Transforming food systems and facilitating market access and integration

An FAO Regional Initiative

This Regional Initiative, implemented since 2016, consists of three main interrelated components:

Trade agreements	Global standards	Market access

The primary goal of the Regional Initiative on Transforming food systems and facilitating market access and integration is to support member countries in enhancing the agrifood trade policy environment for small- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises in pursuit of more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. A better trade policy environment for modern agrifood markets requires the development of capacity for trade agreements and domestic, regional and international sanitary and phytosanitary rules. Knowledge of trading partners’ requirements is essential.

While international trade policy is usually implemented at the border, adherence to food safety, quality standards, and controls for animal and plant diseases requires the support of national systems for disease prevention and control to facilitate the safe transfer and movement of food and agricultural commodities across borders. This means that a supportive policy environment for agrifood trade encompasses not only border policies, but also policies and institutions at national and enterprise levels. Effective markets and efficient, sustainable value chains will help all actors in the production chain play their part in a cohesive food system.