Timor-Leste's agriculture sector, which provides livelihoods for 80% of the population, faces significant SPS challenges stemming from constraints in its legal, technical and institutional capacities. Absence of a harmonized legal framework for the SPS system, lack of an accredited certification system, inadequate risk assessment and surveillance, along with insufficient technical expertise and laboratory infrastructure, limit market access for the agricultural exports and imports. Products critically important to the country's economy, such as coffee, vanilla and cloves, struggle to access global markets due to stringent regulatory requirements such as lab tests and certifications that determine the presence of foodborne pathogens, pesticide residues, mycotoxins and residues of heavy metals and veterinary drugs.
This PPG aims to develop a project proposal to establish the necessary regulatory, institutional, and technical frameworks and modernize Timor Leste's food safety management system in accordance with international standards to respond to the country's WTO commitments.