National Sanitary and Phytosanitary Strategy for Ethiopia
(2020-2023)

Ministry of Agriculture 

 August; 2019,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
1	INTRODUCTION
NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SPS COMPLIANCE
Overview of SPS in the IGAD Region
1.1	Overview of SPS in Ethiopia
APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY OF THE SPS STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
2	REVIEW OF EXISTING REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS RELATED TO SPS
2.1	Animal Health Services
a.	Plant Health and Quarantine Laws, Regulations and Strategies
b.	Food Safety and Quality Regulation
4	MAJOR GAPS IN SPS COMPLIANCE IN ETHIOPIAN AGRO-FOOD SYSTEM
a.	Animal Health
b.	Plant Health
c.	Food Safety Regulation
COMMUNICATION AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION ON SPS ISSUES
Animal Health
3	PROGRAMS AND PROJECT INITIATIVES RELATED TO SPS
5	STAKEHOLDERS, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
6	SWOT ANALYSIS
7	VISION, MISSION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY
a.	Vision
b.	Mission
c.	Strategic Objectives
8	INTERVENTION AREAS ALONG THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
a.	National SPS Regulatory frameworks and procedures improved
b.	National SPS institutional and Coordination capacity enhanced
c.	National SPS infrastructure and technical management capacity improved

Acknowledgements

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Agriculture highly indebted to the IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development for taking the initiative and the commitment to support the development and validation of this national SPS strategy. The ministry also expresses its gratitude to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for financially supporting development and validation workshop on the national SPS strategy for Ethiopia. 

We would like to also thank all the key stakeholders’ organizations, professionals for providing their invaluable inputs and ideas without which this national SPS Strategy development may not have been a success. 

We hope the SPS strategy document will serve to guide the multi-stakeholder coordinated efforts of ensuring animal health, plant health and food safety for enhanced competitiveness in the international market of livestock and livestock products and other agricultural commodities.

Abbreviations

AU-IBAR	African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources
CBPP		Contagious Bovine Pleuropeumonia
CCPP		Contagious Caprine Plueropneumonia
COMESA	Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
CVO		Chief Veterinary Officer
EFMACA	Ethiopian Food and Medicine Administration and Control Authority
FAO		United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
FMD		Foot and Mouth Disease
GDP		Gross Domestic Product
GTP		Growth and Transformation Plan
HPAI		Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
ICPALD	the IGAD Center for pastoral Areas and Livestock Development
IGAD		Intergovernmental Authority on Development
IPPC		International Plant Protection Commission
ISO		International Standards Organization
KSA		Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
LITS		Livestock Identification and Traceability System
LMP		Livestock Master Plan
LSD		Lumpy Skin Disease
LSDS		Livestock Development Strategy
MENA		Middle East and North Africa
MoLF		Ministry of Livestock Forestry
NGO		Non-governmental Organizations
OIE		World Animal Health Organization/office international epizooties
PPR		Peste Petis de Ruminante
RVF		Rift Valley Fever
SMP-AH	Standard methods and Procedures in Animal Health
SPS		Sanitary Phytosanitary
STSD		Improving Animal Diseases Surveillance in Support of Trade 
UAE		United Arab Emirates
USAID		United States Agency for International Development
USD		United States Dollar
VDFACA	Veterinary Drugs and Feed Administration and Control Authority
VET-GOV	Enhancing and Reinforcing Veterinary Governance in Africa
WHO		World Health Organization
WTO		World Trade Organization

1	INTRODUCTION

Ethiopia is an agrarian nation with subsistence agriculture (both plant and livestock production) serving as the back bone of the national economy and the mainstay of its people. With a total area of about 1.13 million km2 and about 51.3 million hectares of arable land, agriculture in general is contributing to 50% of the national GDP, 85% of employment creation and over 85% of the export trade of the country. To boost agricultural development and enhance its international competitiveness in international markets, several investments have been made by the government and its development partners. Most of these technical and financial support to the sector came in different ways which ultimately mean to strengthen the SPS compliance in the sector.

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are naturally multidisciplinary involving a spectrum of animal health, and plant health and food safety matters. Given the number of public and private stakeholders involved, a growing interest is observed in setting up national and regional mechanisms to enhance coordination and consultation on SPS matters.  Effective coordination among relevant government institutions, as well as improved interaction between public and private sector stakeholders with an interest in SPS issues, is critical to reduce information gaps, minimize the overlap of activities undertaken by various agencies, address SPS issues in a cost-effective manner and, ultimately, improve the implementation by countries of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and their participation in international standard-setting bodies, i.e. the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Enhancing the national SPS management capacity with strong coordination mechanism in place strengthens SPS control systems and better equips countries to control food safety and public health risks.  As such, it also helps countries in achieving other objectives such as increasing agricultural production, enhancing food security or mitigating the negative effects of climate change.

Some of the salient agricultural development policy initiatives in Ethiopia include:
-	Growth and Transformation Plan 2010/2011 to 2014/2015: the Government’s main economic policy document which seeks to address poverty and lift Ethiopia to middle-income status by 2025;
-	Livestock Development Master Plan: which is intended to boost production and productivity of livestock for both the domestic and export markets and encompass technology packages for meat, egg and milk production, 
-	Agricultural Growth Plan 2010/11 to 2014/15: The Ministry of Agriculture’s main economic policy document to contribute to the GTP;
-	Agricultural Development Led Industrialization: the Government’s main development strategy to achieve the target for middle income status by 2025;
-	Agriculture Sector Policy Investment Program (PIF): the Ministry of Agriculture’s main response to the GTP which is centered on ‘producing more, selling more, nurturing the environment, eliminating hunger and protecting the vulnerable against shocks’ (GoE, 2010); 
-	Strategic Investment Framework for Sustainable Land Management (SLM): A component of the Agriculture Sector PIF which focuses on arresting and reversing land degradation in particular in highland Ethiopia;
-	National Policy and Strategy on Disaster Risk Management and DRM Strategic Policy Investment Framework (both in draft form): the Government’s response to the Hyogo Plan for Action seeking to mainstream disaster management in Ethiopia; and 
-	Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Economy and associated Nationally Appropriate Migratory Actions and Ethiopia’s Program of Adaptation to Climate Change: designed to address climate change and advance a low carbon ‘green growth’ economy.  

It has been a long time fact that Ethiopia is home for the largest livestock resources in Africa which is also one of the largest in the World. It is also a leading exporter of meat from the IGAD region, which covers about 50% of live animals and 10% of meat demanded by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. Therefore, livestock certainly forms a strong livelihood base for the rural mass of Ethiopia and is one of the most promising economic activities that can lift millions of people out of poverty. According to the National Central Statistical Agency (CSA) 2013/2014 sample survey report, Ethiopia has 55 million cattle, 27.3 million sheep, 28 million goats and 4 million camels. This ranks the country first in Africa and 10th in the world.

The livestock resource is largely owned by smallholder highland mixed crop–livestock farming households and the pastoral communities. Available data indicate that the highland mixed crop–livestock production system account for 70% of the livestock resources and the pastoral areas is home to 30%. According to Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) (2012), of the 52 million head of cattle in the country, about 13 million are used for draught power. Because of low productivity and poor management, the average live weight of cattle is estimated at 250 kg; 14% off take rates and 110 kg carcass weight. Off take rate for sheep is 40% and that of goats is 27%. 

The major live animals’ importers from Ethiopia are Sudan (19.5%), Somalia (19.0%), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (18.7%) and Djibouti (14.9%). In 2011/12, about 64% of the animals were destined to the neighboring and North African countries. Egypt and Libya import for domestic consumption while Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan import for the purposes of domestic consumption and re-export. Export to Gulf States and other Middle Eastern countries accounts for about 36%. The major chilled sheep and goats carcasses importers from Ethiopia are the United Arab Emirates (51%) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (28%) both countries account for 79% of the export. About 21% of meat is exported to Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, Comoros Islands, Congo Democratic Republic and Angola since 2011/12. 

The country also produces and exports a range of agricultural products including coffee (the dominant export item of Ethiopia), followed by oil seeds, livestock, meat, fruits and vegetables. Ethiopia’s export of coffee represents about one percent of the global export while oil seeds and flowers each contribute 0.5% to the world market. Livestock production generally contributes to over 45% percent of all agricultural GDP of the country and 20% of total GDP. In the early 60s and late 70s the country, through state-owned Livestock and Meat Marketing Board (LMMB), used to export not only live animals but also canned and chilled meat to various countries including to Europe, before these positive initiatives were demolished as a result of the ‘nationalization’ process following regime change. When the country later tried to reinitiate its livestock and meat exports, it was not able to cope with new livestock market requirements and intense competition from other countries including Australian and New Zealand.

With a view to the sectors’ huge potential for growth and also the current and projected demand of livestock and livestock products, Ethiopia has recently developed a 20 year master plan under the technical support of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and financial support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The table below summarizes the current and targeted livestock and livestock products which indicate the robust interests of the government to develop the sector.

Table 1 Current and Projected Production Requirements for Livestock and Livestock Products in Ethiopia
Production targets	current	Targets at 2020	
Meat	1.32 Million ton	2.1 Million ton	
Milk	5.23 Billion Lit	9.4 Billion Lit.	
Egg	163 Million	394 Billion Eggs	
Honey	60.7 thousand ton	124 thousand ton.	
Wax 	6 thousand ton	9 thousand ton.	
Fish	31 thousand ton	47 thousand ton.	
Hide and Skin	22.5 Million	35.6 Million	

Despite ambitiously huge targets for production of livestock and livestock products, it is agreed that agricultural practice including both plant and animal production, generally rely on traditional and subsistence production systems. The livestock sub-sector, which is one of the major economic activities for household economy and export earning, has particularly been constrained by a number of factors such as poor production and productivity of the indigenous breeds, insufficient adoption of technology, lack of market orientation and inability to comply with international health and quality standards. Recurrent drought, lack of adequate feed and water, coupled with widely prevalent animal diseases have posed major challenges for livestock producers in the country. Legal and regulatory frameworks have been weakly enforced while quality and safety standards required by current and potential clients of Ethiopia’s huge livestock and crop resources have not been met yet. As a result, it has been very difficult for the country to market its livestock, livestock products and agricultural products in well-paying international markets. 

Inability to comply with buyer’s requirements is not the only problem affecting the agriculture sector and its market orientation; efforts towards fulfilling the product quality and standards have commanded that Ethiopia rely on imported plant and animal genetic material, huge amounts of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and animal drugs. These technologies are important to boost production. However, maximum efforts have to be made to minimize obvious and potential consequences of importing risky products for public, animal and plant health. 

Therefore, the development of this national SPS strategy, through extensive consultation of several stakeholders, has been necessary to strengthen the national SPS management capacity of the country.

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SPS COMPLIANCE 
Overview of SPS in the IGAD Region

Countries in the IGAD Region, to which Ethiopia is a founding member, will have to (i) reduce agricultural dis-protection in countries and commodities that still practice it; (ii) reduce barriers to intra-regional trade in food and other agricultural commodities and properly finance their regional institutions that support regional trade, quality and phyto-sanitary controls, and other regional agricultural public goods; (iii) sharply increase domestic and regional funding of agricultural science, science education, and research; and thereby regain the technology agenda from the donors; and (iv) assist in the deepening of domestic markets and foster sharp improvements in smallholder services.

Since international agreements on the application of SPS measures took effect in the mid 1990’s, the time when the World Trade Organization began its operations, the role of sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) standards in agri-business have changed. There is a trend to use these measures as a technical instrument for protectionist purposes instead of using it as a means to ensure food safety, animal and plant health. More importantly, SPS measures are also used as competitive instrument in differentiated product markets. The rules and regulations of the WTO agreement generally facilitate and enhance trade by increasing the confidence of consumers in imported products, they may also serve as barriers to trade, particularly for exporters in countries where the lack of SPS infrastructure for monitoring, testing, and certification makes it difficult to demonstrate compliance with import requirements.  There has been a long-standing concern for developing countries that their trading partners’ use of health, safety and environment measures is meant for protectionist purposes. 

In order to ensure a scientifically-based approval or disproval of SPS compliance or non-compliance issues in any country, there should be a tactical investment in SPS infrastructure. The cost of full compliance with standards of livestock and livestock products has been a major concern for developing countries. What further complicates the matter is the existence of multiple standards by different countries on given a product. This critically impedes market access. A number of countries, through their national and more coordinated efforts through Regional Economic Communities, have striven to become competitive in international markets. 

Pursuant to its objectives and core mandate areas, IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD) has been supporting member states to develop their livestock resources following sound policy and practice. It develops regional policy frameworks and also provides direct assistance to its member states’ livestock and pastoral development as well as trade concerns. 

It has also been a significant step forward to develop the regional SPS strategy which will enable IGAD to coordinate SPS policy and practice regionally. The strategy is also key to guide national SPS strategy development, harmonize control procedures to enhance cross-border formal trade as well as strengthening of SPS & technical barriers to trade (TBT) committees including provision of awareness to policy makers, support capacity building to enhance trading efficiency through strengthening public and private sector's capacity to actively participate in standard setting and continuously improved compliance. 

