The e-Phyto platform will enhance secure information-sharing between countries and also cut costs, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The decision to develop such a system was approved by representatives from 181 countries in Rome this week.
Currently, countries are required to provide paperwork (phytosanitary certificates) proving plant products, including food, have been inspected and found free of pests – a system the FAO said was complex and bureaucratic.
“e-Phyto is designed to eventually replace paper certificates entirely,” the FAO said.
Improved security
It said the system would operate around a central hub to provide a simple and secure method for exchange. This centralized hub, it said, should then eliminate the need for countries to negotiate exchange protocols bilaterally with every trading partner.
Peter Thomson, head of e-Phyto development at the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), said security and confidentiality were crucial concerns that had been addressed.
Speaking to the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) this week, he said: “Secure electronic exchange of certificates between National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) will eliminate problems some countries currently experience with the use of fraudulent certificates by importers or exporters.”
The FAO said the system would also help reduce the cost of global trade because it should “increase the ability of countries to identify items that pose a high risk”.
Developing countries to join
The IPPC will work on a pilot project to improve capacity in developing countries and enable them to join the e-Phyto platform on a gradual basis.