The Argentine Government, through the National Service for Food Safety and Quality (SENASA), participated in the 15th meeting of the Committee on Phytosanitary Measures (CMF) of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Important issues related to international trade in vegetables were discussed, according to reported the health agency.
The meeting was held for the first time in virtual format, 16 al 18 March 2021, in order to determine global measures and priorities to continue preventing the spread of plant pests and diseases during the COVID-19 crisis, the review of the Strategic Framework for the next 10 yearsand other aspects of governance.
In the words of SENASA, "in this Strategic Framework, important issues were raised on which Argentina has been working; for example, the electronic certification or the ePhyto solution of the IPPC, which has allowed countries like Argentina to be pioneers in the exchange of electronic phytosanitary certificates with Chile.”
Furthermore, A standard on contaminating pests was adopted, relating to the risks of traded goods that are not regulated plants or plant productsThis includes means of transport, containers, packaging materials, storage sites, soil and any other organism, object or material capable of harbouring or spreading plant pests.
The creation of two new groups was also agreed. One, to analyse improvements to ensure the cleanliness of maritime containers, in order to prevent the spread of pests from one country to another. The other group aims to study the impact of climate change on pests.
The possibility of including plant protection in the World Health Organization (WHO) concept of “One Health” was evaluated; this project is supported by several countries, including Argentina.
The Argentine delegation was represented by the National Director of Plant Protection, Diego Quiroga, re-elected as alternate representative for Latin America and the Caribbean to the CPM Bureau; the General Coordinator of International Phytosanitary Affairs, Ezequiel Ferro, who will continue as president of the IPPC Standards Committee; and the Technician of the National Directorate of Plant Protection of SENASA, Melisa Nedilskyj, appointed as alternate representative to the Standards Committee and the Implementation Committee.
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