As highlighted above, in the IGAD region, various SPS related developments do exist and most of them are pursued through the IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD) which supported regional coordination efforts on SPS compliance; some of the major projects and activities having regional dimension while directly related to SPS include:
•	Establishment of Joint IGAD-MENA Council of CVOs: Increased coordination and harmonization of standards for livestock trade within the entire region;
•	Regional Animal Health Strategy: Increase coordination of disease surveillance, prevention and control which ultimately increases efficiency and helps producers to meet regional and global market standards;
•	Support standardization of quarantines: Improved the capacities of quarantine stations through standardized quarantine regulations, practices and procedures to enable internationally recognized quarantine certification;
•	Regional Animal Health Contingency Plan: enhanced disease prevention through better surveillance and timely outbreak response to helped to reduce livestock trade bans which is essential to boosting economies in the hard-pressed arid countries the region, 
•	Standard Methods and Procedures in Animal Health (SMP-AH): this is a project of AU-IBAR financed by USAID and implemented together with ICPAD; its aim was to stabilize livelihoods of livestock dependent communities by enhancing capacities of all livestock value chain actors to effectively prevent and control trans-boundary animal diseases in a harmonized and coordinated manner; various manuals and SOPs developed and trainings have also been provided to member states of IGAD Including Ethiopia;
•	Surveillance of Trade Sensitive Diseases (STSD) Project: the STSD project was also an EU-funded project, which was implemented by ICPALD and AUIBAR. The project aimed to enhance livestock trade through better surveillance of animal diseases in the IGAD region. It has supported in the capacity improvement of the countries including efforts on staff training, experience sharing, improving national and regional animal health coordination and networking mechanisms; Enhancement of Disease Surveillance, especially harmonization of surveillance systems, information sharing and the Risk Based approach to disease surveillance. Enhancement of Livestock identification and traceability systems (LITS) at national and regional levels;
•	Enhancing and Re-enforcing Veterinary Governance in Africa (VET-GOV): the VET-GOV Program, was also jointly implemented by AU-IBAR and ICPALD; it was launched in 2012 and supported various policy and regulatory aspects of veterinary services delivery until 2017; It aimed to improve aspects of Governance and Institutional reforms at national and regional levels to address critical veterinary governance gaps so as to provide effective and efficient animal health services in Africa while the strategic goal is to bring about institutional strengthening of veterinary services, strengthening of regional institutions to play their roles of coordination, harmonization, integration and support to countries. With the support of this project countries have:
-	Revised their national livestock development policies, 
-	Improved their livestock policy hubs;
-	Developed national animal welfare strategies;
-	Strengthened national and regional SPS committees;
-	Received various trainings especially on policy, investment, communication and advocacy on livestock sector;

Some of the noticeable activities of IGAD pertaining to trade and SPS are alo be summarized as follows:
•	In collaboration with WTO and African Union , it has provided a series of regional trainings aimed at enhancing awareness and compliance with SPS measures by its member states;
•	National SPS committees have been established and technically supported in all the seven member states in order to serve as a forum for technical exchange and enhanced SPS coordination at national levels;
•	Following the persistent recommendations of these and other fora, IGAD has validated  regional SPS strategy and agreed with stakeholders   domestication of the same at country level 
•	IGAD is also involved in exploring alternative markets to expand and diversify markets for the region’s huge livestock resources. Avail import requirements ‘the new’ market for compliance. It has also facilitated the participation of the private sector in various trade fairs to foster business-business relations at regional and global levels;
•	IGAD has enabled collaborative and scientific discussions between the CVOs of the IGAD exporting and Middle East and North Africa (MENA ) importing countries through the establishment of a technical committee of CVOs to enhance trust and transparency 
•	IGAD/ICPALD has also developed and validate awareness materials on import requirements of MENA countries for use by the key stakeholders   
•	Moreover, ICPALD has facilitated drafting of Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) between most MS for purposes of undertaking joint surveillance, synchronized control and prevention of transboundary animal diseases across their common borders to enhance compliance with SPS requirements.
•	In partnership with its technical partners (including EU, USAID, Italian Cooperation, etc) and its technical partners including (AU-IBAR, FAO, OIE), it has offered various capacity building initiatives that involve training and awareness, coordination and networking as well as material support to public and private sectors.

In this regard, a prominent step was taken by IGAD to develop a regional SPS Strategy in 2016. This strategy to which member states (including Ethiopia) have contributed to the development and validation of the strategy and with which all national strategies should be aligned, has the following four major pillars; 
i)	Coordinated collaboration on SPS measures including review of regulatory instruments; 
ii)	Strengthening of public and private sector institutions for assurance of SPS compliance and market access; 
iii)	Managing trans-boundary pests and diseases for enhanced market access and integration based on scientific risk management approaches; 
iv)	Communication and awareness. 

It is, therefore, imperative that member countries of IGAD properly align their national SPS strategies and action plans with that of the regional strategy. Exporting countries like Ethiopia must complement their export market strategies with equivalent efforts for SPS compliance. 

1.1	Overview of SPS in Ethiopia

With a total area of about 1.13 million km2 and about 51.3 million hectares of arable land, agriculture in general is the main stay of Ethiopia’s economy contributing to 50% of the national GDP, 85% of employment creation and over 85% of the export trade of the country. Ethiopia is home for the largest livestock resource in Africa and a leading exporter of meat. According to the Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency, in 2012 Ethiopia had 52, million cattle; 24, million sheep; and 22.6 million goats. The country also produces and exports a range of agricultural products including coffee (the dominant export item of Ethiopia), followed by oil seeds, livestock, meat, fruits and vegetables. Ethiopia’s export of coffee represents about one percent of the global export while oil seeds and flowers each contribute 0.5% to the world market. Livestock production generally contributes to over 45% percent of all agricultural GDP of the country and 20% of total GDP. The export destinations from Ethiopia include many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, America and Africa. Ethiopia is a major supplier of live animals to Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, and Sudan, as well as Saudi Arabia most of which are trekked to neighboring countries through informal channels, especially to Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Sudan. In the early 60s and late 70s the country, through state-owned Livestock and Meat Marketing Board (LMMB), used to export not only live animals but also canned and chilled meat to various countries including to Europe, before these positive initiatives were demolished as a result of the ‘nationalization’ process regime change. When the country later tried to reinitiate its livestock and meat exports, it was not able to cope with new livestock market competitors including Australian and New Zealand.

As a result of declining export outlets, trade in livestock products of Ethiopia were dominated by export of hides and skins which took the largest share of exports followed by live animals. The decrease in exports of live animals and meat to the Middle Eastern countries become demanding due to frequent trade bans imposed on the Horn of Africa. The bans were triggered not only by outbreak of animal diseases such as Rift Valley Fever, but also a possible change in consumer preferences and greater demand for high quality products with adequate guarantees of food safety and quality.

With the private sector taking the lead, and fueled by the technical and financial support from donor agencies (USAID and EU), various NGOs and FAO have helped to revive trade in livestock products through national, regional and cross-border initiatives. These efforts to enhance livestock and meat marketing have been led and coordinated by regional organizations including African Union, InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and IGAD.

Ethiopia’s WTO Accession Working Party has been established late in 2003 and still the negotiation process is underway to fulfill requirements. The country is currently in the fourth and final stage of the process, which involves bilateral negotiations with working-party members regarding specific tariff rates and market access commitments. To join the WTO, a government has to bring its economic and trade policies in line with WTO rules and principles and negotiate with the WTO membership on guaranteed minimum levels of access to their domestic markets for goods and services. One of the key issues that any country should address in order to achieve the WTO accession is to confer strong confidence to the international community for the safety and quality of its products destined for international trade. The international best practice so far accepted is to ensure a reliable SPS strategy addressing the three regulatory components namely animal health, plant protection and food safety.

Development of the Ethiopian National SPS strategy was initiated as part of IGAD’s effort to strengthen and support the economies of its member states through agriculture, food security and sustainable livelihoods. The strategy was developed through critical review of previous SPS and related initiatives undertaken by the country and its development partners, as well as a review of pertinent national policy documents in addition to consultation of stakeholders on national SPS agenda. Fundamental policy directions of the government towards transforming the agriculture sector could only be achieve through technological innovation and enhanced competitiveness. Central to this agenda is ensuring national SPS compliance management capacity. Agriculture in Ethiopia can broadly be categorized into plant and animal production while the two sub-sectors are closely linked to each other and to the broader agricultural ecology. Agricultural transformation is, basically the process by which an agri-food system transforms over time from being subsistence-oriented and farm-centered into one that is more commercialized, productive, and off-farm centered. 

Ethiopia has duly recognized livestock as a major growth driver for the economy and formulated a Livestock Master Plan (LMP) to guide the development of the sector. A separate Ministry, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, was also established to lead livestock development in the country. Unfortunately, this ministry had a short life span as the government, following the political reform in the country reunited the ministry of Agriculture and the ministry of livestock and fisheries. The Master Plan actually have been used to inform the second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II) of the sector, which is officially endorsed by parliament. The LMP of the country is export focused, and with the second Growth and Transformation Plan that spans from 2015-2020, the country envisages to reach the capacity to export 1.2 million heads of animals (USD 526 million)  and 78,000 tons of meat (USD 383 million) per year. Much of this increase is expected to come from beef which is currently produced at very low level. This requires increasing the customer base in existing export markets and entering new markets with more stringent SPS requirements and enhancing the competitiveness of the beef industry. As part of this move, the SPS requirements of 28 potential importing countries have already been mapped. Building the SPS capacity of the country to comply with the requirements of the identified potential importing countries is critical.

To this effect, the SPS strategy is geared towards a dual focus on ensuring public health and enforcing market success through enhanced management of agricultural pests, livestock diseases, food safety and zoonosis. 

APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY OF THE SPS STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
A one to one interview with key informants comprising mainly from the ministries and affiliated organizations directly or indirectly responsible for food one or more of the three pillars of SPS (animal health, food safety and Plant health) were approached and thoroughly consulted on the strengths and weakness of their respective mandate areas. The consultation was guided by a checklist of questions developed on the key SPS management practice currently underway and the major challenges. After finalizing consultation with key opinion formers and policy makers and technical staff, a critical review of available policies, strategies, legal frameworks and technical capacities enabling better SPS management were reviewed. 

Guided by findings from key informant’s discussion and from primary and secondary literature review and stakeholders’ interview, an independent consultant prepared the draft SPS strategy. Finally, the draft was subjected to peer review by experts in various organizations . It was then presented for in-depth review and further enrichment on a national validation workshop hosted by the MoA. Inputs provided by national stakeholders through the consultation process were incorporated by the consultant to enrich the final strategy.

2	REVIEW OF EXISTING REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS RELATED TO SPS

2.1	Animal Health Services
Ethiopia has a variety of livestock disease-related SPS issues that affect its international trade in livestock and livestock products. Some of these are, foot and mouth disease (FMD), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), brucellosis in ruminants, and lumpy skin disease (LSD). The country has various draft proclamations and regulations on animal health and production which, if timely endorsed and properly implemented, will boost the country’s ability to address most of the major animal health problems and associated SPS concerns. Among these:

•	Animal Diseases Prevention and Control Proclamation No. 267/2002
This is the only recent proclamation on animal disease control and prevention in Ethiopia’s modern history. Regarding animal disease control and prevention, it has the following key provisions, among others;
-	The custodian of an animal shall immediately notify verbally or in writing the occurrence of animal disease to the nearest veterinary animal health representative, administrative officer or animal health officer. 
-	Every animal health professional, who in the course of his work or practice discovers the existence of a noticeable disease, shall forthwith report the matter to the nearest veterinary administration. 
-	The animal health officer after being notified shall take steps as may be necessary for the purpose of ascertaining the existence of the said disease and on being satisfied that such disease exists, shall promptly make a report to the concerned veterinary administration. 
-	The region' so notified the occurrence of noticeable disease shall forthwith report to the Ministry. 
-	The Ministry shall make the information available to other countries through the Office International Des Epizootic (OIE) concerning the occurrence of noticeable disease in the country. 
-	The animal health officer shall have the primary responsibility and accountability to follow up the already established reporting system and accordingly to co-ordinate the measures to be taken whenever animal disease outbreak occurs in his surroundings.
-	The animal health representative and the administrative officer are responsible to carry out the necessary measures for the proper implementation of this proclamation. 
-	The list of noticeable animal diseases and the procedure for their notification shall be disclosed by a regulation issued pursuant to this Proclamation.

•	Animal Health, Welfare and Veterinary Public Health Proclamation No. XXX/201x
The draft proclamation has important key areas of SPS compliance including:
•	the prevention, control and eradication of animal diseases; 
•	the regulation of veterinary diagnostic laboratories and laboratory services;
•	the regulation of identification, registration and traceability of animals and commodities
•	the import, export and transit of animals, and commodities;
•	the safety and quality of primary animal products destined for human or animal consumption and commercial purposes;
•	animal welfare and the control of stray animals; 

Especially, in Part six of this proclamation, it clearly states the conditions and provisions aiming to protect the quality and safety of food of animal origin with a focus on primary meat and milk products; these included: 
-	Prohibition of the slaughter of animals at places other than abattoirs or slaughter facilities, sale of meat and exemptions
-	Inspection, certification and other standards of export abattoirs, slaughter facilities and primary animal product processing facilities
-	Restriction of the sale of fresh milk 
-	Exemptions to restrictions on the slaughter of animals and the sale of animal products

•	Veterinary Professions and Para-professions Regulation Number:  (XXX/201X) 
This draft Regulation defines the conditions regarding the operational procedures and powers and functions of the Veterinary Council of Ethiopia, including the following key functions:
-	The composition, conditions of appointment, tenure of office and remuneration of members of the Council;
-	The procedures and functions of the Council;
-	Enquiries to be made by and the disciplinary powers of the Council;
-	The procedures, conditions and requirements for the registration of veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals and the maintenance of the Registers;
-	The privileges and responsibilities of registered veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals;
-	The regulation of Veterinary Education and training; and
-	The conditions concerning the certification of Veterinary Service Facilities.

