National Agricultural Health and Food Safety Legislative Frameworks in Belize, Guyana, and Saint Lucia have been upgraded for improved production and trade

Outdated legislation, multiple jurisdictions, inadequate enforcement, limited human resources and chronic underfunding undermine the effectiveness of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems in the Caribbean Region. Several national and regional interventions have attempted to address these challenges to varying extents in recent years. However, as trading partners' requirements evolve to meet consumers' needs, countries must continuously work to strengthen their SPS controls. Robust SPS systems allow Caribbean markets to benefit fully from trade opportunities in the European Union and other international markets. The 11th EDF SPS Measures Project contributes, in part, towards the modernisation of the current SPS regulatory environment by providing the Region with policy frameworks that guide processes and plans for harmonisation of Agricultural Health and Food Safety (AHFS) systems across the Region, legislation that meets international standards, and effective and efficient SPS control systems that facilitate trade.

In 2021, an assessment was undertaken to evaluate the status of AHFS legislation in CARICOM countries. Based on the information collected, Belize, Guyana, and Saint Lucia were selected for support to upgrade their national AHFS legislation in the areas of animal and plant health, food safety, and fisheries. The three countries identified the pieces of legislation they required support to upgrade, and consultants were contracted to upgrade the legislation to meet international standards. The general methodology undertaken to upgrade legislation in these target countries involved a review of the existing national, regional, and international legislation, stakeholder consultations, drafting of new legislation, and validating the upgraded legislation by key public and private sector stakeholders.

Guyana

For Guyana, three pieces of legislation were drafted: Plant Health Regulations, a Traceability Bill and a Registration of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Pesticide and Animal Feed Regulations. These pieces of legislation will ensure that the required international standards and best practices are met by both regulatory entities as well as the private sector. The Ministry of Agriculture of Guyana led collaborative efforts, supported by participation from key members of the public and private sector including the Food and Drug Department, Guyana Livestock Development Authority, Guyana Food Safety Authority, Guyana Rice Development Board, other state entities, agricultural associations such as the Women’s Farmers Network, and private companies.

Saint Lucia

For Saint Lucia, Animal Health and Plant Health Regulations were developed as a means to improve compliance, facilitate enforcement, and promote internationally compliant trade. In this market, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development played a key role. Other stakeholders involved in the exercise were: the National Fairtrade Organisation of Saint Lucia, veterinarians, farmers, private sector companies, supermarkets, and customs brokers. 

Belize

In relation to Belize, Poultry Health Regulations were developed, which are critical for the enforcement of measures required to control and manage poultry diseases which impact the production and trade of this commodity. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, and the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) were instrumental in the completion of this legislative component. Other participating stakeholders were the Belize Poultry Association, state entities and private sector companies.

CASE STUDY: BELIZE - Poultry Health Regulations

Interview with Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) representatives:

• Dr. Joe Myers, Veterinary Officer

• Ms. Delilah A. Cabb Ayala, Technical Director/Sanitary and Phytosanitary Enquiry Point

1. Why was this activity important for Belize?

The Belize Agricultural Health Authority’s subsidiary legislation, Poultry Disease Regulations, was outdated in terms of its language, references, and compliance with applicable regional and international standards. It had been passed in 1982, predating Belize’s membership in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) (1995) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in 2002. As a result, Belize needed to modernise its legal framework for poultry to be current with its international legal obligations for the prevention, control and eradication of diseases listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and which contains the necessary provisions that will facilitate the safe trade of poultry, poultry products and poultry by-products.

2. What challenges did the agricultural sector experience before the passing of these regulations, and how will the enactment of the regulations resolve these issues?

The deficiency in the existing legal framework was highlighted by the WOAH, formerly the OIE, in its Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Gap Analysis of Belize carried out in April 2010 and in the OIE Veterinary Legislation Support Programme Report conducted in August 2016.

The former regulation (Poultry Disease Regulation No. 47 of 1982) only had provisions making it mandatory to notify about diseased animals. It gave the authority power to quarantine and prohibit the movement of birds and to destroy infected birds. It also contained a provision for compensation to producers for destroyed poultry. This limited the scope of the Authority's legal mandate to implement measures to safeguard poultry health.

The new BAHA Poultry Heath Regulations of No. 121 of 2022 empowers BAHA to put measures in place to prevent the introduction of disease. In the event of disease incursion, it provides provisions for measures to be put in place to contain and eradicate such diseases. Notification and reporting obligations are also a component of the regulations. For effective disease control, the diseases have been placed into two categories. The updated regulation also mandates that all establishments must register with BAHA; biosecurity measures and the registration of all importers, exporters, and poultry establishments are also mandatory.

In summary, enacting these Poultry Health Regulations empowered the Competent Authority to take necessary measures to control and eradicate poultry diseases, thereby safeguarding one of the country's primary sources of daily protein for its human population. It also assisted in ensuring compliance with the country's international obligations, creating a favourable environment to enable market access and maintain transparency.

3. What impact is the legislation expected to have on the agricultural sector and others?

These Regulations (Statutory Instrument No. 121 of 2022) addressed the gaps that existed in the repealed Poultry Disease Regulations (Statutory Instrument No. 47 of 1982) and include, among other things, requirements for the registration of establishments; it clarifies notification through categorising as notifiable and reportable, procedures for the notification of diseases to the WOAH, biosecurity, proper movement control, sanitary controls, and epidemiological surveillance.

Additionally, enacting these Regulations has equipped the Authority with the necessary tools and powers to adopt the measures needed to implement disease control and respond to outbreaks of endemic, Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) or emerging diseases. At the same time, the regulation outlines and legislates the necessary procedure for reporting cases to the Authority and notification by the Authority to the WOAH in compliance with Belize's international legal obligation as a Member of the WOAH.

Belize’s poultry industry is one of the most organised, valued at six hundred million dollars. It is responsible for the direct employment of over 2,500 persons. Poultry exports accounted for over 1.1 million Belize dollars in 2020. Domestically, poultry, poultry products and eggs are an affordable source of protein. In contrast, poultry litter is the preferred choice of organic fertiliser for the citrus, banana, and cattle industries. To enable trade, trading partners look more favourably on a potential exporter if the legal framework is in place to appropriately address animal health measures.

4. Who are the primary beneficiaries, and what are the benefits?

The main beneficiaries are the poultry producers, importers, exporters, processors, feed mills, consumers, rendering plants and the public. Belize now benefits from modernised Poultry Health Regulations that implement the sanitary articles in the Parent Act, providing transparency, efficiency and effectiveness for poultry disease control and facilitating the eventual export of poultry, poultry products and poultry by-products.

According to Xavier Canton-Lamouse, Team Leader/Project Manager, European Union Technical Office to Belize, “the benefits to Belize include compliance with international standards, greater access to regional and international markets and greater export earnings among others.”

The Regulations were signed by the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, Hon. Jose Mai, on 18th August 2022 and came into force on 30th November 2022.