National Phytosanitary Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Agricultural Authority (EAA) and the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) addressed critical phytosanitary concerns impacting Ethiopia's major exports, including coffee, cut flowers, and cuttings during a successful National Phytosanitary Conference theme "Shaping Present and Future Directions," held at the Haile Grand Hotel in Addis Ababa.
The event brought all stakeholders together to improve the SPS systems in Ethiopia which have a significant effect on export products. It also emphasized the significance of putting International Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) into practice in order to insure food security on a national and international level, promote safe trade, and protect the environment.
The importance of collaboration between regulatory bodies, private sectors, and various stakeholders to implement international plant health standards was also emphasized. A great example of the joint efforts by EAA, EHPEA, and others to bolster capacity in phytosanitary compliance, resulted in for example a significant reduction of the False Codling Moth (FCM) interceptions, a major concern for European plant health organizations.
Some of the Objectives of the conference included
- providing a forum to share challenges and opportunities with regard to phytosanitary measures towards assuring food security and ensuring export competitiveness.
- providing Ethiopian NPPO with an opportunity to create better linkages with pertinent stakeholders including, among others, the private sector, development partners, standards etc...
- Identifying potential areas of collaboration on phytosanitary regulations at regional and international levels in trade facilitation.
The event featured insightful presentations by subject matter experts on; EU plant health regulations, emerging phytosanitary trends and their implications for East African countries, challenges of False Codling Moth, as well as the role of public and private sectors in smooth export trade.
The head of the Ethiopian NPPO delivered a keynote addressing the technical aspects of phytosanitary measures and their role in international trade, plant resource protection, biodiversity, and Ethiopia’s ecosystem underlining the evolving requirements of importing countries.
This vital conference paves the way for a more secure and sustainable future for Ethiopia’s export industry.