•	 Control of the Safety and Quality of Primary Animal Products Regulation No XXX/201X.
This draft regulation has a clear scope of purpose to ensure that food of animal origin are of high quality and safety regardless of whether it is destined for export market or home consumption. The stated scopes of application of this regulation are:
-	Ensure the safety and quality of meat, milk, eggs, honey and other primary animal products destined for human and animal consumption or other commercial purposes; 
-	To provide for any other matters connected therewith.

•	Regulation for the Prevention and Control of Animal Diseases (No. XXX/201X) 
This draft regulation has made provisions for the prevention and control of notifiable animal diseases in Ethiopia and includes the following components:
-	Standards of training of officers of the Federal and Regional Veterinary Authorities;
-	Animal disease surveillance and information management;
-	The prevention, control and eradication of animal diseases.

•	Regulation for the Control of Veterinary Diagnostic and Research Laboratories (No. XXX/201X) 
This draft regulation is made in order to make provisions to control diagnostic and research laboratories including provisions on:
-	Procedures and conditions related to application for and authorisation of different categories of veterinary diagnostic and research laboratories;
-	Auditing procedures related to maintenance of certificates of authorisation issued under the authority of this Regulation;
-	The control of veterinary diagnostic reagents and biological products used for the conduct of official diagnostic tests and analyses;
-	The keeping of animals for research or experimentation;

The draft regulation also defines the specific regulatory procedures involving several standards. It provides the legal procedures for:

-	Approval, and authorisation of approved and authorised veterinary diagnostic laboratories and private veterinary diagnostic and research laboratories 
-	Application for a Certificate of Authorisation to operate different categories of veterinary diagnostic and research laboratories
-	Standards of infrastructures, equipment and reagents necessary for the conduct of official diagnostic tests and analyses
-	Sanitary mandate contract for approved veterinary diagnostic laboratories to perform official veterinary diagnostic tests and analyses
-	Qualifications of persons approved or authorised to operate different categories of veterinary diagnostic laboratories
-	Auditing of approved, authorised and private veterinary diagnostic and research laboratories
-	The performance of official diagnostic tests and analyses and the control of diagnostic reagents
-	Fees to be charged for veterinary diagnostic laboratory tests and analyses
-	Restrictions on the keeping of animals for research or experimentation

•	Regulation for Animal Identification, Movement Control and Traceability (No. XXX/201X) 
This draft Regulation is made under the authority of Article 4 sub-article (6) of the Proclamation, in order to make provisions for the establishment of a system for the identification, movement control and traceability of animals and commodities, for the purposes of regulating:
-	The identification and registration of animals and premises where animals are kept;
-	The movement of animals and primary animal products into and within the territory of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
-	The establishment and maintenance of a recording system of animal identification, animal movements and other information related to traceability of animals and animal products; and to support the regulation of : (i) animal disease prevention and control; (ii) the import and export of animals and commodities; and (iii) the safety of primary animal products destined for human and animal consumption and other commercial purposes; and
-	To support the introduction of recording systems for monitoring and evaluation of the production and productivity of animals

•	Veterinary Professions and Para-professions Proclamation (draft)
The proclamation defines the specific areas of regulation and these areas to be regulation upon the endorsement of this proclamation are the following:
-	The establishment and mandate of the Veterinary Council of Ethiopia;
-	The practice of Veterinary Professions and Para-professions;
-	The quality of Veterinary Education and training;
-	The required standards of Veterinary Service facilities.

•	Directive for the Protection of Animals in Ethiopia (Directive No: --/2013)
This directive has been prepared by the MoARD mainly to ensure maximal welfare to animals in Ethiopia and thus the fundamental principles of animal welfare are incorporated in the directive. Its scope includes wildlife also. The directive states that any person exercising powers under this Directive shall -
•	ensure that animals are cared for and their welfare is in accordance with the universally adopted five freedoms that include-
-	freedom from hunger, thirst, and malnutrition;
-	freedom from fear and distress;
-	freedom from physical discomfort;
-	freedom from pain, injury and disease; and
-	freedom to express normal patterns of behavior,
•	ensure that animal experimentation considers the reduction in the number of animals used as animals for experimentation or research, the refinement of experimental methods to ensure the five freedoms referred under Article 2  sub-article 1 and the use of surrogate techniques i.e. replacement of animals with non-animal use methods.
•	Ensure that animals in natural disaster such as drought, fire, flood or disease eradication shall be treated as prescribed in LEGS (Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards) principles for all animals

•	Animal Handling Guideline
The guideline has been prepared by the then Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2008. In general, the mistreatments of animals are associated with handling, transporting, pre-slaughter penning, stunning and bleeding processes. The guideline gives detail procedures to be followed while handling animals. In addition, it has specific SoPs for handling cattle; SoPs for loading and transporting cattle; and SoPs for non-ambulatory cattle.

Animals and Animal Products Import And Export Regulations No.-----/2010
This draft regulation provides for the establishment of quarantines and frontier posts (border post), requirements for importing and exporting animal and animal products. It particularly identifies certain transboundary diseases such as:

1	Cattle: - a. As required, but not limited to these, cattle shall be vaccinated against:- (i) Contagious Bovine pleuro-pneumonia (ii) Black leg (iii) Anthrax (iv) Foot-and-mouth disease (v) Lumpy-skin disease (vi) Pasteurellosis b.   Shall be treated against internal and external parasites 
2	Sheep and goats:- a. As required, but not limited to these, sheep and goats shall be vaccinated against:- (i)  Anthrax (ii)  Peste de petits ruminants (PPR) (iii) Sheep and goats pasteurellosis, (iv)  Sheep and goats pox b. Shall be treated against internal and external parasites.
3	Poultry: - a) The breeding stations, where the poultry originate from, shall be regularly supervised and inspected by the Competent Authority; b) The breeding or the hatching station shall be free from the Terrestrial Animal Health Code listed diseases of poultry; c) They shall be vaccinated against New Castle disease, fowl cholera and fowl typhoid; d) They shall be subjected to other measures consistent with protocol between the trading partners.

•	Environmental Pollution Control Proclamation No.300/2002".
This proclamation also sets the legal context required to protect the natural environment where the agro-food systems exist; it has been cited as the "Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation No. 299/2002."

•	Meat inspection proclamation No. 274/1970, 
This proclamation provides that the main reason for the issuance of the proclamation was to ensure the production and marketing of meat and meat products, which are sound, wholesome and otherwise of a quality totally fit for human consumption, and thus to protect foreign and domestic consumers.

•	“Veterinary Drug and Feed Administration and Control Proclamation No. 728/2011
This Proclamation is applicable to regulatory activities in respect of veterinary drugs, feed and veterinary drug professionals. It has defined two major provisions in its scope, namely:
-	Setting standards in relation to veterinary drugs, feed and veterinary drug professionals; and 
-	Regulating trans-regional veterinary drug and feed production, distribution, promotion, storage and quality control and veterinary drugs and feed import and export activities.
Since the regulation has defined the above two areas of work of the VDFACA, the monitoring and regulation of the veterinary drugs at national, regional states and lower levels of administration is weak; retail traders are not under the custody of the federal authorities. However this is not in line with international good practice recommended by the International Animal Health organization. OIE recommends that countries should promote and enhance their good veterinary governance, which includes the “compliance of veterinary services with OIE international standards, as an instrumental and essential prerequisite to the establishment and effective implementation of adequate and appropriate legislation covering all aspects of products for veterinary use, including registration, quality control, distribution and final use”.

•	Animal Health Strategy and Vision of Ethiopia
Ethiopia envisions to Vision Enhance veterinary governance in line with the World Organization for Animal health. The country is committed to improve its animal health services in order to comply with international standards, and thereby create a conducive environment for a sustainable, globally competitive livestock industry, and contribute to the achievement of food security, poverty alleviation, public health and socio economic growth. Accordingly, the targets indicated are:
-	By the year 2025, the animal health service coverage will reach 80% by implementing integrated, prevention oriented and risk-based programs. 
-	By the year 2025, the veterinary service will improve its level of advancement from the current level of 2.63/5 to 4/5 in the OIE PVS evaluation.

•	National Institute for Control and Eradication of Tsetse Fly and Trypanosomosis Council of Ministers Regulation No. 304/2013
The objective of the Institute shall be to make areas affected by tsetse fly and trypanosomosis free of the problem with a view to increasing the products and productivity of animal and crops and providing animals of good quality to beneficiaries and thereby make proper contribution in the process of enabling the society to be self-sufficient in food.

•	Live Animals Marketing Proclamation No. 819/2014
The objective of this proclamation is to define the market structure and better manage the livestock market operations in Ethiopia; it aims to supply live animals, competitive in quality and price, to domestic and export markets; the proclamation has provisions on how animals should be transported and traded. There is also a regulation to support its implementation, “Live Animals Marketing Council of Ministers Regulation No.341/2015” Specifically, on Article 7 of the proclamation, provisions on the health requirements of live animals states that:
(1)	The health of live animals marketed at a first level live animals market center shall be checked by a veterinarian of the market center and be given identification tags. 
(2)	Pre-marketing health check shall be conducted on live animals at a market center in accordance with the directive to be issued by the Ministry of Agriculture before purchasing and transporting them to the subsequent destination. 
(3)	The appropriate organ shall cause the taking of proper subsequent measure on live animals supplied to a market center and found with symptoms of disease during health check. 
(4)	Live animals destined for export shall be given animal health certificate after following up their health condition at a quarantine station that meets the required standard.

•	Live Animals Marketing Proclamation No XXX/2019 (Draft) 

a.	Plant Health and Quarantine Laws, Regulations and Strategies
Ethiopia became a signatory of IPPC and is also a member of the Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC). Ethiopia has plant quarantine stations distributed strategically in the country. These are located in border post at Moyale in the south, Dire Dawa in the east, Metema and Humera in North East. Nazareth in Central Ethiopia, Kombolcha in north east, Bahir Dar in North West and Mekele and Mehoni in Northern Ethiopia. They are responsible for their respective areas. Although very few and outdated, there are also legislative frameworks under which the plant health and quarantine operate; these are presented below.

•	The Plant Protection Decree of Decree No 56/1971 
This decree empowers the Ministry of Agriculture to control pests and diseases in the country and prevent their entry from other countries. This Decree was updated when the council of Minister of Ethiopia issued the plant quarantine regulation number 4 of 1992.

•	Plant Quarantine Council of Ministers Regulation No. 4/1992
This regulation is issued by the Transitional Government of Ethiopia council of Ministers pursuant to Article 4(2) of the Definition of Powers and Duties Proclamation No. 2/1991. It states that all imported plants and other articles which are liable to be infested or infected with plant pests are subject to plant quarantine; the regulation actually has 15 major articles with two annexes. It consists of provisions that aim to control the spread of plant pests. It stipulates that any plant or other articles found infected or infested shall be treated, destroyed or disposed; and that a premise or conveyance infected or infested with plant pests shall be treated. 

In addition, it requires that all imported plants and other articles that are potentially or actually infested or infected with pests to undergo quarantine control and be accompanied by phytosanitary certificate. Since this regulation is now close to two decades old, a new legislative instrument considering the current development dynamics of plant diseases and pests is required.

•	Plant Quarantine Proclamation No xxx/2009 (Draft)
The objective of the proclamation is to protect plants and plant products from pests and also to control other facilities and materials related to plant quarantine related activities.

•	Plant Quarantine Regulation” No.......... 2019 (Draft)
The regulation intends to implement the provisions set out in the Plant Quarantine Proclamation with regard to regulating the movement and spread of plant pests and other regulated articles and import, release mass raring and shipping of (export) of biological control agents or beneficial microorganisms. It has important provisions for plant quarantine administration, powers and duties of inspectors and the conditions for pest risk analysis in relation to imports;

•	The National Agricultural Research Policy and Strategy
The strategy which was issued in October 1994 stated the type of plant protection research needed in the country. Research that could help minimize adverse effects of pesticides on the environment, pest resistant variety development, finding solutions for pest outbreaks, where to receive the necessary attention

•	Seed Proclamation; No. 206 /2000
One of the salient objectives of this proclamation is enabling farmers to use high quality seed particularly of improved crop varieties and making such seeds available as smoothly, effectively and quickly as possible. The proclamation also requires any person to possess a competence assurance certificate of the Agency before engaging in the seed industry.  It also specified the conditions under which certificate of competence assurance will be given in order to engage in seed production, processing, import, export, wholesale and retail operation; these include:
-	Qualified professional personnel who are directly engaged in production, the necessary farm equipment, land and shall be able to carry out internal quality control, where he is a seed producer.
-	Qualified professional personnel, who are directly engaged in the seed processing, have the necessary equipment for cleaning, grading, treating, bagging and labeling, and has appropriate stores for seed storage where he is a seed processor
-	Personnel who have basic knowledge of seed and its appropriate storage, where he is a seed exporter, importer, wholesaler or retailer

•	Pesticide Registration and Control Proclamation No 674/2010
This proclamation recognizes the need for strict control through registration and regulation of the application of pesticides for the purposes of crop protection, animal breeding, and public health. It also recognizes the possible adverse effects of irresponsible use of these pesticides on human being, plants, animals and the environment. It provides a comprehensive legislation for the manufacture, import, export, transport, storage, distribution, sale, use and disposal of pesticides in Ethiopia. 

b.	Food Safety and Quality Regulation 
In the history of social regulation, food regulation also occupies a significant place. Since ancient times, producers of food products have attempted to alter their wares in an effort to obtain dear prices for cheaper goods by adding water to wine and by skimming cream from milk. This shows that adding worthless substance to food and taking valuable substance from food product was experienced in ancient society. Hence, regulation governing what could or could not be added to food products and regulations that require the use of official weights and measures have been introduced to protect consumers from fraudulent and/or unsafe food products.

