Overview of Science-based Risk Analysis and Modelling
The World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) established standards for international regulations affecting agricultural trade. SPS regulation is widely recognized as an important constraint to agricultural development and trade for many developing countries. However, if agriculture is to continue to be an engine for growth and development in developing countries, if it is to continue to meet the international needs for food security and survival, and especially if developing countries wish to participate in trade, SPS capability must be strengthened. Article 5.1 of the SPS Agreement states, "Members shall ensure that their sanitary or phytosanitary measures are based on an assessment...of the risks....". To comply with the SPS Agreement, countries must be able to survey for pests and diseases. They must then extract scientific evidence from their survey data and compile that evidence into a valid assessment of risk. The risk assessment can subsequently be used to support trade.
Tuskegee University (TU) in collaboration with the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) in Hyderabad, India have been funded by National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) to strengthen India's ability to comply with the requirements of the SPS Agreement through Risk Assessment Training. Working closely with the Indian government and universities, we plan to provide workshops and mentoring to selected Indian scientists focused on developing the SPS infrastructure necessary for India to participate in trade. Our project will be simply a first step in several others that will be needed to enhance the capacity of Indian scientists to perform these tasks, and to do so with the confidence that their work will comply with international standards. We will focus on strengthening mid-level management's analytical ability in risk assessment, disease surveillance and related activities.