collaboration with CABI’s knowledge business and SciDev.Net – the world’s leading source of reliable and authoritative news, views and analysis about science and technology for global development.
Photo: From left to right – John Oppong-Otoo, Coordinator Economic, Trade and Marketing Unit, AU-IBAR, Dr Benoit Gnonlonfin, CABI’s SPS, Global Program Lead, Dr Huyam Ahmed Mohammed Elamin Salih, Director and Head of Mission at AU-IBAR, Dr Morris Akiri, CABI’s Senior Regional Director, Africa, Phyllis Ombonyo, Director of Strategy and Engagement, International Development at CABI, and Eric Allela, Communication officer, AU-IBAR.
Additional information
Main image: Dr Huyam Ahmed Mohammed Elamin Salih, Director and Head of Mission at AU-IBAR, with Dr Morris Akiri, CABI’s Senior Regional Director, Africa, at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.
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