The very objectives of food safety regulations are to protect the general public from public health risks and also to protect from economic loss from sub-standard products. By so doing, it is possible to ensure effective functioning of food markets in an orderly manner by prohibiting the production and sale of unsafe food products and fraudulent acts committed on foods. Ensuring the quality and safety of domestically produced, exported and imported food and food products constitutes one of the areas of food quality and safety protection. This is with an assumption that maintaining the quality of these foods is essential to protect public health, to satisfy the expectation of consumers, and to enhance foreign earnings and to maintain the confidence of food trading partners. Hence, governments assure the quality and safety of domestically produced, imported and exported food and food products. To this end, they employ various controlling mechanisms with a view to protecting public health and consumers as well as to ensure fair practice in food trade. 

Developing standards is part of the process of controlling food safety and quality. The usefulness of control information can be increased by establishing standards for each revenue center within the Food and Beverage operation. Standards are used to ensure the products that are processed and manufactured in a safe and hygienic condition and improve quality and safety of food products and beverages. Compliance to standards through certification can be used as a marketing tool to enhance customers’ confidence on the products and assure the consumer that the products are of quality, safe and free from hazards. Food standards are rules of measurement established by regulation or authority and are enforced by governments, food companies and retailers. Their aim is to assure the confidence of consumers in the food systems (from farm to fork), but also increase the information available to the final consumer, enabling them to make informed decisions concerning the food they purchased and consumed. On the other hand, food standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.

To this effect, various efforts have been made and mechanisms and institutions put in place to ensure food safety in Ethiopia, These are summarized as follows:

-	The health sector (Ministry of Health and FMHACA) holding the responsibility to protect consumers from health hazards by assuring the quality and safety of food and medicine; 
-	The agricultural sector (Ministry of Agriculture and VDFACA) is mandated to protect the safety and health of animal, animal products and plants and animal feeds through inspection and certification services;
-	The trade and industry sectors (Ministry of Trade and Industry) have a role to play in warranting the quality and safety of food and food products made available for human consumption through the registration and licensing of food related commercial activities and by suspending/revoking the licenses where foods presented to the public are found to be unsafe and poor in terms of quality. 
-	Ministry of Science and Technology (Quality and standards Authority of Ethiopia which is now split into four independent institutions) is involved in the activities of regulating the quality and safety of domestically produced, imported and exported foods and food products by promoting and assisting the establishment of appropriate quality management practices in the food processing industry through the application of food related Ethiopian standards. It also conducts inspection activities to assure the conformance of the food product to the established compulsory standards.  
-	Trade Competition and Consumer’s Protection Authority, this organization works to ensure free market system and prevent unfair trade practices through the Trade Practices Investigation Commission which has been fulfilling its duties entrusted to it in accordance with Proclamation No. 329/2003; and, Trade Practices and Consumers’ Protection Authority was established pursuant to Proclamation No. 685/2010, by amending and rectifying the loopholes of the former. it is established again as Trade competition and Consumers’ Protection Authority pursuant to the new Proclamation No. 813/2013. 

In addition, there are various legislative frameworks meant to provide effective food and drug administration and control; these include:
-	Drug Administration and Control Proclamation No. 176/1999
-	Food, Medicine, Health Care Administration and Control Council of Ministers, Regulation No 299/2013; http://www.fmhaca.gov.et/publication/food-medicine-and-healthcare-administration-and-control-councils-of-ministers-regulation-no-299-2013/ 
-	Standard treatment Guidelines for primary Hospital http://www.pascar.org/uploads/files/Ethiopia_-_Primary_Hospital_CPG.PDF 
-	National Drug Policy http://www.fmhaca.gov.et/publication/national-drug-policy/ 
-	Pharmaceutical Manufacturer GMP inspection Directive
-	Medicines and Market Authorization Strategy, 2017 http://www.fmhaca.gov.et/doc-category/strategies/ 

Although FMHACA (currently EFDA) has dedicated departments and facilities concerned with food safety and quality, the actual work on food safety is limited and information on the subject is also meager; of the eight departments in FMACA two are dedicated on food safety issues. These are: Food Registration and Licensing Directorate and Food Quality Assessment Directorate. The objectives of the authority includes the protection of the health of consumers by ensuring food safety and quality, safety, efficacy, quality and proper use of medicines, competence and ethics of health professionals, maintain the standards of health institution and the hygiene and environmental health protection suitability for individuals and community health.

The organization also provides capacity building trainings on food safety and quality for its inspectors. However, from the volume of regulatory frameworks, guidelines and legislations and publications available on the control of medicines, it is evident that medical and health care activities took precedence in the work of FMACA as compared to its work on food safety and quality regulation. 

The involvement of several regulatory bodies, in food safety and quality regulation, is demanding in terms of coordination and harmonization of the regulatory process and requirements. Functional working relationships are mandatory for effective and efficient quality and safety protection.  However, the current oversight of food quality and safety in Ethiopia is fragmented, as these four principal agencies are independently administering several legislations and regulations related to food quality and safety protection. 

Ethiopia also has a national codex committee: the objective of the National Codex Committee is to represent Ethiopia and advice the Ethiopian Government in the work of the CODEX at the national level. Issues and recommends the adoption of codex standards including execution of awareness campaigns at various levels. The National Codex Committee (NCC) was established on 10 February 2003 by the initiation of the then Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia comprising of members from different institutions. Member institutions of the National codex committee are: Addis Ababa University, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization, Chemical Society of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Manufacturing Industries Association, Ethiopian Consumers Association, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce & Sectorial Association, Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia.

-	National Food and Nutrition Strategy (NFNS)
The overall objective of the NFNS is to reach a position where access to food (including creating the ability to acquire it) for all Ethiopians is adequate at all times for an active and healthy life. In particular, it shall;
-	Establish programs to increase food supply and access such as pursuing research to increase crop yields, building cost-effective infrastructure for improved transportation and increasing incentives for farmers;
-	Expand non-agricultural employment and income generating opportunities and use existing markets more appropriately; 
-	Establish programs to alleviate current malnutrition by promoting self-owned food production and promotion of food and micro nutrients supplementation., nutrition education, etc.; 
-	Maintain an effective national food security system.

•	Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise Establishment Council of Ministers Regulation No. 196/2010
The vision of the Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise is to become Ethiopia's number one internationally recognized competent national certification body. It has been stated that its guiding principles are impartiality and customer-focus, courtesy, professionalism and honesty. Its mission is to certify management systems in a way which adds value to the public and the industry that ensures the highest level of quality products and services. One of the main services provided by ECAE is the certification of management systems including the following: 
-	ISO 9001 - Quality management system;
-	ISO 14001- Environmental management systems; 
-	ISO 22000 - Food safety management systems; 
The key processes for the delivery of these quality management certification systems are: - Audit application - Preliminary audit (adequacy audit) - Certification audit - Surveillance audit and - Recertification audits.

•	Ethiopian Standards Agency
Is the national standard setting organ for Ethiopia, has recently been split into four independent entities. The organization has also been designated as the nodal organization for liaison with the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It is also responsible for adopting standards as Ethiopia Standards and enforcing technical regulations in selected fields. Its establishment proclamation is 102/1998 and amendment No. 413/2004. 

ESA safeguards Ethiopia's interest in international standardization through participation in technical committees, especially in the fields of agriculture and food. ESA is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), and Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). It is also a founding member of the African Regional Organization for Standardization (ARSO), and has close relations with the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC).

Ethiopian standards agency has three core business areas which mainly focus on the standard formulation, training and Technical support and organizing and disseminating standards, Conformity assessment procedures and Technical regulation for the customers
The primary functions of ESA are:
•	To lead and coordinate national standardization.
•	To confirm and publish the national Ethiopian Standards;
•	To promote the implementation of standards;
•	To Promote Ethiopian Standard Mark and authorize its use;
•	To represent Ethiopia in the International Standards Organization and work in collaboration with other foreign national standard bodies.
•	To establishes National Enquiry Point and deliver services on Standardization, Conformity Assessment Guidelines and Technical Regulation
•	To enable Ethiopian industries to benefit from technology transfer by providing Technical Support, Trainings and Consultancy Services and assisting them in implementation of standards.

•	Ethiopian National Accreditation Organization
ENAO was established as an autonomous federal government office having its own legal personality.  The mandate of ENAO is to accredit, by formal third-party recognition, the competence of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) to perform specific activities, such as test, calibrations, certifications or inspections.
As the national accreditation body, ENAO will:
•	supply accreditation services to laboratories (test and calibration), certification bodies and inspection bodies, both domestic and foreign, that operate both within the borders of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and outside its borders in countries where either no national accreditation body exists or where the national body lacks the capability to accredit in a specific field;
•	supply accreditation services in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity Assessment – General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies;
•	establish an accreditation symbol which may be used by accredited organizations in accordance with ENAO requirements;
•	conduct surveillance assessments on accredited organizations;
•	maintain and publicize directories of accredited, suspended and revoked organizations;
•	ensure that relevant regulatory bodies are informed of updates regarding accreditation status of ENAO accredited organizations;
•	cooperate with relevant stakeholders to develop and integrated and internationally recognized quality infrastructure wherein accredited organizations services are recognized globally;
•	develop accreditation services that promote, develop and maintain good regulatory practices;
•	represent Ethiopia’s interests in international forums concerning accreditation and maintain bilateral and multilateral agreements in relation to accreditation;
•	supply accreditation related training services in order to maintain a high level of assessor competency;
•	perform other related activities which are necessary for the achievement of its objectives; and
•	seek to reach globally accepted mutual recognition of the validity of certificates/reports issued by its Inspection Bodies and Certification Bodies.
The focus of its activities will ensure that the key sectors of Textiles, Construction, Leather, Agro-processing, Pharmaceutical/Chemical and Manufacturing which have been identified for accelerated development will be serviced. ENAO will therefore focus on these sectors and others as the demand grows in line with economic development.

4	MAJOR GAPS IN SPS COMPLIANCE IN ETHIOPIAN AGRO-FOOD SYSTEM 
a.	Animal Health
The food system (animals, plants, food safety) in Ethiopia is not well organized and properly regulated. Moreover, problems of growing population, urbanization, lack of resources to deal with pre-and post-harvest losses in food, and environment and food hygiene issues, widespread animal health problems and plant pests mean that food systems in the country continue to be stressed. This adversely affects the quality and safety of food, public health and plant health in general. There are six directorates in the Ministry of livestock for animal health and veterinary public health and food safety; namely:

-	Export abattoirs inspection and certification directorate;
-	Quarantine, import and export inspection and certification directorate;
-	Epidemiology directorate;
-	Diseases prevention and control directorate;
-	Veterinary public health directorate;
-	Livestock identification, traceability and welfare directorate; 

But these directorates are not functionally linked up to each other and do not have operational relations. Despite the efforts made so far, to institute modern quality management systems, there is still a big gap in terms of SPS workforce. Work must be done to capacitate more SPS cadres who are well versed on the technical and management aspects. Government had decided to train some 30 meat inspectors at the Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, supported by RPLRP and HEARD project finance. The trained inspectors were drawn from municipal abattoirs as a pilot program to be continuously pursued. However, this number of trainees is very small compared to the need of such a trained manpower at federal and regional levels, obviously, a lot more effort still has to be exerted to ensure that meat supplied to the public is properly inspected. There are two other directorates responsible for plant health and quarantine and plant protection under ministry of Agriculture. Below is a summary of animal health challenges in the country:

