Deadline: 1 July 2020
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Office of Capacity Building and Development have announced Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) “Regional Food Safety Efforts in Africa” to strengthen the rules-based trading system.
NOFO will support the efforts of African Regional Economic Communities (RECs), beginning with the Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) in establishing or supporting a network of food safety actors in the region, as well as provide technical support to drive harmonization and convergence of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards based on science and aligned with Codex Alimentarius.
This project will build upon and enhance the partnership between USDA and ECOWAS, as well as other RECs, to advance SPS capacity building as part of African Member States’ commitments to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Objectives
USDA/FAS is seeking partners with whom to collaborate towards the support of RECs in the implementation of concrete capacity building projects and programs, at both regional and national levels, and encouraging Member States to: adopt international standards, strengthen collaboration, harmonize SPS standards, and help the continent achieve trade and development goals under the Malabo Declaration and the AfCFTA. The project should define alignment with the World Trade Organization SPS Agreement and the International Standard Setting Bodies (ISSB): Codex, OIE and IPPC.
In addition, the project should seek to complement and strengthen linkages to other regional efforts to advance food safety, such as laboratory capacity building, integrated data collection platforms and high-level dialogue. Food testing laboratories are a critical element of the food safety system in helping both government and industry verify food contaminants. Further, the lack of analytical capacity prevents health authorities from making informed policy decisions based on risk. Finally, marshaling of political will require strong communication and advocacy at all levels from national to continental with decision-makers to ensure that food safety modernization linkages with trade and development are clear and investments in both human and financial resources are prioritized.
- Phase One of the program will focus on working with ECOWAS to strengthen and refine the Network of Food Safety Actors (“Network”), established in 2015, and provide support to their coordination efforts within the region, including annual Network meetings and outreach to improve communication between Member States on food safety concerns. Possible coordination and participation with other existing regional bodies, such as the West Africa Pesticide Regional Committee (WAPRC), to ensure the work done within the Network is being informed into the relevant work being done by the WAPRC.
- Desk review and consultations with agribusiness in the region to identify priority areas to strengthen private sector trade capacity in the region and understand the major food safety barriers to regional trade. Survey results will be published in a report.
- Based on feedback from stakeholders, including ECOWAS, the Network of Food Safety Actors and results from the agribusiness survey, in coordination with USDA, provide technical support to Member States through workshops; virtual meetings; technical assistance; online tools; and other communication methods. Topics could include risk-based measures for food safety.
- A set of policy guidelines will be developed for food safety and animal and plant health measures in coordination with the network and USDA in order to support country commitments to the AfCFTA’s.
- Phase two would take an analysis of best practices and lessons learned of current practices of integrated SPS systems, including from the Network, with a view to working with other RECs to support their current efforts, based on their identified needs, to build regional networks and SPS capacity for implementation of the AfCFTA.
Funding Information
- Available Funding for the NOFO: Up to $1,000,000 total
- The initial award will be up to $500,000; and up to $500,000 of additional funding may be added over the life of the award, subject to the availability of funding.
- Period of Performance: 36 months
- Projected First Budget Period: August 1, 2020 – July 31, 2022
- Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): August 1, 2020
- Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): July 31, 2023
Eligibility Criteria
Proposals may be received from U.S. State Cooperative Institutions or other colleges and universities in the United States.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=327426