GEORGETOWN, Guyana – In a significant move to bolster regional food security and economic integration, Caribbean nations have launched a comprehensive initiative to establish unified sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards for agricultural trade. The program, spearheaded by the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), convened its inaugural meeting to develop harmonized regulations for priority commodities.
Funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) under the project ‘Strengthening the Framework for Intra-Regional Trade in Agriculture Products,’ this initiative addresses longstanding regulatory fragmentation that has hindered cross-border agricultural commerce. The project’s initial phase will focus on creating ten standardized SPS protocols for selected farm products, building upon existing guidelines adopted by the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED–Agriculture).
CAB International (CABI) has been appointed to implement the consultancy assignment, collaborating closely with CAHFSA, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and a Regional Technical Advisory Committee comprising plant health, veterinary services, and food safety experts from across the Caribbean Community (Caricom).
Dr. Gavin Peters, CAHFSA Chief Executive Officer, emphasized the transformative potential of harmonized standards: ‘This represents a pivotal advancement in fortifying the foundation for intra-regional agricultural trade. By aligning technical requirements across nations, we can eliminate exporter uncertainty, enhance market accessibility, and elevate the safety and quality of agricultural products circulating within the Caribbean.’
The initiative directly supports the Caricom Food Security Agenda and the ambitious ’25 by 2025 + 5′ initiative, which aims to slash the region’s massive food import bill by boosting regional production and trade. Currently, divergent national SPS measures create substantial obstacles for exporters moving agricultural goods between Caribbean countries. The new common standards are expected to provide unambiguous guidance for producers, regulators, and traders while facilitating safer cross-border commodity movement.
Malcolm Wallace, CDB Operations Officer, stated: ‘Reinforcing regional SPS frameworks is essential to unleashing the complete potential of agricultural trade within the Caribbean. This project will establish a more predictable and transparent regulatory environment, enabling Caribbean producers and traders to compete more effectively while safeguarding plant, animal, and human health.’
The consultancy will involve extensive consultations with national SPS authorities, technical experts, and private sector stakeholders across the region. Draft standards will undergo rigorous review and validation through regional consultations before submission to COTED-Agriculture for formal consideration.
Dr. Benoit Gnonlonfin, technical lead for the CABI consultancy team, noted: ‘Developing practical, science-based SPS standards demands robust collaboration with national authorities and regional partners. Our team is committed to working closely with member states to ensure the resulting standards are technically sound, implementable, and conducive to regional trade expansion.’
The project’s scope includes collaboration with CRFM, acknowledging the critical importance of fisheries products within the regional agri-food system. Beyond standard development, the broader initiative will support capacity-building for national SPS systems and create knowledge products to strengthen human capital across regional agri-food value chains.
This comprehensive effort is anticipated to foster a more integrated and resilient Caribbean agricultural sector by enhancing regulatory clarity, streamlining trade procedures, and strengthening the region’s collective capacity to manage agricultural health and food safety risks.