•	High prevalence of trade limiting, transboundary animal diseases is considered as an absolute barrier to market access. Outbreaks shut down trade in meat even when there are no good science-based reasons because the country does not have a well thought, well organized risk monitoring and risk mitigation plan to proclaim freedom from the alleged SPS concern by importing countries. As a result, huge economic loss has been incurred from the ban of livestock trade; for instance, a loss of USD132 million in added value and a 36% fall of GDP was estimated in the Somali region of Ethiopia due to a trade ban imposed as a result of the outbreak of RVF in Northern Somalia and Kenya in 2000; 
•	Despite piecemeal; fragmented  and  project-based interventions, there is lack of clear guiding policy, strategy and roadmap showing how the country will ensure SPS compliance;
•	Except few guidelines on animal handling, welfare and biosecurity, lack of various SOPs along whole range of the livestock value chain  including the health and production aspects;
•	Outdated laws and regulations; draft regulations and proclamation prepared through technical and financial support under various projects are not yet endorsed, now for the last many years, some of which even required a second revision before they are endorsed;
•	Weak early detection and early response systems which is basically due to weak disease surveillance and reporting system; the annual national animal diseases reporting rate is within the range of 35-40% which is very low compared to the minimum standard reporting rate of 80%. Even this figure is far lower for pastoral and agro-pastoral areas from where most export animals are sourced; moreover, the sensitivity, specificity and timeliness of the reports are very low;
•	There  is serious trend of low levels of service provision in terms of the quality of animal health clinical services, meat inspection, especially in the domestic abattoirs;
•	Professionals are not certified and regulated; there in no Continuous Professional Development Programs (CPD) to enhance skills of professionals and keep them updated; 
•	The limited confidence expressed by trading partners in animal health certification systems in part from a lack of confidence in the national surveillance systems.  The diseases surveillance system should receive health information from the full range of livestock production systems and engage stakeholders, along the food value chain from the ‘farm to fork’ continuum;
•	Poor awareness of the general public, producers, policy makers, professionals and traders on the existing policy and regulatory framework; available legislative and technical documents are neither customized nor well publicized and are not made available to the end users.
•	SPS requirements are not obligatory in their nature and thus difficult to enforce among the livestock producers who fetch little interest in the economic reward of implementing certain quality procedures;
•	Ethiopia does not have its own standards for live animals and simply opt to comply with the importing countries standards; why not brand its own standards based on the market interest; needs to be customized; recently, there has been a draft standard requirement for export animals which is yet to be endorsed by the government.
•	The institutional arrangement at federal and regional levels are not conducive enough to ensure coordinated efforts on SPS; even the six directorates at the Ministry of Agriculture do not formally coordinate with each other, as each directorate independently plans, executes and reports directly to the State Minister’s desk; This has resulted  to  poor/no exchange of information among the animal health and veterinary public health, quarantine and certification which should have been functionally linked under the Competent Authority defined by OIE;
•	Lack of a direct line of command by the “competent authority” to properly control and regulate the regional animal health service delivery; there exists no vertical and horizontal linkage in the animal health machinery this in general weakens the animal health monitoring, surveillance and risk analysis capacity due to lack of appropriate information;
•	Limited  of national SPS coordination forum among the different ministries involved in food safety, food marketing and health regulation; even the national SPS committee, established by the support of IGAD/ICPALD and hosted at the Ministry of Agriculture is inactive due to limited  commitment, budget and ownership which must improve;
•	Lack of strategic disease prevention and control programs, mainly due to lack of reliable epidemiological information and risk assessment. As a result, vaccination campaigns are performed sporadically with no strategic plan to reach the rural farms in an organized way;
•	Implementation of control programs is mainly monitored in terms of the number of vaccinations achieved, and not by monitoring the incidence or prevalence of the diseases targeted for control or eradication. There are no well-developed, adequately funded and coordinated emergency preparedness and contingency plans for exotic, emerging and re-emerging diseases; However, there are efforts to ensure preparedness and diseases control plans for some emerging pandemic threat such as HPAI and RVF and other priority diseases under the National One Health Steering Committee with financial support from different partners;
•	There is strong federal referral laboratory with proven capacity (The National Animal health Investigation and Diagnostic Center, (NAHIDC) with ISO/IEC17025:2005 quality management system. This is ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories is the main ISO standard used by testing and calibration laboratories. In most countries, ISO/IEC 17025 is the standard for which most labs must hold accreditation in order to be deemed technically competent. But regional laboratories are still weak to perform risk assessment, analysis and management in their respective regions;
•	In the export abattoirs, Mojo Modern, Organic, Helmix, Elfora and Luna efforts to develop guidelines and implement quality assurance systems such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Hygienic Practice (GHP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point HACCP (currently only in Modjo Modern Abattoir) and ISO22000-2005 (Mojo Modern, Organic, Helmix, Elfora, Abergelle, Abysinia, Al-Nujum, Akseker, Halal, Helmex and Luna export abattoirs) exist; indicating that only less than 50% of the export standard abattoirs do comply with these quality management principles and procedures; two reasons can be identified for this:, 1) the owners of the private food premises are not well aware of the importance and have less commitment to invest in quality management; 2) the lack of knowledge and skilled manpower;
•	Focused training on both SPS and specifically on meat and livestock inspection is required; 
•	An increasing trend in the requirements of the importing countries is also an area of concern that should be tactically addressed in order to effectively update and cope up with changing requirements;
•	Unnecessary requirements set by various countries such as the requirement to vaccinate for RVF, even if the diseases is not confirmed in the country respectively; coupled with apathy by the government to prioritize the SPS issue and negotiate with buying countries to set levels of equivalence;
•	Post entry quarantine is not done for commercial scale imports of both cereals and animals, eg. day old chicken and dairy cattle; import permit is given only based on certificate of origin;
•	Animals for export are only tested in NAHDIC but not regional laboratories which could be used to do this task if capacitated and get accreditation;
•	Field veterinary services are constrained by limited   good quality inputs, high operational cost and lack of transportation; Budgets do not allow drug purchases to cover part of the annual needs. 
•	The National Veterinary Institute (NVI) is producing a wide range of viral and bacterials vaccines including - Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Sheep & Goat Pox (SGP), Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) – serotype O, A and SAT2; African Horse Sickness (AHS) – serotype 2, 4 and 9, Camel Pox (CMP), Newcastle [HB1, Lasota, Thermostable & Inactivated], Fowl pox, Infectious Bursal Disease (Gumboro). It also produces bacterial vaccines such as CCPP, CBPP [T144 and T1SR], Anthrax, Blackleg, Bovine Pasteurellosis, Ovine Pasteurellosis and Fowl Typhoid. The National Veterinary Institute has been certified with ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System (QMS) by Alcumus ISOQAR, an internationally-accredited company in compliance with the requirements of ISO9001:2008 for development, manufacturing, sales and distribution of veterinary vaccines as its primary mandate. However, some essential vaccines are not produced or are not produced in sufficient quantity and quality. For instance, FMD vaccine does not contain serotype C while there are various complaints from the field and livestock exporters on vaccines such as CBPP (post vaccination complication, Ovine Pasteurolosis and LSD (questionable level of immunity produced). In addition some vaccines such as for Marek’s disease and coccidiosis, are not produced by NVI while these diseases are quite relevant for the country’s poultry sector development.
•	The quality, safety and efficacy of veterinary drugs and biologicals, whether locally produced, or imported, distributed and used in the country are not properly regulated and controlled since VDFACA the Veterinary Drugs and Animal Feeds Administration and Control Authority  despite its legal mandate to regulate feed and drugs in veterinary use, it has no capacity to control these products in all the federal states. Moreover, control and regulation of drugs and feeds at the level of the retail market (where most of the problems exist), belongs to the regional states which are weakly organized, staffed and financed. VDFACA’s regulatory 
•	There has been times where livestock marketing is under the ministry of trade and industry, where there was a gap in making sure that health of livestock marketed is checked or not; now livestock marketing and associate health care/certification functions are back to the Ministry of Agriculture;
•	The delivery of animal health service is not supported with adequate regulatory activities and mostly, producers and other lay men are also involved in sub-standard treatment of food animals; drug withdrawal periods are not properly observed and meat and milk produced in the country often have been found to contain unacceptable levels of drug and chemical residues,,,;

b.	Plant Health 
The challenges and concerns along the three SPS pillars (animal health, plant and health and food safety), tend to be concentrating along certain lines of technical capacity and regulatory functions; hence it has been evident that the following problems are also common on the plant health and quarantine functions of Ethiopia:
-	Poor regulatory framework, with very outdated primary and secondary legislations;
-	There are no adequately updated guidelines and SoPs under the plant health and quarantine sector;
-	Manpower for ensuring SPS compliance is not enough that most general practitioners are involved in SPS inspection and certification procedures which should have gone through a special training scheme in addition to their primary professional training in the field of agriculture.
-	Poor pest identification due to lack of knowledge and commitment, weak of plant health laboratories and other quarantine facilities and lack of SOPs;
-	Pest Risk Analysis is not done; and import permits are given based on certificate of origin; however the country does not have the capacity to conduct conformity assessment for commercially imported plant and plant products;
-	The regional states currently do not have plant health proclamation and a draft has been prepared for them;
-	The surveillance for exotic diseases and plant pests is currently being undertaken 2-3 times a year but the coverage and depth of data collection and analysis is poor;
-	As a result of poor SPS compliance, similar to the livestock sector, the crop sector has also suffered from major loss in market share; to this effect, with the exception of small quantities of vegetable and fruits and pulse, Ethiopia could not export its agricultural products to the major EU markets;
-	Even the most important export commodities, like coffee could not be exported to all the EU markets due to stringent SPS requirements and private standards that we do not fulfill;
-	In recent times, Salmonella was identified in the seasam seed exported and nearly 19 metric ton was rejected and returned back. This is a clear indication that the country needs to act as quickly as possible to safeguard its staggering export trade. As a short-term solution, the country has resorted to call for support of experts from importing countries to assist in monitoring and surveillance of potential risks through bilateral agreements. Such is the case with Russia and China for Soyabean, with Pakistan on kidney beans and with USA on vegetables and herbs;
-	Maize Lethal Necrosis Diseases (MLND) was  identified in popcorn maize imported from Argentina through investigation conducted at the plant health laboratory of Ethiopia; such diagnostic and testing facilities and requirements are not strong at the moment;
-	Currently major economic pests are not routinely surveyed, monitored and their status not properly documented and communicated. Informed pest management control decisions have not been taken rather the system has been responding to emerging problems in a tactical rather than strategic manner; 
-	Pest management has been largely dependent on the uncontrolled use of generic pesticides which could further lead to environmental contamination and high levels of pesticide residues in food and feed;
-	There has been upsurge of regular pests, establishment and spread of new pests, development of pesticide resistance in major economic pests, mainly due to misuse of pesticides and pests, which had local importance turned national problem such as sweet potato virus diseases, bacterial wilt of potato; 
-	Lack of adequate regulation and inefficient implementation of the existing legal instruments, especially during importing of plants and plant materials has cost the country a lot. The following exotic plant diseases and pests are the most obvious instances to demonstrate the disaster from bad SPS management:
o	Maize, Lethal Necrosis Diseases (MLND) in Southern part of the country; such diseases on one of the strategic crops of the country will eventually lead to a very precarious effect on national economy and livelihoods of the people
o	Cochelia cochini, which was deliberately imported to innovatively produce dye but ended up with catastrophic damage to cactus plant in northern Ethiopia causing serious loop hole in the livelihoods of people;
o	White Mango Scale, is also a recently introduced disease, originating from India in relation to their mango plantation here in Ethiopia;
o	Other insect pests of economic significance causing damage to the country include the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus sotenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), South American tomato moth. Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Citrus woolly whitefly, Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and white mango scale, Aulacaspis tubercularis
o	There are also a number of plant species that are invasive and have been introduced into the country at different times including the invasive species: parthenium weed, Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae); water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (C. Mart.) Solms (Liliales: Pontederiaceae; mesquite, Prosopis juliflora (SW) DC (Fabacea) and the parasitic weed crenata broomrape, Orobanche crenata Forskal on faba bean and semi parasitic species witchweed. Striga hermonthica (Delil) Benth. (Orobancheace) on sorghum

c.	Food Safety Regulation
Based on work done by various authors and consultations conducted along the food value chain actors working on the regulatory aspect, the following key gaps are evident (Desalegn, 2017; Tesfa, 2010 and Melese, 2015): 

-	There is no comprehensive national food law and sufficient number of updated food quality and safety regulations;
-	The food safety and quality control is a matter of interest for a number of stakeholders and also the mandate distributed among various regulatory bodies such as ministry of health, ministry of agriculture, and quality and standards Authority of Ethiopia (currently mandate has been scattered again in to four independent institutions)
-	Discrepancies existing on responsibilities and mandates given to various food regulatory bodies established under various proclamations. They are not adequately defined and demarcated to avoid overlap and duplication of functions among the institutions (MoA and FMACA, ESA and MoTI). Due to competing interests, a huge lack of inter-sectorial collaboration is observed;
-	Low level of integration, collaboration and cooperation among regulatory bodies, food producers, and consumers;
-	Lack of social awareness as well as political commitment on food quality and safety issues unless these problems precipitate to the extent that the international trade in agricultural products is grossly affected (eg. when there is ban to the country’s livestock and meat products, a time which regulatory authorities campaign and the senior leadership of the country somehow voices loudly);
-	Poor participation of the food regulatory organs which tend to limit themselves to food already processed or marketed while the issues should have been addressed along the food chain from farm to fork;
-	Absence of Codes of practice which can serve as reference for all parties involved in food quality and safety affairs;
-	Lack of enforcement mechanism for existing regulation due to inadequately defined, demarcated and streamlined responsibilities and mandate given to regulatory bodies and inspection authorities;
-	Under equipped and understaffed public health, food safety and other quality assurance laboratories to respond to current international food regulation demands,
-	Weak coordination among leading government agencies, weak participation by the private sector and the consumer at large;
-	Low level of integration, collaboration and cooperation among inspection authorities/regulatory bodies, support institutes, regional offices, etc.,
-	Low management capacity and knowledge of regulatory bodies to cope with fast growing science and practice of food regulation;
-	Low level of awareness on food regulation in most processing plants on quality assurance and quality management systems such as HACCP, GHP, GMP, GAP,GLP and 
-	Food safety and quality regulation matters are usually taken secondary to economic benefits; even at FMHACA, emphasis tend to be on the control and regulation of medicines;
-	Lack of national standards for imported food
-	Absence of national standards for local food

COMMUNICATION AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION ON SPS ISSUES

