Smallholder farmers are important food producers globally. However, they often struggle to meet international standards on trade and related plant health requirements. Bridging the gap between smallholder farms and the global market is now more important than ever. Through South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) programmes, producers, exporters and technical experts are brought together to share valuable know-how and work together to strengthen agricultural production.

One key, but often overlooked area, for this critical expertise is plant health and plant protection.

Robust and up-to-date phytosanitary measures are crucial to regulating and preventing the introduction and spread of pests to plants and plant products. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is a multilateral treaty that aims to protect plants by preventing the introduction and spread of pests, and the IPPC Secretariat hosted at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), works to ensure all countries have the capacity to implement phytosanitary measures, thereby facilitating trade of agricultural products.