Norway
From Biosecwiki
Summary of work of Norway PCA, 2005-2008 on Biosecurity (Objective D-1)
(see Biosecurity Resources from Norway PCA for detailed outputs, presentations and resources produced by the programme)
Extract from final report, March 2008:
"The purpose (of Norway PCA work on Biosecurity) is to strengthen national capacities to meet domestic and international marketing requirements, reduce risks of and increase preparedness for food system shocks (on producers and consumers) associated with disease and related outbreaks that increase the risks of market collapse."
Outcome 1: Development and implementation of tools to assist countries in the assessment and evaluation of their national capacity relevant to food safety and animal and plant health
During the period we linked resources with other extra budgetary funds (eg from Netherlands and Japan) and with FAO’s TCP programme to complete development of a major normative output, the peer-reviewed Biosecurity Toolkit.
We have conducted three regional and one international awareness programmes in Ghana, Chile, Bangkok and Rome for more than 100 people from at least 60 countries, on assessment of Biosecurity capacity and the use of the toolkit.
We also supported creation of the FAO Crisis Management Centre, specifically in working to improve assessments of country capacity, and consequent risk analysis, relating to biosecurity. Other tools developed include the international portal on food safety, animal and plant health, which acts as a single source of international and national information resources relevant to standards implementation; a contribution towards the revised version of the animal health (EMPRES) database which manages epidemiological data on animal disease – early warning and surveillance are seen as an important pre-requisite for developing national capacity for managing animal health issues; and guidelines regarding both implementation of aquatic animal Biosecurity and of fisheries product safety norms.
Outcome 2: Assessment of country capacity to implement relevant international instruments (standards) in their national policy making
Using elements of the toolkit developed under Outcome 1, we have conducted biosecurity capacity needs assessments in Nepal, resulting in an STDF-funded project on training, and in Bhutan, where a national biosecurity policy has been recently finalized. Preliminary work has also been carried out in Panama and Haiti.
Follow up with participants from the regional and international training programmes is ongoing, and a number of national biosecurity stakeholder workshops over coming months, with participants from the Ghana workshop (from West and Central Africa).
Outcome 3: Field and policy activities to strengthen national capacities to promote an integrated (biosecurity) approach in plant health systems, food safety, and domestic animal health systems
Considerable attention has been devoted to field and policy activities to strengthen national capacities, as well as policy and legal studies. Major activities in biosecurity included:
- legal advice and technical support for creating new legal instruments and institutions to implement an integrated approach to biosecurity in Belize (with FAO TCP);
- legal advice and background studies on legislation to support biosecurity in Namibia, and follow up actions to a pilot of the FAO biosecurity toolkit (with FAO TCP);
- field level data gathering in Vietnam on the impact of national poultry policies aimed at control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (in conjunction with the World Bank), and dialogue with policy makers, resulting in significant policy changes to reduce the negative impact on smallholders; significant support has also been provided in implementing disease surveillance software;
- field data on smallholder poultry keeping practices, gender issues and livelihoods impacts of HPAI and its control in Cambodia to support policy dialogue on effective biosecurity measures, as part of a coordinated smallholder-focussed socio-economic HPAI control programme, in collaboration with ECTAD and the FAO/German Cooperative Programme;
- significant support has also been provided to develop a system for cross-site (Southeast Asia and Egypt) analysis of HPAI livelihoods impacts and biosecurity implications using computer-assisted qualitative analysis software to support disease control policy in Southeast Asia and elsewhere; this work will be continued within the framework of the Pro-Poor Livestock policy Initiative;
- field data on smallholder poultry keeping practices in Java (Indonesia) to support policy dialogue on effective biosecurity measures, to be extended to Bali – funded jointly with contributions from Netherlands and Japan (on biosecurity and market chain analysis);
- poultry market chain analysis in four West African countries, including Ghana, Togo and Cote D’Ivoire, to initiate policy dialogue on biosecurity for national and intra-regional trade;
- strengthening Indian (and regional) biosecurity, working with the national plant protection division of the Ministry of Agriculture to improve plant quarantine, pest surveillance and pesticide registration and control, and associated regional training; and provide further support to creating an integrated biosecurity policy, and related institutions;
- investigation of an outbreak of previously unknown disease affecting fish in the Zambesi river system in southern Africa (led by Botswana); and the development of guidelines and training on aquatic animal health, and capacity building events on maintaining aquatic animal bio-security focussing on aspects of risk analysis, diagnostics, health certification and quarantine and epidemiological surveillance and reporting;
- study of occurrence, spread and combined impact of disease (plant, animal and human) at household level in a sensitive border region (districts on or near the Uganda-Tanzania border), and biosecurity implications for national, and local policy makers, and for regional cooperation on surveillance, reporting and disease control;
- preparation of a comprehensive discussion paper on Aid for Trade, based on practical examples and experience, advocating increased investment in biosecurity control measures to accompany any trade facilitation initiatives. Following discussion at regional Aid for Trade events, pilot activities are underway to analyse technical and organisational issues which have an impact on biosecurity and trade, from the work in East Africa and India, in order to develop general guidelines and recommendations on biosecurity and trade;
- reviews of biosecurity legislation in 8 countries, development, publication and testing of an analytical tool to assess national legal frameworks for biosecurity and provision of advice to concerned governments on areas requiring attention.
Outcome 4: policy studies based on a holistic approach related to risks of market collapse
We undertook case studies for Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia on issues associated with re-orienting their agriculture sector policies and programmes towards a biosecurity approach, including its inclusion as a priority area in work plans of Ministries of Planning and of Agriculture (with subsequent follow up through formulation of FAO TCP projects) Given the overwhelming global attention focused on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, biosecurity in the poultry production chain has been a particular theme. Much of the activity in this area covered by Outcome 3 has also tended to incorporate, to a greater or lesser extent, concern to mitigate possible market collapse.
Biosecurity Resources from Norway PCA
Evaluation, Draft Report, 14 July 2008: Download warning - 1.3 MB