Animal Health
•	The WTO/SPS Agreement requires that countries have a surveillance and reporting system to monitor outbreaks of livestock and food-borne diseases to prevent spread within the country and through exported commodities. For example, if an outbreak of a Transboundary Animal Disease (TAD), such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), is detected in Ethiopia, the Competent Authority is obligated to notify the case to OIE and veterinary authorities of importing countries. Since transmission of TADs requires contact between the source of infection and susceptible animals, the ability to identify the exact location of the outbreak in point is important to initiate rapid response the federal and regional veterinary authorities in order to control spread of the disease.
•	Transparency and Reporting: Ethiopia has an established animal health information and communication systems called, DOVAR (Diseases Outbreak and Vaccination Reporting) and ADNIS (Animal Diseases Notification and Information System). While DOVAR is a monthly summary report of animal diseases, ADNIS is a real time animal health information system with an alert system to federal and regional laboratories and field veterinarians which is quite commendable in terms of risk communication;
•	But the operational sustainability and the geographic coverage of the ADNIS is still questionable due to poor internet connectivity and data policy of the country. However, the two systems have resulted in the improvement of the national disease reporting rate from around 40% to 76% which is closer to the minimum expected rate of 80%. This improvement in the national reporting rate was achieved through the support from various projects and mainly through the PPR project financed by EU and implemented by GoE, FAO and VSF Suisse and VSF Germany.
•	Animal Health Yearbook: as part of the country’s effort to communicate stakeholders on the status of animal diseases and overall veterinary services, it also publishes a synthesis of the animal health situation including disease epidemiology, laboratory tests and findings, vaccine production and distribution, veterinary drugs importation and dispensing animal health manpower and other relevant updates in its annual Animal Health Yearbook
•	Structure of the Veterinary Services: over decentralization of the veterinary services has caused a big problem due to ineffective and weak line of command along the competent authority and its sub-national units; the fact that the federal ministry and the regional of bureaus have equivalent status in terms of power, has weakened the line of command the federal/ Competent Authority should have for effective disease control and prevention;
•	Animal Health Mandates: The federal government allocates budget for the production of the various animal vaccines and provides the vaccines against TADS free of charge to the regions; but the budget for the delivery of these vaccines should come from that of regional state which is often not the case due to competing priorities; this is a critical challenge for the country to embark on animal health services due to fragmented mandates in service provision in the face of the need for a more coordinated effort.
•	Cross-border Collaboration: Mediated by the IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD), memoranda of Understanding have been signed and joint implementation frameworks development for cross-border animal health collaboration with its neighboring countries;
•	Zonation: the country does not have a diseases free zone yet but the importance of this approach to promote livestock trade and control animal diseases is acceptable. Efforts are being made to form disease free compartment by a Chinese company in order to access the stringent Chinese market

Plant Health
•	International Cooperation: Ethiopia is a member of the IPPC and also the 2016 IPPC Regional Workshop for Africa was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (14-16 September 2016). The Conference identified regional phytosanitary needs, regional emerging pests, greater understanding of import verification and concrete actions for the IPPC implementation pilot on surveillance.  
•	Ethiopia is also a member of Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC). Membership of these bodies imposes certain organizational obligations described in IPPC and in the regional cooperation.
•	Inquiry Points: According to IPPC Article 8, a single central government authority is required for the establishment of an official NPPO. This article also requires the designation of an enquiry or contact point for the dissemination of information on plant pests and national phytosanitary regulations. For this the Plant Health and Quality Regulatory Directorate is the designated inquiry point.
•	Harmonization: Effective quarantine and pest control requires three fundamental actions, namely: (i) policy formulation and coordination; (ii) scientific and technical advice and research; and (iii) inspection and enforcement which should operate under NPPO’s authority. However, the Ethiopian quarantine service mainly focuses on inspection and enforcement and the other two segments are weak in addition to poorly harmonized efforts; The Plant Health Clinics and crop protection departments in MoA and crop protection research in EIAR are not in full force to combat the emerging pest menace of the country. Under the auspices of MoA Holleta Research Center of EIAR was providing a nationwide field and laboratory quarantine check service for a long time now especially for the research system but this does not confer protection from pests and diseases which could be introduced with a mass of plants, seeds and related materials imported by different organizations for various purposes;
•	Inspection and enforcement: phytosanitary inspection and enforcement under Ethiopian condition is arranged under Plant health and Quality inspection Directorate in the Ministry of Agriculture. Plant quarantine inspectors are responsible for import and export inspection of any unprocessed and semi processed agricultural products, pesticides and fertilizers.

3	PROGRAMS AND PROJECT INITIATIVES RELATED TO SPS

However, Ethiopia does not have a well-defined national SPS strategy per se, it has been investing to address various SPS-related gaps including:
•	Prevention and control of trade sensitive diseases: some member states of IGAD including Ethiopia have in place disease prevention and control mechanisms such as routine and/or strategic vaccination, active and passive surveillance programs, especially against notiﬁable diseases. Laws, regulations and policies to facilitate  compliance with SPS measures;
•	Basic laws and regulations are in place: Ethiopia, like most other African countries, has some basic laws and regulation which are outdated. Updating and enforcing these laws and regulations is instrumental in the establishment of institutions in the entire agricultural sector to support compliance with SPS measures. It is also members of OIE, CODEX and IPPC. It has also applied for membership at the World trade organization (WTO). 
•	Human capacity and regional Integration/ harmonization: Ethiopia has well trained staﬀ undertaking SPS controls, (this is prominent in food safety and animal health regulation). IGAD/ICPALD has also supported the country to establish a national SPS committee though inadequately resourced to discharge its technical advisory functions.  
•	Coordination and participation in relevant standards setting activities: Ethiopia is an active member of both IGAD as well as COMESA with actual collaborative activities on SPS issues especially on cross-border TADs prevention and control. 
•	SPS Infrastructure: such facilities as national and regional laboratories, export standard slaughterhouses and quarantine stations, national standards and infrastructure for quality assurance exist. All export abattoirs are privately owned while all laboratories and quarantines are publicly managed.

In addition, the following programs, as briefly summarized, represent the major efforts made in Ethiopia to address SPS issues. Most efforts have been made to enhance the market competitiveness of the country’s agriculture sector, especially livestock and livestock product market. The recent efforts include:

•	Strengthening and Integrating Animal Health in the Livestock Value Chains through Public Private Dialogue (LVC/PPD)

This is also an EU funded project implemented by the then Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) and the Ethiopian Veterinary Association was also a defacto partner on veterinary policy dialogue and piloting some aspects of public-private partnership (PPP) in service delivery; The overall objective of the project was “to add value to livestock commodity production chains by integrating strengthened animal health, advisory and regulatory services, supported by effective dialogue between and mutually agreed actions by stakeholders in the public and private sectors”.

•	Sanitary & Phytosanitary Standards and Livestock & Meat Marketing Program (SPS-LMM)

The Sanitary & Phytosanitary Standards and Livestock Meat Marketing Program (SPS-LMM) was financed by USAID and implemented by the Borlaug Institute of the Texas A&M University System in collaboration with Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The project had two major objectives: (1) upgrading SPS-related activities and veterinary services to support Ethiopia’s meat and livestock exports; and (2) improving Ethiopia’s competitive advantage for meat and livestock exports. Under these two major objectives, the project has implemented several activities which are directly related to enhancing livestock and meat market competitiveness through SPS compliance and certification systems. 

It had supported the then Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) and the export facilities involved in live animal and meat export. Specifically, SPS-LMM helped in capacity building through preparation of guidelines, SoPs, standardization for the feedlot and abattoir operations, development and implementation of quality management procedures like HACCP, establishment of quarantine facilities and holding grounds and several trainings for feedlot operators, inspectors in abattoirs as well as laboratory personnel. 

•	Health of Ethiopian Animals for Rural Development (HEARD) 
This project was launched few months ago. It intends to enhance the Rationalization of the Animal Health Service Delivery System through implementing three outcomes: 1) The quality of public and private veterinary services strengthened and delivery optimized; 2) Technical competences and incentives for veterinary service providers improved; and 3) Capacity built for food safety of primary products of animal origin and for control of zoonotic diseases.

Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project (LFSDP)
The Livestock and Fishery Sector Development Project aims at supporting the government’s strategy for livestock growth and transformation. Strengthen service delivery systems in the livestock and fisheries sectors.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also has several projects in support of the country’s agricultural development both in the areas of crop and livestock sectors. These include:

•	Comprehensive Assessment and identification of a management strategy for the carmine cochineal in cactus pearl in Tigray
This project aims to enable a comprehensive and informed assessment of the current status of the carmine cochineal in cactus pear in Tigray in order to support informed decision on the management of the cochineal.

•	Technical support for Agricultural Growth Program
The overall objective of this project is more effective, inclusive and country-owned livestock development and IPM programmes through strengthened national capacities; Immediate objective 1: Improved human and organizational capacities to incorporate sustainable, intensified livestock production into integrated watershed development, in particular, by male and female smallholder farmers.

•	Youth mobility, food security and rural poverty reduction: fostering rural diversification through enhanced youth employment and better labour mobility
This project aims to achieve two objectives: 1) Improved knowledge and awareness on how to harness the potential of migration and economic mobility to promote youth employment in agriculture. 2) Improved policy coherence to better manage rural migration and facilitate opportunities for rural use in agriculture through seasonal migration and agro-entrepreneurship in Ethiopia.

•	Strengthening of Fruit and Cactus Pear Production in Tigray and North Wollo
This project aims to promote food security and poverty reduction of populations living in drought-prone areas by diversifying cropping patterns, promoting drought-resistant crops and alternative income-generating products through the improvement and production of quality fruits for local markets and exports in the future and enhance crop management of cactus pear at community level.

•	Reducing Food Losses through Improved Postharvest Management in Ethiopia Phase I
This project aims to contribute to improved food security of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia through reduction of crop postharvest losses at farm and primary cooperatives level.

•	Support transition towards climate smart agriculture food system
The project contributes to the overall development goal of the ECOWAP/CAADP RAIP to modernize the agricultural sector to achieve food security in the perspective of regional integration. The long-term impact will be a contribution towards the transformation of the agriculture sectors into one that has increased productivity and incomes and increased resilience to climate change; thereby contributing to reducing hunger and poverty in the target countries, and as such contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

•	Rural Women Economic Empowerment
The overarching goal of this 5-year joint global program is to secure rural women’s livelihoods and rights in the context of sustainable development and the post MDGs, based on four outcome areas: improved food and nutrition security; increased income to secure their livelihoods; enhanced leadership and participation in rural institutions and in shaping laws, policies and programs; and gender responsive policy environments for the economic empowerment of rural women.
•	 Integrated nutrition Services: Multisectoral Interventions to Improve Nutrition security and Strengthen resilience
The objective of this project household nutrition and dietary diversification practices improved, especially for adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and children under 5, with a particular focus on the first 1000 days for enhanced resilience to nutrition insecurity.

•	Improving Sanitary Capacity and Facilitating Export of Livestock and Livestock Products from Ethiopia (July 2018 - June 2021)
The objectives of this project is to build capacity of the competent authority to meet the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) requirements of potential and existing importing countries (mainly the Middle east and North Africa) to overall facilitate export of sheep, goat and cattle meat among the various livestock and meat sector value chain actors. 

•	Capacity development for the veterinary drug and animal feed administration and control authority (VDACA) and feed value chain Actors in Ethiopia
The objective is to enhance the participation in developing standards, guidelines and capable to regulate feed safety and quality. In addition, can implement internationally accepted standards in the process of feed importation, manufacturing, marketing and utilization of commercial feed which is highly expected to improve competitiveness in the global market of Livestock commodities;

•	Pursuing Pastoral Resilience (PPR) through improved animal health service delivery in pastoral areas of Ethiopia
The objective of the project is to improved food security and improved resilience to drought (and other natural disasters) in the pastoral lowland communities of Ethiopia. As well to reduced morbidity and mortality due to PPR and SGP among the small ruminant population owned by the pastoralist communities of Ethiopia.

•	Support the Implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) in Ethiopia through One Health approach (ECTAD PROGRAMME)
This project aims to support the country in moving from the current capacity level towards the target set in the GHSA Action Packages milestones. 
 
•	Support MERS-CoV Surveillance in Dromedary Camels and Other Domestic Animals in Ethiopia (ECTAD PROGRAMME)
The objective is to contribute to the foundational knowledge of epidemiology and ecology of MERS-CoV in camels in Ethiopia by understanding the spatio-temporal and seasonal changes in virus infection, full genome sequencing of PCR positive samples and characterization of the frequency and pattern of human-camel contact in the context of different farming systems. 
•	Engaging the Food and Agriculture Sectors in Ethiopia in the Global Efforts to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Using a One Health Approach (ECTAD PROGRAMME)
This project also aims to engage the food and agriculture sectors in Ethiopia in the Global Efforts to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance using a One Health Approach to minimize the transmission of antimicrobial resistant micro-organisms and/or determinants through the food chain and in the food and agriculture environment. 
  
•	Strengthening Epidemio-surveillance Capabilities and Underlying Regulatory Frameworks in Eastern Africa (ECTAD PROGRAMME) 2018 - January 2020
This project aims to enhance national surveillance capabilities, preparedness and response plans and to strengthen the policy frameworks supporting disease surveillance in four beneficiary countries in East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda). 

•	Africa Sustainable Livestock 2050 (ECTAD PROGRAMME) June 2017 September 2019
It aims to project the production and demand of livestock in Africa through 2050 and model the potential effects on public health, animal health, livelihoods, and the environment. ASL2050 works to maximize the positive economic and nutrition benefits of livestock intensification while minimizing the negative effects on public health, animal health, and the environment.   

