The Report covers a milestone year for the STDF. In addition to celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024, this year’s report highlights key achievements, including progress in strengthening SPS capacity in developing countries as well as mainstreaming gender and environmental issues. The report also includes an external evaluation of the STDF’s performance.

Key results

In 2024, the STDF made significant progress in enhancing SPS measures across 11 countries and supporting SPS legislative, regulatory and policy changes in 19 countries, in addition to catalysing new work on public-private partnerships, digitalization and SPS e-certification, and mainstreaming cross-cutting issues.  

Highlights include:

• In India, the STDF’s spices project improved safety and quality, enabling over 80% of tested spices to meet Codex Alimentarius Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for increased access to premium markets.
• In Guinea, an STDF project strengthened the country’s phytosanitary system, securing mango export approval for the EU market and increasing potato production by 112%, which opened new opportunities for agricultural exports to regional and international markets.
• In 2024, the STDF continued addressing gender challenges in line with its Gender Action Plan. Gender analyses in over 10 countries identified gender needs and opportunities, which is enhancing attention to gender equality in SPS capacity development.
• The STDF published an assessment on attention to the environment, biodiversity and climate resilience in its work. The assessment recognized that two-thirds of project applications explicitly address factors related to the environment and identified win-win opportunities to strengthen environment mainstreaming, while maintaining the STDF’s focus on SPS capacity and safe trade.

Looking back and planning for the future

An external evaluation (May 2024) confirmed the STDF’s continued relevance, and the high satisfaction of stakeholders with the partnership’s progress and results. It also contributed to the development of the STDF’s new Strategy for 2025-2030, which was created in 2024 with founding partners, donors, developing country experts and others involved in the STDF’s work.

“The STDF has been at the forefront of creating pathways to ensure that trade is both safe and sustainable, contributing to economic growth and food security across regions,” said Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Director-General. “Over the past two decades, the STDF’s support has enabled small-scale producers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean to meet standards and expand exports, generating higher earnings, creating jobs, and driving inclusive development.”

As the landscape of aid evolves, the STDF remains committed to helping developing countries benefit from trade through innovative SPS solutions, ensuring that trade remains inclusive and beneficial for all. 

The STDF Annual Report can be viewed and downloaded here.

The STDF is a global multi-stakeholder partnership facilitating safe and inclusive trade, established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WTO, which houses and manages the partnership. The STDF responds to evolving sanitary and phytosanitary needs, drives inclusive trade, and contributes to sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction, food security and climate resilience, in support of the United Nations’ Global Goals.

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