Jordan
In progress
Modernising agri-food trade
Replacing paper phytosanitary certificates with ePhyto Solution
This Alliance project aims to cut the time and costs of border clearance for perishable food products, benefitting Jordan’s agricultural sector.
Traders shipping plants or plant products must acquire a paper phytosanitary certificate to show that the material is considered free from pests and that they comply with plant health regulations. Jordan aims to enhance the use of automated systems for this verification process, removing the risk of erroneous, lost, or damaged paperwork that can take time to resolve, leaving stranded produce to spoil.
The Alliance has already gained valuable experience supporting the implementation of this digitalised approach in Morocco and has other ePhyto projects underway in Colombia, Ecuador, Madagascar, Senegal, and Thailand.
What we are doing
Our project is supporting the Jordanian government in introducing electronic phytosanitary certificates, or ePhytos, and in joining the “ePhyto Hub,” an initiative of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat. This electronic hub allows participating countries to electronically exchange ePhytos with trading partners quickly, accurately, and at low cost.
The Alliance will be implementing the project in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, Jordan Customs Single Window and the local and international private sector.
Benefits
The use of ePhytos will:
- mean certificates are transferred between parties quickly, accurately and at low cost, reducing the time and cost burden on both traders and border agencies
- enhance Jordan’s global trade competitiveness by allowing the agricultural sector to conform to international business standards
- pave the way for Jordan to exchange other types of data with trading partners
- reduce the risk of loss or fraud, helping ensure any threats to plant health through trade are stopped in their tracks
Overall, the project can also contribute to food security by ensuring that shipments are not getting stuck and spoiled at border checkpoints. Ease of trade with other ePhyto Hub countries can make exports more attractive, benefiting local traders and farmers.
Measurement
The Alliance will use its Total Trade Logistics Cost (TTLC) methodology at the project’s outset and again at its conclusion to determine how the project contributed to lower costs and time saved in import and export processes at the border.
Timeline
The project will take 15 months and will be implemented in five phases:
Phase 1
In progress
Legal review of existing regulations on phytosanitary procedures and electronic signatures
Phase 2
In progress
Analyses of current scenario and mapping of procedures
Phase 3
In progress
Implementation of the IPPC ePhyto system
Phase 4
In progress
Capacity building and training
Phase 5
In progress
Communications and awareness-building in the private sector
Read also
Morocco Leads the Way in Africa as Digital Phytosanitary Certificates Go Live
International agri-food trade with Morocco is set to become faster and more cost-effective for importers and exporters as the country introduces electronic phytosanitary certificates. The international electronic exchange of ‘e-phytos’ was launched on 26 March 2020, making Morocco one of the first African countries to fully integrate and use ePhyto within their national trade system.
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