1	
5	STAKEHOLDERS, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Stakeholder Name/category	Main Mandate
	Impact on SPS
How much does the SPS impact them? 	Level of Influence
How much influence do they have SPS? 	What is important to this stakeholder?	How will the stakeholder contribute towards compliance with SPS measures?	How will the stakeholder block the project?	Strategy for engaging the stakeholder	
National Animal Health Diagnostic and Investigation Center	Testing service for veterinary microbiology, serology, pathology; parasitology, virology; and acts as quarantine for imported animals for research purpose;	High	High	Staff and laboratory capacity building; regulatory enforcement;
Quality management systems;
additional laboratory facilities for veterinary public health; food safety research program; Data management;	Improve the quality of laboratory tests; provide awareness and training opportunities to staff, producers and community; NAHDIC can also run monitoring and surveillance on the safety and quality of food of animal origin	N/A	Multi-disciplinary forum; national consultation as a key institution; government gives the mandate to process food samples in the laboratory after accreditation; 	
Ministry of Agriculture	Overall leadership of the livestock sector; animal health, animal production, fisheries and aquaculture resources development; meat and milk hygiene, livestock quarantine, diseases surveillance ; livestock movement permit and health certification;	High	High	Improvement of regulatory framework; law enforcement; improved capacity building in staff training and laboratory facilities; 	Draft and enforce laws and legislations on veterinary services, livestock movement, slaughterhouse facilities, meat and dairy processing plants and farms;	By poor enforcement, inadequate supervision, monitoring and evaluation of SPS issues in the country; 	Leading light for instigating and taking the initiative towards national, regional and international animal health standards and sanitary measures;	
Ethiopian Veterinary Association	EVA is the voice of veterinarians for professional ethics, rights and benefits; It is also the voice of livestock producers and advocates for better policies and strategies supporting the sector; Advocates for professional ethics, harmonized and standardized curriculum; support policy development towards public-private partnership on veterinary service delivery	High	High	Professional ethics, veterinary service quality and conducive policy and regulatory environment;	The veterinary Association mobilize the critical mass of professionals in the country for better quality of services towards SPS compliance; advocates for policy and institutional reforms; Enhance public awareness of SPS issues especially on the control and prevention of various diseases; responsible use of antimicrobials and anthelmintics and other veterinary drugs that may  get in the food chain;	Weak professional stand and egoistic attitudes can negatively affect SPS; mal-practice in the use of veterinary drugs and acaricides should also be discouraged	Engage the vet association in all regulatory, policy and guideline development; program development; advocacy, training, monitoring and evaluation of SPS following this strategy; Training for veterinarians and para-veterinarians; support continuous professional development (CPD) in partnership with the Vet. Board	
MoA-Plant Health and Quarantine	The directorate is responsible to control and regulate plant health in the country; it regulates plant quarantine and seed certification systems and also regulates various agricultural chemicals (pesticides, weedicides, fertilizers, etc) and equipment;	High	High	SPS strategy in which plant health is well reflected; it mains to ensure that exotic pests and disease are well prevented; pesticides, weedicides, fertilizers and other chemical inputs for crop production are well regulated;	It is one of the main public organs responsible to enforce laws and regulation pertaining to plant health and quarantine; it certifies seeds; and chemicals for use in plants;	Poor regulatory functions	Enhance the regulatory operations of the directorate; provision of technical support including training and networking of the directorate with similar organizations; review, update and endorse primary and secondary laws required for better SPS compliance;	
Universities/academic institutions	Academic and Research Excellence in Agriculture and veterinary Medicine; plant sciences, animal sciences, public health and food safety manpower development;	High	High	Highly skilled man power to cater for the service needs of various sectors including crop, livestock and veterinary experts; 	Universities could support SPS through better quality of graduates in the areas of animal and plant health and food safety and veterinary public health; it can also organize public sensitization events; workshops and forums for policy dialogue and  scientific debate;	Incompetent graduates will negatively affect SPS compliance;	Engage the university in all scientific and policy related activities of sector ministries; seek for technical advice and collaboration, especially on issues requiring research input;	
Ministry of Health/FMHACA (now restructured and called EFDA)	Safeguarding public health; zoonosis; food safety; international health collaboration;	High	High	Ensuring the control and prevention of all infectious and non-infections, waterborne, foodborne and prevention and control of zoonotic diseases and illnesses; national health and nutrition security;	It is a major organ for regulatory functions in the areas of food safety; it controls and regulates the food value chain including sanitary certification of food producers and retailers; develop and endorse legal systems for food control; 	In adequate monitoring and supervision of the food value chain actors will compromise SPS compliance;	The Ministry of Health and FMHACA should be engaged in all SPS meetings, policy and scientific debate; it should be part of the national SPS committee; Legally enforce quality standards for food and non-food items; it could also serve as a key coordinating body of national SPS efforts in close collaboration with MoA and MoST; and MoH	
Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise	It promotes standardization, accreditation, certification, inspection, metrology and quality assurance in industry, trade and agriculture	High	High	All food items traded in and out of the country to have high and acceptable quality and pass through certification and accreditation system;	Ensures that the commodities, be it food and non-food are of standard quality;	Poor supervision and monitoring and weak actions on SPS non-compliance	The quality control commission should be the leading light in terms of adapting, popularizing and; it could also serve as a key coordinating body of national SPS efforts in close collaboration with MoA and MoST; and MoH	
Ethiopian Standard Agencies 	Develop National Standard for local and imported agricultural products 
Revise Standards according to recent international standards 	High	High	Develop and adopt different Chemical, Physical and Microbiological  criteria to control and prevent different infectious and non-infections, waterborne, foodborne and prevention and control of zoonotic diseases and illnesses; national health and nutrition security	Develop and adopt important Chemical, Physical and Microbiological criteria  for   food and non-food commodities.		Should adapt and popularize  quality standards for food and non-food items; it could also serve as a key coordinating body of national SPS efforts in close collaboration with MoA and MoST; and MoH	
Ministry of Trade	The ministry of trade is the major organization responsible for domestic as well as international trade of the country; it is involved in international trade negotiations, diplomacy and engagement with the WTO	High	High	Compliance to SPS standards by producers and processers of the agricultural products in the country is a key concern	MoT could do capacity building in SPS compliance through financial and technical support and also by way of encouraging investors to produce quality products; it also could endorse supportive policies and strategies to better enhance the SPS compliance of domestic agro-industries	Trade diplomacy and WTO negotiations as well as bilateral agreements with different countries should be tactful in order to protect local producers	Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and other institutions should have a common plat form to work together; joint planning and action towards SPS compliance and ensure trade competitiveness;	
Ethiopian Standard Agencies 	Develop National Standard for local and imported agricultural products 
Revise Standards according to recent international standards 	High	High	Develop and adopt different Chemical, Physical and Microbiological  criteria to control and prevent different infectious and non-infections, waterborne, foodborne and prevention and control of zoonotic diseases and illnesses; national health and nutrition security	Develop and adopt important Chemical, Physical and Microbiological criteria  for   food and non-food commodities.		Should adapt and popularize  quality standards for food and non-food items; it could also serve as a key coordinating body of national SPS efforts in close collaboration with MoA and MoST; and MoH	
Ethiopian Accreditation Organization (ENAO)	to accredit the competence of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) to perform specific activities, such as test, calibrations, certifications or inspections.
	High	High	Recognize, the competence of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) to perform specific activities and Test results will be accepted everywhere in the world 	Formal third-party recognition for the test parameters under the accreditation scope 	Poor awareness creation on accreditation 
Poor Surveillance and Communication to other stakeholders about the status of accreditation 	Strong communication strategies should be in place 
Conduct surveillance assessments on accredited organizations;
Maintain and publicize status of  accredited, suspended and revoked organizations;

6	SWOT ANALYSIS

In order for the country to join the WTO, a government has to bring its economic and trade policies in line with WTO rules and principles and negotiate with the WTO membership on guaranteed minimum levels of access to their domestic markets for goods and services. One of the key issues that any country should address to achieve the WTO accession is to confer strong confidence to the international community for the safety and quality of its products destined for international trade. The international best practice so far accepted is to ensure a reliable SPS strategy addressing the three regulatory components namely animal health, plant protection and food safety.

The recent assessment, in relation to the regional SPS strategy developed by ICPALD, identified major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges under which, specially the livestock sector is operating. Key findings of this assessment were summarized in the table below:
Strengths	Weaknesses/challenges	Opportunities	Threats	
•	Improving animal health services to lower incidences of diseases and death rates;
•	A standards body exists that spearheads standard development. Under the authority, (technical committees or working groups for one hundred standards have been established. Work of committees is funded by government through the standards bureau; 
•	A national SPS committee is in place;
•	A National One Health Stirring Committee in place, which also developed control strategy and preparedness plans for various priority zoonotic diseases 
•	Membership to IGAD and COMESA (founder member of both); 
•	Memorandum of understanding/ bilateral agreements signed/ developed with neighboring countries (Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan); Also multilateral MOU (Eth-Ken-Uganda –South Sudan ) 
•	Member of Tripartite (EAC-COMESA-SADC) negotiation forum; 
•	Membership to International Standard Setting bodies (OIE, IPPC & Codex); 
•	Available specialized laboratories (federal and regional laboratories some of which are internationally accredited under ISO 17025);  
•	Training institutions available in the country (public and private universities, colleges and tertiary institutions); 
•	Existence of Saudi approved export quarantines and UAE and Saudi approved   export abattoirs 
•	Vaccine production center is in place;. 
•	HACCP/ISO Accredited private owned Export Abattoirs
•	Existence of 15-year livestock development master plan (in operation);
•	smart phone notifiable animal disease platform 
•	Kenya-Ethiopia one stop border point is under construction;  
•	National LITs being piloted 
•	Government funding available to agriculture – over 10 percent of budget.  
	•	Ethiopia is not yet a member of WTO though accession processes are in progress; 
•	Some of the national laws have not been reviewed to incorporate current sanitary and phytosanitary best practices. Some of these laws have been noted to provide for overlapping mandates of competent authorities; 
•	Slow process of enacting laws (proclamations), regulations (issued by Council of Ministers), and directives (issued by Line/ Sector Ministers); 
•	National SPS committee inadequately funded; 
•	Lack of enabling over-arching SPS Law to govern value chain issues across the food, and feed chain; 
•	Lack of delineated disease free zones for both plants and animals; 
•	Agriculture still largely subsistent, hence not fully integrated to a best practice import-export structure;  
•	Inadequate product traceability system (plants, food, feed and animals), though ongoing livestock identification and traceability project in selected areas under IGAD is attempting to do so for livestock; 
•	Limited SPS-dedicated human resources to ensure implementation of policy frameworks and established strategies for future action;
•	Lack of Veterinary Statutory Board. 
•	Poor infrastructure capacity.
•	Some regulatory mandates are overlapped  among different sectors such as the inspection and certification of food of animal origin; Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the live animals and meat in the premises of abattoirs but in butcheries and supermarkets, Ministry of Health is mandated but the problems is a lack of competence in identifying various forms of adulteration, for example of meat and meat products, as well as dairy products ones they have left the farm;
	•	Diversifying live animal exports to value added products such as choice meats, shoes leather products (formal hide, skin and leather (HSL) value chain);  
•	Investment in the improvement and regulation of slaughtering practices and locations; 
•	Coding and tagging of all livestock and their meat, by products and hides/skins to establish traceability, animal record-keeping, herd management, vaccination scheduling, breed and feed records, food security investment in the animal health sector to extend the reach and benefit of animal health research, drugs, clinics and services; 
•	Proximity to markets especially Middle East and North Africa (MENA). 
•	MENA market consumers’ preference of IGAD livestock and products 
	•	Increaseing private standards stringent and dynamic requirements set by Importing countries;
•	Emerging pest and disease threats including trans-boundary diseases (TADs);
•	Climate change leading to severe weather such as perennial drought that is not supportive of livestock enterprises; 
•	Porous borders that permit informal movement of livestock that may lead to  increased threats to TADs.
	
Source: IGAD (2016): Regional SPS Strategy (2016/17-2020/21)

It is evident from the review of completed and on-going projects and programs, which in one way or another, gave/ give strong support to SPS capacity building in Ethiopia, that the country has strong foundations to be able to enhance its SPS compliance status. What remains gloomy is the commitment of actors for a long-term and well thought trajectory of SPS compliance efforts. Most activities are just project based-and the momentum gained does not continue when project is phased out; one of the reasons for this is poor buy in by the government as a main agenda to transform the agriculture sector. Despite the interest of the government to earn huge sum of foreign currency from agricultural export, it is less interested to strategically invest in diseases control; most activities are hooked up on project funding from donors.

The above existing capacities and on-going efforts of the country, despite inadequate and limited resources, should be taken as the building blocks to further support its SPS compliance and subsequent improvement of inter-regional and international trading outcomes. Accordingly, ICPALD, in collaboration with USAID has set out to support the country to develop and validate its national strategy aligned to the IGAD regional SPS strategy. 

7	VISION, MISSION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY

a.	Vision
Enhanced SPS compliance and safe trade 

b.	Mission
Establish and strengthen strong SPS infrastructure and regulatory framework to promote food safety and agricultural sector for enhanced market access;

c.	Strategic Objectives
This national strategy for SPS compliance in Ethiopia aims to achieve the following objectives:
a) To improve regulatory and legislative procedures to comply with international requirements;
b) To improve coordination among relevant implementing agencies with clear roles and responsibilities among institutions; 
C) Improve the level of SPS communication, awareness and SPS implementation capacity

8	INTERVENTION AREAS ALONG THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

a.	National SPS Regulatory frameworks and procedures improved
1.	Finalize and endorse the various draft proclamations and legislations for veterinary services and plant health and quarantine;

2.	Establish and/or strengthen adequate facilities for plant health diagnosis and quarantine procedures

3.	Develop and implement SOPs on key SPS matters in both plant and livestock sectors to improve compliance with SPS measures;

4.	Establish the Veterinary Statutory body to regulate, license and certify veterinary professionals and paraprofessionals. Without proper regulation of workforce in the veterinary profession, it is not possible to achieve high quality and standard of veterinary services in the country. 

b.	National SPS institutional and Coordination capacity enhanced
1.	Establish/revitalize the national standing committee on SPS:  this committee must be properly established and responsibly hosted, with necessary budget from government because it will serve as a national platform for monitoring, evaluation, advocacy and technical advisory forum on national SPS issues;

2.	Develop a joint plan of action, especially on food safety and zoonosis in Ethiopia; the National One Health Steering Committee’s work in this regard should be strengthened and supported. This platform also exist in regional states including Amhara, Tigray,  Oromiya, SNNP and Somali regions of the country; various stakeholders should contribute to an overarching food safety agenda with clear demarcation on mandates and responsibilities; federal and regional states, must plan together and implement in a harmonized way. This is especially mandatory in order to have effective diseases surveillance, monitoring of food and drug retail markets and eventually ensure a farm-to fork food safety.

