Senior Consultant, Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI)

Dr Shivendra Bajaj is the Technical Advisor and leads all technical programs at APSA. He also manages the STDF funded project in APAARI on strengthening phytosanitary compliance to boost seed trade and public private partnership in the Asia Pacific region. Previously, he led Federation of Seed Industry of India and Alliance for Agri Innovation as the Executive Director. He engages with key stakeholders including the highest level of decision makers to influence policies and advocates for adoption of seed and biotechnology policy, innovation, new technologies and breeding applications in the agriculture sector to benefit farmers and agriculture. Some priority issues in his agenda include global coordination for phytosanitary process improvement, Access and Benefit Sharing in food and agriculture and global harmonization of guidelines of agricultural innovations.

Abstract Developments in harmonizing the phytosanitary framework in the Asia-Pacific Region

APSA has been engaging the NPPOs of several countries in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss phytosanitary issues in several ways. APSA has been organizing the annual phytosanitary consultation for the last 10 years. This year the tenth annual phytosanitary consultation was held in Manila. This was the first time that the phytosanitary consultation was held outside Bangkok. The unique feature of this year’s consultation was the visit of the NPPOs to the seed health laboratories of the public and private sectors outside Manila. I will update the highlights of the tenth regional phytosanitary expert consultation.

APSA is also one of the associated technical partners of a project led by APAARI entitled “Strengthening phytosanitary compliance to boost seed trade in the Asia Pacific region" funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) and involves seven countries in the region namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. This project involves capacity building of the NPPOs of the above countries on key ISPMs and collaboration with the private sector to boost seed trade. I will be presenting the overall activities of APSA to coordinate the phytosanitary-related efforts in the region.