African Union Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC)

Description

Program DescriptionThis NOFO seeks to support teaching, research, and extension programming in plant health in the African continent, working in conjunction with the African Union Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC), of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA). FAS has had long-standing programming supporting African regulators and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to better understand and apply phytosanitary measures based on the IPPC International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures and ensure plant health without unnecessarily restricting trade, which has become even more important under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).AU-IAPSC is the Regional Plant Protection Organization (RPPO) representing continental Africa at the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). AU-IAPSC is responsible for advocacy and capacity building at the continental level and is meant to play a major role in the harmonization of regulatory and management strategies for emerging plant health and plant pest challenges in Africa. The main challenges faced by IAPSC, as presented at the 2020 AU Continental SPS Policy Framework Meeting, include an absence of clear national and regional coordination and framework, National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) that are underfunded and unequipped to implement international standards, and insufficient scientific and research capacity to address and implement SPS standards Africa-wide.FAS seeks a partner that can identify and engage technical experts from the United States, Africa, and third countries as appropriate to support AU-IAPSC by, for example:Provide expertise to assist AU-IAPSC in updating and implementing the Plant Health Strategy with the most up-to-date research, which will be presented at the October 2021 Specialized Technical Committee (STC). Research application should include strategy implementation and M&E support and may include phytosanitary legislative review in AU Member States to determine gaps in implementation and enforcement per the AfCFTA.Collaborate with African NPPOs to research common phytosanitary needs and develop a teaching curriculum in coordination with AU-IAPSC.Provide phytosanitary technical assistance to AU Member States in support of the African Union SPS Policy Framework, making use of Plant Health distance learning modules (DLMs)and other virtual tools. USDA and USAID developed, with the Center for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and Texas A&M University, a set of 14 DLMs on a variety of plant health topics. These DLMs can help teach a foundation of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures to employees of National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs).Collaborate with partners to expand understanding of existing REC phytosanitary best practices for Pest Risk Analysis (PRA), Inspection, and other processes. Provide technical support to complete the IAPSC pesticide and biopesticide regulatory guidelines and create linkages between regional plant health and pesticide work so that harmonization efforts are well coordinated and supported by IAPSC.Assist USDA in preparation for consultation meetings for RECs and AU Member States on plant health. Such meetings should increase awareness of the SPS Policy Framework and its linkages to major African initiatives such as the AfCFTA, Agenda 2063, and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).Facilitate meetings and workshops with USDA to instruct and support Member States on adoption of Electronic Phytosanitary Certificates (e-Phyto), reducing transaction costs in the trade of plant products, both within Africa and with international trading partners.Technical support to IAPSC will reinforce strategy adoption and implementation of the SPS Framework at national, regional, and continental levels and lay the foundation for increased agricultural development and trade of safe food products within Africa and beyond the continent.

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