3.	Revise the mandate areas and irregularities on institutional arrangement at federal and regional levels; some structures that are found in the federal ministry of agriculture are not found in any of the regional states; the way the veterinary services are organized in different regions is also quit problematic with lack of direct line of command and reporting relationship;

4.	Engage the private sector in SPS implementation; this entails to raise awareness through main stream mass media and also sector specific publicizing of quality management principles and requirements; it also requires to strengthen the consumer’s associations and their movements for quality and safety of the food for the general public;

5.	Review, harmonize and consolidate stakeholder institutions’ mandates: holistic, inter-sectorial approaches and a harmonization of strategies at all levels are needed to address the key SPS issues and to engage all relevant partners in cooperative planning. The Ministry of Agriculture, having majority of responsibility to prevent risks at the farm level and on the way to processing both in plants and animal origin foods, it could be used as a pivotal organ to play a leading role in nationally initiating, leading and coordinating SPS compliance; alternatively a multi-ministerial entity could be established with a view to enhance the market competitiveness of the country in which all the key ministries with a stake in SPS issues will be part and parcel.

6.	Enhance SPS diplomacy for better technical support: government should also continue to enhance and strengthen the participation of Ethiopia in international standard setting organizations such as OIE, IPPC and Codex Alimentarius and ISO; there is a need to revise the mandate areas of the various institutions to identify and rectify gaps in the food safety roles and responsibilities of various ministries. 

7.	Enhance  transparency through the SPS notification and enquiry point:

c.	National SPS infrastructure and technical management capacity improved

1.	Inter-sectorial food-borne disease surveillance program: this action is proposed in order to benefit from the strengths in various fragmented institutions in the country and pool human resources finance and facilities available for food-borne diseases surveillance, 

2.	Strengthen the zoonotic and public health entities, through the national One Health Steering Committee: ensure inter-ministerial and inter-departmental technical linkages as well as inter-regional and intra-regional integration of food safety and public health stakeholders; 

3.	Initiate tailor-made training programs to provide learning opportunities for staff and policy makers on SPS matters on a regular basis; this should take account of the high staff turnover, the natural dynamics in animal, plant and human health perspectives as well as the international market challenges related to poor SPS management;

4.	Strengthen the diagnostic capacity of laboratories and data management system at national and sub-national level, especially the regional laboratories responsible for animal health and food safety regulation needs to be accredited;

5.	Improve the infrastructure for national risk analysis on the whole spectrum of SPS (including animal health, food safety, plant health and environmental monitoring and traceability assurance instruments/facilities);

6.	Establish national Minimum Standards on Quality Management System: ones the country develop its minimum standards on quality management along the food value chain, the proper implementation of the system should also be monitored, measured, evaluated and enhanced regularly;

7.	Establish Ethiopian food safety standards with clear and non-ambiguous evaluation of the fixed/specific requirements and standardized test procedures for quality monitoring.

Annexes: insert them

List of Export Abattoirs with General profile and Contact persons
No.	Name of Ex/Abattoirs	Approval Number	Address	Products Registered for Export to Vietnam	Contact Person	QMS
applied	
1	Abergelle International Livestock development PLC	011/2010	Mekelle Town, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia,
PO Box 1803 
Tel:  +251344402845 Or 
        +251914313646
Fax: +251344402846
Email:     abergelle@ethionet.et 	  	Chilled quartered beef
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals 
 	Ato Tewolde

0914314506	
ISO 22000-2005 Certifiied
 	
2	Abyssinia Export Abattoir PLC	013/2013	Bishoftu Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel, +251911214896 Or
       +251911245203
Email:   shebatra2006@gmail.com     	                 or
                yebche@gmail.com 	Chilled quartered beef
Deboned frozen beef      cuts 
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals 
	Ato Effesson
09125078937	ISO 22000-2005 Certified
		
3	AL-Nujum Export Slaughter House
PLC  	016/2015	Dukem Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel,  +251911219359
        +251929191313
Email     
alnujumplc@yahoo.com	Chilled quartered beef
Deboned frozen beef      cuts 
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals 	Ato wihib
0911216874	ISO 22000-2005 Certification on process
	
4 	Akseker Ethiopia Casing PLC 	015/2015	Modjo Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel:  +251115155598 Or
        +251938757575
Fax: +251115155597
Email     gdebassu@gmail.com or
	  manrkhan@gmail.com 
 Website: 
     www.allana.com 	Chilled quartered beef
Deboned frozen beef      cuts 
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals	Ato Kelifa

0929918384	ISO 22000-2005 Certified
	
5	ELFORA Agro-Industries PLC, Debreziet  Export abattoir	001/2000	Bishoftu Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel, +251116450453 Or
       +251116461078
Email     elfora@ethionet.et 
Website: 
www.midroc-ethiotechgroup.com 	Chilled quartered beef
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals	Dr Henok

0911203136	ISO 22000-2005 Certified
	
6	ELFORA Agro-Industries PLC, Methara Export abattoir	003/2000	MetharaTown, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel, +251116450453 Or
       +251116461078
Email     elfora@ethionet.et 
Website: 
  www.midroc-ethiotechgroup.com 	Chilled quartered camel     carcass
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals	Dr Henok 
0911203136	ISO 22000-2005 Certification on process
	
7	Halal Food Industries PLC	014/2014	Modjo Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel, +251116616835 Or
       +251930003834
Fax +251116186778
Email     jalili@msn.com or 	 	  mkp@almehdigroup.com  
Website: 
     www.almehdigroup.com	Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals	Dr Mekia

0912178258	ISO 22000-2005 Certified
	
8	Helimex Export abattoir PLC	004/2000	Bishoftu Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel, +251114392566 Or
       +251114333701
Email     helimexplc@gmail.com  
Website: 
     www.helimexplc.com	Chilled quartered beef
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals	Ato Kalid
0911237295	ISO 22000-2005 Certification on process
	
9	Luna Export slaughter House 	009/2004	Modjo Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel, +251911211271 Or
       +25111627897
Fax +251116627893
Email:   tesfalidet@lunafarmexport.com 
Website: 
     www.lunafarmexport.com 	Chilled quartered beef
Chilled quartered camel meat
Deboned frozen beef      cuts 
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals	Dr Reta

0930110048	ISO 22000-2005 Certified
	
10	Modjo Modern Export abattoir	008/2002	Modjo Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel, +251115159907 Or
       +251221160098
Fax +251115537879
Email     almazarega@gmail.com 	 	 	Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals	Dr Saleamlak

0913806123	ISO 22000-2005 and HACCP Certified
	
11	Organic Export Abattoir  	010/2006	Modjo Town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia,
Tel, +251911203487 Or
       +251911208272
Po Box 2067
Email     organicabattoir@gmail.com    or lillyamohamed@gmail.com   	Chilled quartered beef
Chilled goat carcass
Chilled sheep carcass
Chilled/Frozen Red offals
Frozen green offals	Ato Tedros

0913136353	ISO 22000-2005 Certified
	
12	Ethiopian Meat producer exporter association		Addis Ababa, Tena kebede Building 4 th floor 
Abebaw.m1@gmail.com 		Ato Abebaw	0912249130	
  
List of Quarantines and check posts in Ethiopia

•	Mille Animal Quarantine Stations
•	Dire Dawa Animal Quarantine Station
•	Metema  Animal Quarantine Station
•	Jigjiga Animal Quarantine Station
•	Humera Animal Quarantine Station
•	Adama Animal Quarantine Station
•	Al-mehal Check Post
•	Moyale Check Post
•	Ayisha Dewele Check Post
•	Lefeesa Check Post

List of Animal Health Laboratories in Ethiopia

Budget and Time Table of Implementation

Table_ List of Laboratories and Quality Assurance Facilities in Ethiopia
Serial No.	Organization	Region	Official Telephone	Mobile	Contact & e-mail  address	
1	National Animal health Diagnostic Investigation Center (NAHDIC)	Oromiya, Sebeta	O113380894 	0911949928	Ato Abera Kebede, melatkeb@yahoo.com
	
2	National Alcohol & Liquor Factory	Addis Ababa	0115155698	0911151352 	Tigist Masersha 
masreshatigist@yahoo.com	
3	Bless Agri food Laboratory Services Plc.	Oromiya, Legetafo, 	+251-116-679228 	+251-911-751681
Fax +251-116-679019	Habtamu Gashaw hgashaw@blesslaboratory.com	
4	Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise(ECAE)  	Addis Ababa	0116460565	0911226446	Gashaw Tesfaye
gashawtesfaye@yahoo.com	
5
	JIJE  Labo glass PLC.	Addis Ababa	0118301314	0912018321	Gemechu Sorsa 

gemalem1431@yahoo.com	
6.	Ministry of Health, Ethiopian Public Health Institute 	Addis Ababa			Gulelle Arbegnoch Street (the former Pasteur Institute) 
Gulele Sub City 
Addis Ababa 
Ethiopia 
Tel: 011 2 13 34 99/ +251 1 2754744 / 757722 
http://www.ephi.gov.et 
	
7. 	Ministry of Health, FMHACA	Addis Ababa 			•	E-mail regulatory@fmhaca.gov.et 
•	Tel 011 552 4122 
	
8. 	Ministry of Agriculture, Animal products, Veterinary Drug and Feed Quality Assessment Centre 
	Addis Ababa 
Akaki 		+251913231015
	Dr. Nardodos Tefera

bernardi.2008@gmail.com	
9.	Ministry of Agriculture, National Veterinary Institute 	Debre Zeit Oromiya 		0911340921	Dr. Teferi 
	
10	Ethiopian Airlines	Addis Ababa		0911-823282
	Daniel Mekonnen 
danielmk@ethiopianairlines.com
	
11	Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR)	Addis Ababa	011-6454438
Fax:- 0116465412	 0912-102583	Kidist Hailu
kidisth16@gmail.com	

List of Important Quality Standards Related Websites
 	
TBT/WTO http://www.wto.org 	
CODEX http://www.CODEX.org 	
Ethiopian Conformity Assesment Enterprise http://www.ECA-E.COM/ 	
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) http://www.astm.org 	
International Organization for Standardization http://www.iso.org/ 	
British standards institute http://www.bsigroup.com/ 	
ISO http://www.iso.org/iso/ 	
IEC http://www.iec.ch/ 	
ITU http://www.itu.int/en/ 	
ARSO http://www.arso-oran.org/ 	
CEN http://www.cen.eu/ 	
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute http://www.etsi.org/ 	
COPANT http://www.copant.org/ 	
Ministry of Education  http://www.MOE.gov.et 	
SABS https://www.sabs.co.za/ 	

List of People and Organizations Consulted

No	Name Key Informants	Organization	Address	
1	Dr. Gedion Yilma	MoA	gedionyilma245@gmail.com 	
2	Dr. Wondimagegn Dejene	MoA Head Quarantine Import Export Inspection and Certification Directorate	wondimagegn.dejene@gmail.com 	
3	Mr. Wondimagegn Shibiru	RPLRP Livestock Expert	0911 761043
sh.wondm@gmail.com 	
4	Dr. Alemayehu Mekonnen	CVO and Director of Diseases Prevention and Control	alemalemayehu22@gmail.com 	
5	Dr. Asmamaw Duresa	Epidemiology Expert	asdu2007@yahoo.com 	
6	Mr. Dinberu Wurssie	Senior Plant Quarantine Inspector	0913 363572
dinbe1972@gmail.com 	
7	Dr. Getachew Asmare	Director, LITS and Animal Welfare Directorate	getasi97@gmail.com 	
8	Dr. Meseret Bekele	Director, VPH Directorate	yohanan14sm@gmail.com	
9	Dr. Fasil Mengistu	PhD Candidate VPH and Molecular Biology, EHNRI	mengistufasil@gmail.com 	
10	Professor Kassahun Asmare	Deputy Regional Director, Ohio State University Africa Regional Office	kassahun7588@gmail.com 	
11	Dr. Fasil Awol	General Manager, Ethiopian Veterinary Association	fasilawol@gmail.com 	
12	Dr. Terzu Daya	Director General, Veterinary Drugs and Feed Administration and Control Authority (VDFACA) 	terzudaya@gmail.com 	
13	Dr. Samuel Mulat	Dairy Value Chain Specialist, Fintrac	samiemu2008@yahoo.com 	
14	Dr. Bewukt Siraw	Former CVO and Senior Research Coordinator, Tufts University, Africa Regional Office	besiad123@gmail.com 	
15	Dr. Kebadu Simachew	CD, VSF Suisse	kebadu.belay@vsf-suisse.org  	
16	Ato Seyoum	Deputy Director General Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority		
17	Mr. Teshale Belihu	Director General Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Agency	belihute@yahoo.com; teshale.belihu@eca-e.com 	
18	Dr. Wesinew Adugna	Program Support Specialist, VSF Suisse	wesinew.adugna@vsf-suisse.org 	
19	Dr. Yismashewa Wogayehu	Director, Epidemiology Directorate	getasi97@gmail.com 	
20	Mr. Asrat Mihiretie	Head Food Quality Control, Microbiology Laboratory, Bless laboratories	asrat_96@yahoo.com